- A license is generally needed when labor and materials exceed $1,000, or whenever a permit is required regardless of price.
- The qualifying party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience, with at least two in the last ten years. Up to two years can be replaced by technical training.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Residential specialty: $4,250 if yearly volume is under $375,000, or $7,500 at $375,000 or more. Commercial specialty: from $2,500 for $150,000 or less, rising with volume. Dual licenses combine both amounts.
- Every two years.
Do you need a state license in Arizona?
Arizona licenses electrical work at the state level through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
A license is generally needed when labor and materials exceed $1,000, or whenever a permit is required regardless of price.
Arizona license types for electrical work
Arizona splits the work into 3 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| R-11 Electrical | Install and repair residential electrical systems |
| C-11 Electrical | Commercial wiring and equipment under 600 volts |
| CR-11 Electrical | Dual license covering C-11 and R-11 work |
Steps to get licensed in Arizona
- Form your business entity with the Arizona Corporation Commission, or apply as a sole proprietor using your exact legal name.
- Pick your classification (R-11, C-11 or CR-11).
- Pass the Statutes and Rules exam (SRE) and the PSI trade exam, unless you qualify for a waiver.
- Submit background checks and government ID for all persons on the license.
- Get the contractor bond for your classification and volume.
- Apply through the ROC online portal and pay the fees.
- Renew every two years.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The qualifying party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience, with at least two in the last ten years. Up to two years can be replaced by technical training.
The license to apply for. R-11 Electrical (residential), C-11 Electrical (commercial) or CR-11 Electrical (dual).
Arizona electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. An electrical trade exam through PSI ($66), or the NASCLA Electrical Examination ($116) in its place.
Business and law exam. Yes. The online AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) through Gmetrix, $61.
What it costs in Arizona
The board lists 6 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential specialty (R) license: application, license and recovery fund total | $720 |
| Commercial specialty (C) license: application and license total | $580 |
| Dual specialty (CR) license: application, license and recovery fund total | $850 |
| Trade exam (PSI) | $66 |
| Statutes and Rules exam (Gmetrix) | $61 |
| NASCLA electrical exam (optional in place of the ROC trade exam) | $116 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. You must attest that you comply with workers' compensation insurance laws.
Bond. Residential specialty: $4,250 if yearly volume is under $375,000, or $7,500 at $375,000 or more. Commercial specialty: from $2,500 for $150,000 or less, rising with volume. Dual licenses combine both amounts.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every two years.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Arizona
- Residential and dual licenses pay into the Residential Recovery Fund.
- The license belongs to the business, not to the qualifying party.
- General building licenses must subcontract electrical work to an appropriately licensed contractor.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for an electrician near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how electrical contractors run on Koira.