Arizona General Contractor License Requirements

Official classification: B-1 General Commercial / B General Residential / KB-1 Dual Building Contractor · Issued by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC).

🏗️ General ContractorAZ ✔ Verified 2026-06-17

License types

B General Residential Contractor — Construct/repair any part of a residential structure; electrical, plumbing, A/C, pools, etc. must be subcontracted to appropriately licensed contractors.
B-1 General Commercial Contractor — General building contracting on commercial projects (unlimited).
KB-1 Dual Building Contractor — Combines the scopes of the B-1 General Commercial and B General Residential licenses.

Requirements at a glance

Experience required	Qualifying party must have 4 years of hands-on and/or managerial experience; per A.R.S. 32-1122(E), at least 2 of the 4 years must be within the 10 years before applying.
Application fee	$180 general residential / $200 general commercial / $200 general dual
License fee	$320 general residential / $580 general commercial / $480 general dual (2-year)
Renewal fee	$590 general residential incl. recovery fund / $580 general commercial / $750 general dual incl. recovery fund — every 2 years
Renewal period	Every 2 years
Continuing education	None required
Bond required	Residential general (B): $9,000 (<$750k volume) or $15,000 ($750k+). Commercial general (B-1): $5,000 to $100,000 by gross volume ($5,000 at <=$150k; $100,000 over $10M). Dual (KB-1) = residential + commercial combined.
Liability insurance	Not mandated by the ROC
Property damage	Not mandated by the ROC
Workers' comp	Required under AZ law if you have employees
Background check	Required for everyone named on the application, via ROC vendor AccusourceHR; expires 90 days after completion.
Credit requirement	None
Reciprocity	Arizona uses universal license recognition (A.R.S. §32-4302), not a named reciprocity list: a contractor licensed in good standing for 1+ year in the same discipline and practice level in another state may obtain an Arizona license without re-taking the trade exam (military spouses also qualify).
Processing time	Typically a few weeks after a complete application, exams passed, and bond posted.

Exams

Statutes & Rules Exam (SRE)	Provider: Gmetrix (for AZ ROC) Passing: 70% Fee: $61 (paid to Gmetrix)
B-1/KB-1 Trade Exam (NASCLA Commercial General Building Exam accepted in lieu)	Provider: PSI (for AZ ROC) or NASCLA Passing: 70% Fee: $66 (PSI trade exam) or $106 NASCLA exam + $30 transcript

Local / municipal notes

State license only; cities/counties require their own business licenses and building permits.

Fees and rules change frequently (often annually). This page was last verified on 2026-06-17 — always confirm current requirements directly with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) before applying. This is not legal advice.