How to get an HVAC contractor license in Arizona: the official requirements
The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License (C-39, R-39 or CR-39) license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
In Arizona, the statewide HVAC license is a contractor license, issued by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Arizona's statewide HVAC credential is a contractor's license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors in an air conditioning and refrigeration classification: C-39 (commercial), R-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Including Solar (residential) or CR-39 (both). The license is issued to the business, which names a Qualifying Party with the experience to supervise or perform the work. The contractor licensing law does not apply to a person working as an employee whose sole pay is wages. Experience and training: The Qualifying Party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience in the type of work being licensed, with at least two of those years within the last ten years. Accredited technical training may count for up to two of the four years. Licensing exam: The Qualifying Party must pass the required exams with at least 70%: the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) and a trade exam for the classification, unless the trade exam is waived. Trade exams are taken online or at a testing center through PSI. How to apply: Submit a License Application Form to the Registrar through the Online Customer Portal, by mail, or in person, with the exam results, proof of a license bond and the required fees.
Arizona HVAC contractor license requirements
| Requirement | Arizona |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | Arizona's statewide HVAC credential is a contractor's license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors in an air conditioning and refrigeration classification: C-39 (commercial), R-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Including Solar (residential) or CR-39 (both). The license is issued to the business, which names a Qualifying Party with the experience to supervise or perform the work. The contractor licensing law does not apply to a person working as an employee whose sole pay is wages. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. |
| Experience and training | The Qualifying Party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience in the type of work being licensed, with at least two of those years within the last ten years. Accredited technical training may count for up to two of the four years. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. |
| Licensing exam | The Qualifying Party must pass the required exams with at least 70%: the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) and a trade exam for the classification, unless the trade exam is waived. Trade exams are taken online or at a testing center through PSI. |
| How to apply | Submit a License Application Form to the Registrar through the Online Customer Portal, by mail, or in person, with the exam results, proof of a license bond and the required fees. |
| Background check | Every person named on the License Application Form must get a background check through the Registrar's background check vendor; background checks expire 90 days after they are completed. |
| State fees | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. |
| License term | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the HVAC license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Arizona
- Gain at least four years of practical or management experience in air conditioning and refrigeration work (two within the last ten years) to serve as the Qualifying Party.
- Complete the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE).
- Pass the trade exam for your classification through PSI, unless you qualify for a waiver.
- Get a background check for every person named on the application.
- Obtain a license bond.
- Submit the License Application Form with your exam results and fees to the Registrar of Contractors.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become an HVAC technicianThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayHVAC technician salary in ArizonaWhat HVAC technicians earn.
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Open →InterviewHVAC technician interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and the rules it publishes (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Arizona Registrar of Contractors's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the HVAC license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the contractor license named above. Specialty, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors, Applying for a License, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors, License Classifications, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1122, Qualifications for license (Arizona Legislature), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1121 (Arizona Legislature), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.