Plumber License Requirements in Arizona
- Training hours
- —
- Upfront cost
- $477
- Exam
- AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE), R-37/C-37/CR-37 Plumbing Trade Exam
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Issuing board
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC)
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. All persons listed on the license application must be 18 or older. A background check (through the ROC's designated vendor) is required for every person named on the License Application Form; results expire 90 days from completion. [3]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete the required training. Arizona does not license individual plumbers directly — it licenses plumbing CONTRACTING businesses (this record uses that contractor-licensing pathway, since there is no separate journeyman/master tier at the state level; some cities also license at the journeyman level for local permitting, which is outside the scope of this record). A business applies for a license classification through a 'Qualifying Party' who must have the necessary hands-on and/or managerial experience — 4 years for the R-37 (residential), C-37 (commercial), and CR-37 (dual) Plumbing classifications, per the ROC's License Classification Requirements chart. No fixed classroom-hour figure is published; experience is what qualifies the applicant, not a training-hour count, so 'hours' is left null. [1]
- 3
AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE)
Pass the AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) (fee: $61). Computer-based, open-book training course and exam, taken online only through Gmetrix. Required for every classification and cannot be waived (unlike the trade exam). Minimum passing score is 70%. [2]
- 4
R-37/C-37/CR-37 Plumbing Trade Exam
Pass the R-37/C-37/CR-37 Plumbing Trade Exam (fee: $66). Taken online or at a PSI testing center; content outline published in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. The Qualifying Party must pass with a minimum score of 70%. May be waived by the Registrar if the Qualifying Party was a qualifying party for a licensee in this classification (or a comparable one) in this or another state within the preceding 5 years. A Solar exam (also via PSI) is additionally required for the solar-inclusive R-37/C-37/CR-37 'Plumbing, Including Solar' variants. [2]
- 5
Submit your application
Submit your application to Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) with the $80 application fee. [2]
- 6
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) issues your R-37 Plumbing Contractor (Residential) for Arizona.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [2] | $80 |
| License fee [2] | $270 |
| Renewal fee [2] | $270 |
| AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) [2] | $61 |
| R-37/C-37/CR-37 Plumbing Trade Exam [2] | $66 |
| Residential Recovery Fund assessment (R-37, new application) [2] | $370 |
| Residential Recovery Fund assessment (R-37, renewal) [2] | $270 |
| C-37 Commercial: application [2] | $100 |
| C-37 Commercial: license [2] | $480 |
| CR-37 Dual: application [2] | $100 |
| CR-37 Dual: license [2] | $380 |
| CR-37 Dual Recovery Fund assessment [2] | $370 |
Figures shown are for the R-37 Specialty Residential Plumbing classification (application $80 + license $270 + Recovery Fund assessment $370 = $720 total for a new 2-year license; renewal is $270 license + $270 Recovery Fund = $540). Commercial (C-37) and Dual (CR-37) classifications have different fee schedules, listed under 'other' above. None of these totals include the separate SRE ($61) or trade ($66) exam fees, which are paid directly to the exam vendors, not the ROC.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 2 years.
Licenses are issued and renewed on a 2-year cycle. No continuing-education hour requirement for license renewal was found on the ROC's licensing-fees or applying-for-a-license pages.
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
No interstate compact covers plumbing contracting. Arizona does not have blanket reciprocity with other states, but the trade exam (not the AZ-specific SRE, which can never be waived) may be waived if the Qualifying Party has been a qualifying party for a licensee in this or a comparable classification, in Arizona or another state, within the preceding 5 years. Applicants for the B-1/B-2/KB-1/KB-2 building classifications may substitute the NASCLA Commercial General Building Exam for the AZ trade exam; this NASCLA substitution path is not available for the R-37/C-37/CR-37 plumbing classifications.
2 state-approved training providers in Arizona — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $80
- $270
- $61
- $66
Frequently asked questions
Does Arizona issue an individual plumber's license?
No. Arizona licenses plumbing CONTRACTING businesses through the Registrar of Contractors, not individual journeyman or master plumbers at the state level. A business must have a 'Qualifying Party' who meets the classification's experience and exam requirements. Some cities license at the journeyman level for local permitting purposes.
How much experience does a Qualifying Party need for a plumbing contractor license?
4 years of hands-on and/or managerial plumbing experience, for the R-37 (residential), C-37 (commercial), or CR-37 (dual residential/commercial) classifications.
What exams are required to get an Arizona plumbing contractor license?
The AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE), taken online through Gmetrix for $61, and a Plumbing trade exam through PSI Services for $66 — both scored on a 70% minimum passing threshold. The SRE cannot be waived; the trade exam can be waived under certain prior-licensure conditions.
What does it cost to get a residential plumbing contractor license (R-37) in Arizona?
$80 application fee + $270 license fee + $370 Residential Recovery Fund assessment = $720 total for a new 2-year license, not including the SRE and trade exam fees paid directly to the exam vendors.
How often does an Arizona plumbing contractor license need to be renewed?
Every 2 years. No continuing-education requirement was found for renewal; the R-37 renewal fee is $270 license + $270 Recovery Fund assessment = $540 total.
Sources
- [1] roc.az.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/License%20Classification%20Requirements_6.8.20_0.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
- [2] roc.az.gov/licensing-fees — accessed 2026-07-12
- [3] roc.az.gov/applying-for-a-license — accessed 2026-07-12