How to Get an Arizona Electrical License (2026): R-11, C-11 and CR-11

Arizona has no state journeyman or master electrician license. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses electrical contracting businesses instead: R-11 for residential, C-11 for commercial and CR-11 for both. To get one, your company's qualifying party (the person responsible for the license) shows 4 years of experience, passes PSI's 110-question trade exam on the 2017 NEC and passes the online Statutes and Rules Exam. Then you post a bond and apply. A new license costs $580 to $850 for 2 years (ROC fees).

Who needs an Arizona electrical license?

Arizona licenses contractors, not individual electricians (A.R.S. 32-1101):

• Electrical businesses need an ROC license. One person, the qualifying party, takes the exams and answers for the license. That person owns part of the business or works for it regularly.
• Electricians paid wages don't need a contractor license (A.R.S. 32-1121).
• Handyman jobs under $1,000 are exempt only when they're minor and need no building permit.

Arizona's Legislature debated electrician licensing bills in 2026, and none became law. One of them, SB 1670, would have barred cities and counties from requiring journeyman licenses. The governor vetoed it (bill summary). Before you start a job, ask the city's building department about any local rules.

R-11, C-11 or CR-11: which license do you need?

Scopes come from the ROC's classification list. CR-11 doesn't add a second exam: its applicants take the same commercial exam as C-11 (C-11/CR-11 outline).

The Arizona electrical exam (2017 NEC)

PSI gives the ROC trade exams at test centers in Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Tucson and Flagstaff, or online with a remote proctor (PSI bulletin).

Rules from the R-11 and C-11 outlines and the PSI bulletin:

• Only the listed books. Ugly's Electrical References and the solar textbooks in the study list aren't allowed in the exam room.
• Permanent tabs only. You can't write in your books during the exam.
• Code edition. Code questions are graded on the 2017 NEC only.
• Calculator. A silent, nonprinting, non-programmable calculator.
• Unscored questions. The exam may include 5 to 10 trial questions that don't count toward your score but do use exam time.
• Retakes. Wait 30 days after a fail. After 3 fails, wait 90 days.

ROC exam or NASCLA exam?

For R-11, C-11 and CR-11, you can take the NASCLA exam instead of the ROC trade exam (ROC fees). NASCLA's national exam has 100 questions in 270 minutes, costs $116 and uses the 2020 or 2023 NEC (NASCLA electrical outline, residential outline). The electrical contractors outline lists 75 to pass. The residential outline lists 70. If you already own a 2017 NEC, the ROC exam lets you use it. See JCR's NASCLA exam guide for more.

How to get an Arizona electrical contractor license

1. Check your experience. The qualifying party needs 4 years of hands-on or management experience, at least 2 within the last 10 years. Up to 2 years can come from technical training (A.R.S. 32-1122). Everyone on the application must be 18 or older.
2. Pass the trade exam. Schedule with PSI at a test center or online. Your score is good for 2 years.
3. Pass the Statutes and Rules Exam. It's an open-book online course and exam through Gmetrix for $61, and you need 70%.
4. Get a bond. The amount depends on your license and yearly volume (see below).
5. Apply to the ROC. Send your application, score reports, bond and fees within 2 years of passing.

Arizona electrical license fees and bonds

License fees come from the ROC fee page and bonds from ROC bond information. Commercial bonds rise with volume, up to $50,000 at over $10 million a year. Residential bonds are $7,500 at $375,000 or more a year. Exam fees are separate: $66 for one PSI exam, $116 for two, and $61 for the Statutes and Rules Exam.

Arizona electrical license reciprocity

Arizona has no reciprocity agreements with other states. The Registrar can waive the trade exam and experience if your qualifying party held a comparable license in another state within the past 5 years and got it by passing a trade exam (ROC, rule R4-9-106). File the waiver request with your license application, since the ROC doesn't pre-approve waivers. Out-of-state applicants still pass the Statutes and Rules Exam.

Going the other way, Nevada counts an Arizona CR-11 held for the past 4 years toward its C-2 electrical license (Nevada reciprocity). Other states: JCR's reciprocity guide.

Renewal

• Every 2 years. Renewal costs $480 (C-11), $540 (R-11) or $650 (CR-11) (ROC fees).
• Late renewal. Your license is suspended the business day after it expires. You can reactivate it within a year by paying the renewal fee plus $50. After a year, you apply for a new license (A.R.S. 32-1125).

Arizona electrical license questions

Does Arizona have a journeyman electrician license?

No. Arizona doesn't license journeyman or master electricians at the state level. The Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses electrical contracting businesses, and employees paid wages don't need a contractor license. Ask your city's building department about any local rules.

What NEC edition is on the Arizona electrical exam?

The ROC's R-11 and C-11 trade exams use the 2017 NEC. If you take the NASCLA exam instead, bring the 2020 or 2023 NEC.

How many questions are on the Arizona R-11 and C-11 exams?

Each has 110 questions in 240 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. Both are open book with the 2017 NEC, NFPA 72 (2016) and OSHA 29 CFR 1926.

What's the difference between C-11 and CR-11 in Arizona?

C-11 covers commercial electrical work under 600 volts. CR-11 is the dual license that covers both C-11 commercial and R-11 residential work. Both take the same commercial trade exam.

Does Arizona have electrical license reciprocity?

Not by agreement. The Registrar may waive the trade exam and experience if your qualifying party held a comparable license in another state within the past 5 years and got it by passing a trade exam. You still pass Arizona's Statutes and Rules Exam.