Arizona HVAC license requirements at a glance
- Issued by
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC)
- License required
- Yes, contractor license for work over $1,000; no state technician license
- Experience
- 4 years practical experience
- Exam
- AZ Statutes & Rules Exam (GMetrix) plus trade exam (PSI), 70% to pass
- State fees
- $100 application; SRE exam ~$61, trade exam ~$66
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Avg. AZ HVAC salary
- $59,860/yr (2025)
- Federal
- EPA Section 608 required
How do you get an HVAC license in Arizona?
- Start working under a licensed HVAC contractor, Arizona has no state technician license, so you can begin earning immediately
- Obtain EPA Section 608 certification for refrigerant handling (federal requirement)
- Accumulate 4 years of practical experience within the past 10 (technical training or apprenticeship can cover up to 2 years)
- Pass the Arizona Statutes & Rules Exam and your trade exam (R-39 residential, C-39 commercial, or CR-39 dual) with 70% or better
- Complete the background check, secure your surety bond (amount set by gross business volume), and file the ROC application with the $100 fee
What license tiers does Arizona offer?
Arizona offers three contractor classifications: R-39 (residential AC and refrigeration including solar), C-39 (commercial), and CR-39 (the dual license covering both). There is no state technician tier at all, techs work under a contractor license, and no restricted middle license, though Phoenix and some cities run their own journeyman programs on top.
What is the Arizona HVAC exam like?
Two exams, both required: the Arizona Statutes & Rules Exam (also the business-management exam) through GMetrix at about $61, and the trade exam for your classification through PSI at about $66, each needing 70%. The trade exam runs 210 minutes and covers the International Mechanical Code, refrigeration standards, and equipment sizing. Five PSI centers serve the state: Flagstaff, Glendale, Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson.
How much does an HVAC license cost in Arizona?
Budget a few hundred dollars for the state side: $100 ROC application, roughly $61 for the Statutes & Rules exam via GMetrix and $66 for the trade exam via PSI, plus your surety bond premium (bond amount scales with gross business volume) and background check. The four years of experience are paid work under a licensed contractor, so there is no mandatory tuition phase.
How long does it take to become an HVAC tech in Arizona?
The clock is the 4 years of practical experience, paid full-time work under a licensed contractor. Arizona licenses HVAC at the contractor level only, four years of practical experience under a licensed contractor gets you exam-eligible, and technical training can substitute for up to two of those years.
Is HVAC a good career in Arizona?
Arizona average from state wage data (2025 estimate). National median from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023). Verify current figures with BLS.
What does it take to start your own HVAC business in Arizona?
The ROC license IS the business license: you apply as a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, or corporation, name a qualifying party who carries the experience and exams, post a surety bond scaled to gross business volume, and clear a criminal background check. LLCs and corporations register with the Arizona Corporation Commission first; sole proprietors and partnerships go through the Secretary of State.
What most guides get wrong about Arizona
Arizona's trap is the two-exam structure: applicants who breeze through the trade exam routinely fail the Statutes & Rules Exam, which is dense, statute-driven, and can never be waived. The other detail most guides bury: the four years of experience must fall within the past ten, with at least two in the last ten per ROC rules, decades-old experience alone won't qualify you.
Arizona HVAC license: frequently asked questions
Do HVAC technicians need a license in Arizona?
Not at the state level, Arizona only licenses contractors. Any HVAC work over $1,000 requires a licensed contractor on the job, and work under $1,000 falls under the handyman exemption. Some cities, notably Phoenix, license at the journeyman level, so check local rules.
What is the difference between R-39, C-39, and CR-39?
R-39 covers residential air conditioning and refrigeration including solar, C-39 covers commercial, and CR-39 is the dual license covering both. Requirements are essentially identical, so many applicants go straight for the CR-39 to keep every job type open.
How much does an Arizona HVAC contractor license cost?
The ROC application fee is $100, the Statutes & Rules exam runs about $61 through GMetrix, and the trade exam about $66 through PSI. Add the surety bond premium, the bond amount is set by your gross business volume, and a background check. All-in, most applicants spend a few hundred dollars.
Does Arizona accept HVAC licenses from other states?
No, Arizona lists no reciprocity for the air conditioning classifications, so out-of-state contractors license from scratch. Your documented experience still counts toward the four-year requirement.
HVAC licensing in every state
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