Phoenix Electrician License (2026): What the City and the ROC Require

There is no Phoenix electrician license to apply for. The city's journeyman licensing brochure says Phoenix does not issue an electrical license for a journeyman or apprentice, and that an electrician pulling a permit must be a registered contractor. In practice that means a license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC): R-11 for homes, C-11 for commercial or CR-11 for both. The step that trips people up is the trade exam, which PSI still grades on the 2017 NEC.

Starting from zero? JCR's guide to getting an Arizona electrical license walks through the statewide ROC process, and the Arizona R-11, C-11 and CR-11 exam guide covers the test itself. To see where you stand today, the free 25-question 2017 NEC mock (choose Arizona) scores you instantly and cites the code section behind each answer, and the Arizona electrical practice test adds five worked questions.

Phoenix electrician license requirements at a glance

Inside Phoenix: permits, inspections and the local code

Licensing is a state matter, but plan review, permits and inspections all run through Phoenix's Planning and Development Department (PDD). A few details are specific to the city:

• The Development Center. It sits on the 2nd floor of 200 W. Washington Street and is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are taken, but the city strongly encourages appointments (PDD inspections page).
• SHAPE PHX. The city's new permitting system is live for single-family residential projects. Other projects still use PDD Online and ProjectDox. Set up an account at ShapePHX.
• Inspections before cover. Phoenix wants an inspection at each stage of construction before work is concealed, so your rough-in has to be signed off before the drywall goes up.
• Home solar goes by email. Residential PV submittals go to a dedicated PDD email address. Fitting, since PV is also 10 questions on both ROC exams.
• A GFCI grace period. Phoenix adopted the 2023 NEC but deferred enforcement of the 210.8(F) GFCI requirement for HVAC equipment. Full enforcement starts March 1, 2027.

The Valley outside Phoenix city limits

Cross into Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale or Peoria and your license still works, because the ROC license is statewide. The permit office, fee schedule and adopted code edition change with each city, so call that building department before you bid.

Unincorporated Maricopa County is mid-switch. Its Board of Supervisors adopted the 2024 I-Codes and the 2023 NEC on October 21, 2026, and plans submitted for first review on or after November 20, 2026 must meet them (county implementation notice). Plans already in review, or submitted before that date, can stay on the 2018 I-Codes and the 2017 NEC through May 20, 2027. For a while, then, some county jobs are still built to the same edition PSI tests.

Getting licensed: the path a Phoenix electrician takes

1. Choose the class that fits your work. R-11 covers residential electrical systems. C-11 covers commercial wiring under 600 volts. CR-11 is the dual license, and it uses the C-11 trade exam.
2. Name a qualifying party. That person needs at least 4 years of practical or management experience, 2 of them in the last 10 years. Accredited technical training can count for no more than 2 of the 4.
3. Sit the PSI trade exam. Register on PSI's Arizona contractor page. Metro test centers are at 2345 E. Thomas Rd., Suite 385 in Phoenix, 40 W. Baseline Rd., Suite 221 in Tempe, and the Glendale Airport flight training center. Remote proctoring is offered too (PSI Arizona bulletin).
4. Finish the Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE). It's an online ROC course and test sold through Gmetrix for $61. You can skip it only if you were a qualifying party on another Arizona license in the past 5 years.
5. Bond up and file with the ROC no later than 2 years after your exam pass date. Then pull permits through the Development Center.

Budget: PSI charges $66 for one trade exam. Under the ROC's fee rule (A.A.C. R4-9-130), a new license costs $580 for C-11 ($100 application, $480 license), $720 for R-11 ($80, $270 and a $370 recovery fund assessment) and $850 for CR-11 ($100, $380 and the same $370). Fees change, so check the ROC fee page before you apply. Licensed in another state? Read about Arizona's trade exam waivers.

Phoenix candidates and the 2017 NEC exam

Allowed in the room: the 2017 NEC, NFPA 72 (2016) and OSHA 29 CFR 1926 (the full text or PSI's selections), with permanent tabs. Ugly's and the two solar textbooks on the reference list stay home, and you can't write in your books during the test. A silent, non-programmable calculator is fine. For check-in and scoring rules, see JCR's PSI electrical exam guide.

Want an exam other states also accept? The ROC takes the NASCLA Accredited exam too, and it uses the 2020 or 2023 NEC. Testing on the 2020 NEC? See JCR's NASCLA exam guide.

Three R-11 warm-up questions (2017 NEC)

1. Under 230.79(C), what is the minimum rating of the service disconnecting means for a one-family dwelling?

1. 60 A
2. 100 A
3. 150 A
4. 200 A

2. The service-entrance conductors are 3/0 AWG copper. What size copper grounding electrode conductor runs to the metal underground water pipe?

1. 8 AWG
2. 6 AWG
3. 4 AWG
4. 2 AWG

3. Chapter 9, Table 1: what is the maximum fill for a conduit holding three or more conductors?

1. 31%
2. 40%
3. 53%
4. 60%

Phoenix electrical license FAQ

Does Phoenix require an electrician license?

No. Phoenix doesn't license electricians at any level. Its journeyman and apprentice licenses are for plumbing, mechanical and gas fitting. To pull an electrical permit in the city, you must be a contractor licensed by the Arizona ROC.

Is there a Phoenix journeyman electrician license?

No. The city's brochure says it does not issue an electrical license for a journeyman or apprentice, and the ROC licenses contracting businesses rather than individual journeymen. An electrician paid only wages needs no license. The employer holds the ROC license.

Where do I get an electrical permit in Phoenix?

Through Phoenix's Planning and Development Department. Single-family residential projects go through SHAPE PHX, and the Development Center at 200 W. Washington Street, 2nd floor, takes walk-ins and appointments on weekdays.

What NEC edition does Phoenix use?

The 2023 NEC, adopted with the 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code effective August 1, 2025. Enforcement of the 210.8(F) GFCI rule for HVAC equipment is deferred to March 1, 2027. The ROC trade exam still grades code questions on the 2017 NEC.

Where can I take the Arizona electrical contractor exam near Phoenix?

PSI has test centers in Phoenix (2345 E. Thomas Road), Tempe and Glendale, and it also offers remote proctoring. Book through PSI's Arizona contractor page or at (855) 744-0310.