Arizona HVAC Contractor License — Requirements, Fees & Exam

Arizona licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual HVAC technicians. PSI exam, biennial renewal — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) (official site) and last verified July 23, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must be licensed: It is unlawful to engage in, act as, offer to act as, or purport to have the capacity of a contractor without a contractor's license in good standing, unless exempt (A.R.S. 32-1151). A 'contractor' includes anyone who, for compensation, undertakes to construct, alter, repair, add to or improve any structure, or to 'provide mechanical or structural service for any such structure' (A.R.S. 32-1101). Installing, altering or repairing air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilation systems is mechanical service that falls within these definitions, so HVAC work for compensation requires the appropriate contractor classification (C-39/C-79/C-58/C-49, R-39, or the dual CR- forms). Arizona licenses the CONTRACTING BUSINESS through a qualifying party, not each individual technician - the license belongs to the business, not to the qualifying party.
Qualifying party and 4-year experience: The applicant (a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC or corporation) must designate a qualifying party who is regularly employed by the licensee and actively engaged in the classification of work, and who has the necessary experience, knowledge and skills. Before a license issues, the qualifying party must have at least 4 years' practical or management trade experience dealing specifically with the type of construction sought, at least 2 of which were within the last 10 years; accredited technical or manufacturer training may substitute for up to 2 of the 4 years (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)).
Examinations (SRE + trade, 70% each): The qualifying party must pass, by at least 70%, both the AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE - an open-book online course/exam through Gmetrix, which cannot be waived because it is Arizona-specific) and the trade-specific exam for the classification (online or at a PSI test center). The trade exam may be waived (with the Application to Waive a Trade Examination) if the qualifying party was, within the preceding 5 years, a qualifying party for a licensee in Arizona or another state in the same or a comparable classification (A.A.C. R4-9-106(E)); the Registrar does not pre-approve waivers. NASCLA accredited-exam alternatives exist only for the KB building and the -11 electrical classifications, NOT for the HVAC '-39' classifications.
Contractor's license bond: The applicant must file and maintain a contractor's license bond (surety or cash) sized to the classification and the anticipated annual gross volume of work in Arizona. Residential Specialty (e.g., R-39): $4,250 if contemplated gross volume is under $375,000, or $7,500 at $375,000 or more. Commercial Specialty (e.g., C-39): $2,500 at $150,000 or less, rising through $7,000 / $17,500 / $25,000 / $37,500 / $50,000 as gross volume increases. Dual (CR-) bond amounts are calculated by combining the residential and commercial amounts. Bond amounts may be increased at any time (AZ ROC Bond Information).
Residential Recovery Fund (residential and dual licenses): A residential contractor must, in addition to the license bond, pay an assessment into the Registrar's Residential Recovery Fund OR post a surety or cash bond of $200,000. The Recovery Fund assessment is $370 on a new residential or dual license and $270 on renewal; it is required of every residential (R) and dual (CR) classification even if the applicant qualifies for a license-fee waiver. Commercial (C) classifications pay $0 into the Fund.
Workers' compensation attestation: To obtain, renew or maintain a license, the applicant/licensee must attest that it has complied with the statutes and rules governing workers' compensation insurance; if required by law to secure coverage under title 23, chapter 6, the attestation must include the policy number or proof of self-insurance (A.R.S. 32-1122(B)(1)(i)). At renewal, licensees with employees supply the policy number and issuing company; those with none select the appropriate exemption.
The $1,000 'casual or minor' exemption does not reach most HVAC work: Arizona's closest analogue to a handyman exemption is A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14): work on one project whose aggregate contract price is less than $1,000 and is 'of a casual or minor nature.' It does NOT apply where the work requires a local building permit, where the work is part of a larger operation or is split into sub-$1,000 contracts to evade the chapter, or where the person advertises without disclosing 'not a licensed contractor.' Critically for HVAC, A.R.S. 32-1121(D)(2) provides that the $1,000 exemptions (paragraphs 4, 9 and 14) do NOT apply to 'all work done, including installing, maintaining and repairing devices, appliances or equipment, that involves connecting to any supply of natural gas, propane or other petroleum or gaseous fuel.' Because HVAC changeouts typically require a mechanical/building permit and gas-fired equipment connects to a fuel supply, the $1,000 exemption rarely reaches real HVAC installation or replacement.
Reciprocity: Arizona has no general HVAC license reciprocity. The only exam relief is the trade-exam waiver in A.A.C. R4-9-106(E) for a qualifying party who held the same or a comparable classification in Arizona or another state within the preceding 5 years, and the NASCLA accredited-exam program - which applies to the KB building and -11 electrical classifications, not the HVAC '-39' classifications. The SRE (Arizona statutes and rules) is never waived.

Legal basis

Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) administers HVAC contractor licensing in Arizona. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

In Arizona the state HVAC credential is a CONTRACTOR license issued by the Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC), not an individual HVAC-technician card. The HVAC classifications are numbered ‘-39’ (air conditioning and refrigeration), ‘-79’ (air conditioning and refrigeration including solar), ‘-58’ (comfort heating, ventilating and evaporative cooling), ‘-49’ (commercial/process refrigeration) and ‘-45’ (sheet metal / duct work), each issued in a Commercial (C-), Residential (R-) or Dual (CR-) form. The dual CR-39 (and CR-79 with solar) is the classification most residential-plus-commercial HVAC contractors seek; C-39 is the commercial-only and R-39 the residential-only version. A worker employed by a licensed contractor needs no individual state license (A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(11)). Separately, EPA Section 608 refrigerant-handling certification is a FEDERAL requirement, not an Arizona license. ‘HVAC license,’ ‘AC license,’ ‘air conditioning license,’ ‘C-39 license’ and ‘CR-39 license’ are common informal names for the AZ ROC air-conditioning-and-refrigeration contractor classifications.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
CR-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Dual - residential and commercial)	The qualifying party must have at least 4 years' practical or management trade experience dealing specifically with air conditioning and refrigeration work, at least 2 of which must have been within the last 10 years (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)). Accredited technical or manufacturer training may substitute for up to 2 of the 4 years, but no more.	Two exams, each requiring a score of at least 70%: the AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE, open-book, online through Gmetrix) and the trade-specific Air Conditioning and Refrigeration exam (online or at a PSI test center). The trade exam may be waived under A.A.C. R4-9-106(E) if the qualifying party was, within the preceding 5 years, a qualifying party for a licensee in Arizona or another state in the same or a comparable classification; the SRE cannot be waived.	Specialty Dual (CR) fees: $100 application fee + $380 license fee + $370 Residential Recovery Fund assessment = $850 to obtain (renewal is $380 license + $270 Recovery Fund = $650). Exam fees are separate and paid to the vendors: SRE $61 (Gmetrix) and trade exam $66 (PSI). A contractor's license bond is also required (see fees). This is the classification most residential-plus-commercial HVAC/AC contractors seek; it covers the scopes of the commercial C-39 and the residential R-39R.
C-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Commercial)	At least 4 years' practical or management experience in air conditioning and refrigeration, 2 of which within the last 10 years; up to 2 years may be accredited technical/manufacturer training (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)).	SRE (Gmetrix, $61) + trade Air Conditioning and Refrigeration exam (PSI, $66), each 70% to pass; trade exam waivable under R4-9-106(E).	Specialty Commercial (C) fees: $100 application fee + $480 license fee = $580 to obtain; renewal $480 (no Residential Recovery Fund assessment for commercial). Plus exam fees and a contractor's license bond. Scope: install, alter and repair refrigeration and evaporative cooling, plus 'wet'/'dry'/radiant heating (boilers/coils to 30 PSIG hot water or 15 PSIG steam; gas-fired furnaces and space heaters), ventilation/duct work, controls, and water/gas piping from the service connection to the equipment served.
R-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Including Solar (Residential)	At least 4 years' practical or management experience in residential air conditioning and refrigeration, 2 of which within the last 10 years; up to 2 years may be accredited technical/manufacturer training (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)).	SRE (Gmetrix, $61) + trade exam (PSI, $66), each 70% to pass; trade exam waivable under R4-9-106(E).	Specialty Residential (R) fees: $80 application fee + $270 license fee + $370 Residential Recovery Fund assessment = $720 to obtain; renewal $270 license + $270 Recovery Fund = $540. Plus exam fees and a contractor's license bond. Scope: install and repair comfort air conditioning including refrigeration, evaporative cooling, ventilating and heating, with or without solar; this classification includes all R-39R subclassifications. (Note: AZ ROC no longer accepts new applications for several legacy R-39R subclassifications - Gas Refrigeration, Temperature Control Systems, Warm Air Heating/Evaporative Cooling/Ventilating, Evaporative Cooling and Ventilators, and Pre-Coolers.)
CR-79 / C-79 / R-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Including Solar	Same 4-year experience standard (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)), keyed to air conditioning, refrigeration and solar work.	SRE + trade exam, each 70%.	Dual CR-79: $850 new / $650 renewal (Specialty Dual). Commercial C-79: $580 new / $480 renewal (Specialty Commercial). Plus exam fees and bond. The '-79' classifications are the '-39' air-conditioning-and-refrigeration scopes expressly including solar heating equipment.
C-58 / CR-58 Comfort Heating, Ventilating and Evaporative Cooling	Same 4-year experience standard (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)), in heating/ventilating/evaporative-cooling work.	SRE + trade exam, each 70%.	Commercial C-58: $580 new / $480 renewal. Dual CR-58: $850 new / $650 renewal. Plus exam fees and bond. Scope: warm-air heating, gas-fired furnaces and space heaters, ventilation and evaporative cooling - a heating/ventilating classification separate from the refrigeration/air-conditioning '-39' scope (no mechanical refrigeration/comfort cooling by refrigerant).
C-49 Refrigeration (Commercial - process/commercial refrigeration only)	Same 4-year experience standard (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)), in commercial/industrial refrigeration.	SRE + trade exam, each 70%.	Specialty Commercial: $580 new / $480 renewal, plus exam fees and bond. Scope: install/alter/repair refrigeration equipment and systems for processing, storage and display of food and other perishables (commercial, industrial and manufacturing refrigeration) - this classification EXCLUDES comfort air conditioning.
C-45 / R-45 / CR-45 Sheet Metal (ductwork)	Same 4-year experience standard (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)), in sheet metal work.	SRE + trade exam, each 70%.	Commercial C-45: $580 new / $480 renewal. Residential R-45: $720 new / $540 renewal. Dual CR-45: $850 new / $650 renewal. Plus exam fees and bond. Scope: sheet metal, duct work, metal flues, patented chimneys, gutters, metal roofing, etc. A separate specialty from the HVAC '-39'/'-58' classifications; relevant when a contractor fabricates/installs duct work as its own trade.

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Arizona licenses HVAC as a CONTRACTOR classification through the Registrar of Contractors, and A.R.S. 32-1121 lists who is NOT required to hold a contractor’s license. The exemptions most relevant to HVAC, and their limits: (A)(14) THE $1,000 ‘CASUAL OR MINOR’ EXEMPTION (Arizona’s closest analogue to a handyman exemption): ‘Any person other than a licensed contractor engaging in any work or operation on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts, for which the aggregate contract price, including labor, materials and all other items … is less than $1,000. The work or operations that are exempt under this paragraph shall be of a casual or minor nature.’ It does NOT apply (a) ‘in any case in which the performance of the work requires a local building permit’; (b) where the work is only part of a larger or major operation, or where the operation is divided into contracts of less than $1,000 to evade the chapter; or (c) to a person who advertises without disclosing unlicensed status by including ’not a licensed contractor.’ (A)(4) MATERIALMAN/MANUFACTURER/RETAILER furnishing finished products/materials, where ’the total value of the sales contract or transaction involving such items and the cost of the installation … does not exceed $1,000,’ and the seller informs the purchaser that a licensed contractor may perform the installation. (A)(9) SALE/INSTALLATION OF FINISHED PRODUCTS not fabricated into and not a permanent fixed part of the structure - inapplicable if a local building permit is required, if the total price exceeds $1,000, or if removal causes material damage or renders the structure unfit. THE HVAC CARVE-BACK (subsection D): the $1,000 exemptions in (A)(4), (A)(9) and (A)(14) DO NOT APPLY to (D)(1) ‘all fire safety and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work that is done in connection with fire safety installation and fire safety maintenance and repair,’ nor to (D)(2) ‘all work done, including installing, maintaining and repairing devices, appliances or equipment, that involves connecting to any supply of natural gas, propane or other petroleum or gaseous fuel’ (this paragraph does not impact A.R.S. 36-1624.01). Because most HVAC changeouts either require a mechanical/building permit (defeating (A)(14) via subdivision (a)) or connect gas-fired equipment to a fuel supply (defeating the exemption via (D)(2)), the $1,000 exemption seldom reaches actual HVAC installation or replacement. (A)(5) OWNER-OCCUPANT: owners who improve their own property and do the work themselves, with their own employees, or with licensed contractors, where the structure is ‘intended for occupancy solely by the owner’ and ’not intended for sale or for rent’ - sale, rent, or offering for sale/rent within one year after completion or a certificate of occupancy is prima facie evidence the project was undertaken for sale or rent. (A)(6) OWNER-DEVELOPERS who build or improve structures for sale or rent and CONTRACT WITH a licensed general or specialty contractor whose name and license number appear in all sales documents. (A)(11) EMPLOYEES: ‘Any person who engages in the activities regulated by this chapter, as an employee of an exempt property owner or as an employee with wages as the person’s sole compensation’ - the carve-out that lets an HVAC technician work for a licensed contractor without an individual license, because Arizona licenses the contracting business/qualifying party rather than each technician. (A)(10) EMPLOYEES OF OWNERS or managing agents of condominiums, townhouses, cooperative units or apartment complexes of four units or less, repairing or maintaining structures they own or manage. Other statutory exemptions, not specific to HVAC: (A)(1) authorized government representatives; (A)(2) trustees of an express trust not formed to do contracting, and officers of a court; (A)(3) public utilities under Corporation Commission regulation, and owner/lessee petroleum-or-gas operations; (A)(7) architects/engineers hiring a contractor for preconstruction investigation (subsurface utility location, potholing, drilling for samples, locating existing building features); (A)(8) pest-management licensees under title 3, chapter 20; (A)(12) surety companies completing a bonded contract using licensed contractors; (A)(13) insurance companies performing casualty-loss repairs using licensed contractors; (A)(15) title 41, chapter 37, article 4 licensees; (A)(16) gardeners performing lawn, garden, shrub and tree maintenance; (A)(17) alarm agents (A.R.S. 32-101); (A)(18) cable/satellite/telecommunications providers installing low-voltage cable, telephone, internet and data service (not including digging, trenching, grading, boring, compacting or filling before the service drop). Finally, A.R.S. 32-1121(B): a person licensed in a particular trade ‘is not required to obtain and maintain a separate license for mechanical or structural service work the person performs within the scope of that trade.’

Fees

License fees are set for a two-year license. New HVAC-classification application (application fee + license fee + Residential Recovery Fund assessment): Specialty Commercial (C-39/C-79/C-58/C-49/C-45) = $100 + $480 + $0 = $580; Specialty Residential (R-39/R-45) = $80 + $270 + $370 = $720; Specialty Dual (CR-39/CR-79/CR-58/CR-45) = $100 + $380 + $370 = $850. Renewal (license fee + Recovery Fund): Specialty Commercial = $480; Specialty Residential = $270 + $270 = $540; Specialty Dual = $380 + $270 = $650. These totals do NOT include examination fees (SRE $61 to Gmetrix; trade exam $66 to PSI) or the required contractor’s license bond. Under A.R.S. 41-1080.01, the Registrar waives the initial application fee for a first-time Arizona sole-proprietor applicant who is an active-duty military service member’s spouse, an honorably discharged veteran (discharged not more than two years before applying), or an individual whose family income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines - but residential/dual applicants still pay the Residential Recovery Fund assessment. A $50 fee applies to late renewal.

Exam

Arizona requires the qualifying party to pass two examinations, each with a minimum score of 70%. The first is the AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE), an open-book, computer-based course-and-exam offered only online through Gmetrix ($61, paid to Gmetrix); because it covers Arizona-specific statutes and rules, it cannot be waived. The second is the trade-specific examination for the classification sought (for HVAC, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration exam), taken online or at a PSI Services test center ($66, paid to PSI). The trade exam may be waived (Application to Waive a Trade Examination, submitted with the license application, not pre-approved) if the qualifying party was, within the preceding 5 years, a qualifying party for a licensee in Arizona or another state in the same or a comparable classification (A.A.C. R4-9-106(E); A.R.S. 32-1122(F)). NASCLA accredited-exam alternatives exist only for the KB building and the -11 electrical classifications.

Renewal & continuing education

Biennial (two-year license). Under A.R.S. 32-1125, a license is suspended by operation of law on the next business day following its renewal date unless a renewal application with a valid bond/cash deposit on file and the required fee is received or postmarked on or before the renewal date. A license suspended for failure to renew may be reactivated and renewed within one year of suspension by filing the renewal application and paying the renewal fee plus a $50 fee; after more than one year suspended for failure to renew, a new application and new license are required. Renewal itself requires no examination or continuing education - only Arizona Corporation Commission good standing (for LLCs/corporations), a current bond covering the anticipated annual volume, workers’ compensation information, and the renewal fee. None. Arizona does not require continuing education to renew a contractor’s license. The AZ ROC renewal checklist conditions renewal only on Corporation Commission good standing (LLCs/INCs), an active bond covering the annual volume, workers’ compensation policy information (or an exemption selection), and payment of the renewal fee - there is no continuing-education step. (A separate federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification, held by the individual technician, is not an Arizona license and is not part of ROC renewal.)

How to apply

Applications are handled by Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to do HVAC work in Arizona?

Yes. HVAC installation, alteration and repair for compensation is contracting under A.R.S. 32-1101 and 32-1151 and requires an Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) license in the appropriate air-conditioning/refrigeration classification - commercial (C-39, C-79, C-58, C-49), residential (R-39), or the dual CR- forms. Arizona licenses the contracting business through a qualifying party, not each technician, so a worker employed by a licensed contractor needs no individual state license (A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(11)). Arizona’s $1,000 ‘casual or minor’ exemption (A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14)) rarely covers real HVAC work: it does not apply where a building permit is required, and A.R.S. 32-1121(D)(2) removes the $1,000 exemptions entirely for any work connecting to a supply of natural gas, propane or other petroleum or gaseous fuel.

Which AZ ROC classification is the HVAC license?

The core HVAC classification is ‘-39’ Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, issued as commercial C-39, residential R-39 (Including Solar), or dual CR-39. The dual CR-39 - which combines the C-39 commercial and R-39R residential scopes - is what most contractors doing both residential and commercial HVAC hold. Related classifications include -79 (air conditioning and refrigeration including solar), C-58/CR-58 (comfort heating, ventilating and evaporative cooling), C-49 (commercial/process refrigeration, excluding comfort cooling), and -45 (sheet metal / duct work). Pick the classification by the scope of work and the experience you can document.

How much does an Arizona HVAC contractor license cost?

For a two-year license: a Specialty Dual (CR-39) costs $100 application + $380 license + $370 Residential Recovery Fund = $850 to obtain and $650 to renew; a Specialty Residential (R-39) costs $80 + $270 + $370 = $720 new and $540 renewal; a Specialty Commercial (C-39) costs $100 + $480 = $580 new and $480 renewal (commercial pays nothing into the Recovery Fund). On top of these are the exam fees - SRE $61 to Gmetrix and the trade exam $66 to PSI - and a contractor’s license bond sized to your classification and anticipated annual volume. First-time Arizona sole proprietors who are military spouses, recent honorably discharged veterans, or at/below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines get the application fee waived under A.R.S. 41-1080.01 (residential/dual applicants still pay the Recovery Fund assessment).

What experience and exams does Arizona require?

The qualifying party must have at least 4 years’ practical or management experience in the trade, at least 2 of them within the last 10 years, with up to 2 of the 4 years substitutable by accredited technical or manufacturer training (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1)). The qualifying party must then pass, at 70% or better, both the open-book online AZ Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE, through Gmetrix) and the trade-specific Air Conditioning and Refrigeration exam (through PSI). The trade exam can be waived if the qualifying party held the same or a comparable classification in Arizona or another state within the past 5 years (A.A.C. R4-9-106(E)); the SRE is never waived.

Does Arizona require continuing education for HVAC contractors?

No. Arizona does not require continuing education to renew an AZ ROC contractor’s license. Renewal (every two years) requires Arizona Corporation Commission good standing for LLCs and corporations, a current license bond covering your anticipated annual volume, workers’ compensation information, and the renewal fee - there is no CE requirement. Note that EPA Section 608 refrigerant-handling certification is a separate federal requirement for technicians, not an Arizona license.

Can a handyman do small HVAC jobs without a license in Arizona?

Rarely, for HVAC specifically. The $1,000 ‘casual or minor’ exemption (A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14)) lets an unlicensed person perform work whose aggregate price is under $1,000, but it is unavailable where the job requires a local building permit, where the work is part of a larger operation or is split into sub-$1,000 contracts, or where the person advertises without disclosing ’not a licensed contractor.’ And A.R.S. 32-1121(D)(2) provides that the $1,000 exemption does not apply at all to work that connects to any supply of natural gas, propane or other petroleum or gaseous fuel - which covers gas-furnace and gas-fired-equipment work regardless of price.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Arizona.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 23, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.