Arizona HVAC / Mechanical Contractor License Cost & Requirements (2026)
Arizona's air conditioning and refrigeration license follows the Registrar of Contractors' three-stream pattern: C-39 commercial, R-39R residential, and the CR-39 dual that this page prices, $100 to apply, $380 for the two-year license, and the Recovery Fund assessment that comes with any license touching residential work. One naming detail matters more than it should: the residential class is styled R-39R. Pages and forms that send you looking for an 'R-39' are working from the wrong label.
The CR-39 also differs from its electrical sibling in one exam respect that catches applicants who read the electrician pages first: Arizona accepts the NASCLA accredited exam as an alternative for electrical classifications only. For air conditioning there is no NASCLA door. The ROC trade exam is the route.
Arizona HVAC / Mechanical Contractor Fee Estimator
Regulatory fee breakdown for CR-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (Arizona ROC)
Arizona requires a $6,750 surety bond. Its annual premium is set by the surety provider; the board publishes no rate, so it is not included in the total.
Itemized Fee Schedule
Need your $6,750 Surety Bond?
Boards do not sell bonds. Before you buy one, read how a surety bond works, what the premium is based on, and how a bond differs from liability insurance.
Read: Bonds vs Liability InsuranceArizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC)
All applications and exams must be registered directly with this board.
Fee figures on this page were checked against Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) on October 29, 2026. View the official source
Regulatory & Licensing Requirements Summary
| Official License Classification | CR-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (Arizona ROC) |
| Minimum Experience | 4 Years (Journeyman / Field Supervisor) |
| Mandatory State Surety Bond | $6,750 Bond Required |
| General Liability Insurance | Not required. The ROC does not require liability insurance for licensure (workers' compensation insurance excepted). |
| Estimated Application Processing Time | Not published by the board |
| Renewal Cycle & CE Requirement | Every 2 year(s), with no continuing education requirement |
Warning: Unlicensed Contracting Penalties in Arizona
Class 1 misdemeanor (§32-1164): a first offense carries a fine of not less than $1,000 (not less than $2,000 for later offenses) and up to 6 months in jail, plus statutory surcharges that currently add about 79%.
Note: In many states, unlicensed contractors also lose the ability to file mechanic's liens or sue for non-payment in civil courts.
Special Statutory Notes for Arizona
Start with the label, because it sends applicants to the wrong form: the residential half of this license is styled R-39R, not R-39. It is the CR-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration classification from the Registrar of Contractors (ROC), one credential spanning residential and commercial work. Testing comes in two parts: a $54 Arizona Statutes and Rules exam and, through PSI, a $66 trade exam in air conditioning and refrigeration.
The ROC also runs a background check on every person named on the application, a step whose price it leaves unpublished. The bond is where the dual format shows: one bond, both volume scales stated separately on it, residential and commercial side by side.
At the entry tier the two add to $6,750, split $4,250 on the residential scale for under $375,000 of residential work and $2,500 on the commercial scale for under $150,000 of commercial work. Amounts step up with volume, and a cash deposit can replace the bond. The qualifying party needs 4 years in the classification, practical or management, 2 of them within the last 10.
Single-scope applicants pay less: $100 to apply, $480 for the license and $480 to renew on the commercial-only C-39, with no Recovery Fund assessment, or $80 / $270 / $270 on the residential-only R-39R. The dual license does carry the Residential Recovery Fund: $370 at first issue, $270 at each renewal, over and above the renewal fee. Continuing education is not part of ROC licensing in Arizona, and the license renews on a 2-year cycle.
Arizona licenses contractors statewide through the Registrar of Contractors (ROC). A license is required for any project of $1,000 or more in total cost (labor, materials and all other items), and for any work that needs a building permit, however small.
The dual license and its single-scope alternatives
A commercial-only C-39 costs the same $100 to apply, then $480 for the license and $480 at renewal, and pays no Recovery Fund. A residential-only R-39R applies at $80 with a $270 license and renewal. The CR-39 dual priced here sits between them at $380, and because it includes residential scope it carries the Recovery Fund: $370 with the first license and $270 at every renewal, on top of the $380 renewal fee.
The qualifying party needs 4 years of practical or management experience in the classification, at least 2 within the last 10 years, with training able to substitute for part of it. Two exams follow: the Arizona Statutes and Rules exam at $54 and the air conditioning and refrigeration trade exam through PSI at $66. Everyone named on the application passes a background check whose cost ROC does not publish.
The combined bond, stated in two parts
A dual license's bond is literally two bonds' arithmetic on one document. Rule R4-9-112 sets a residential scale and a commercial scale by gross volume, and the dual licensee posts the sum for their volumes in each stream, with the two amounts stated separately on the bond. The smallest CR-39 licensees post $6,750: $4,250 residential (under $375,000 of residential work) plus $2,500 commercial (under $150,000). Grow the business and the bond grows with it, tier by tier, or a cash deposit can stand in for the bond entirely.
Arizona asks nothing else unusual of this license. There is no continuing education requirement for ROC licenses, renewal is every two years, and rule R4-9-113 gives the Registrar up to 60 calendar days to decide a complete application, a deadline this page reports instead of a processing average nobody publishes.
Mistakes that delay a Arizona HVAC application
- Hunting for an 'R-39' residential license. The residential air conditioning class is styled R-39R; the dual is CR-39.
- Planning to use the NASCLA exam. ROC accepts the NASCLA accredited exam for the electrical classifications, not for air conditioning and refrigeration.
- Renewing at $380 in your head. The dual renewal is $380 plus the $270 Recovery Fund assessment, $650 per cycle.
- Quoting the pre-2021 exam total of $132. The Statutes and Rules exam has been $54 since October 2021; both exams together cost $120.
- Treating the bond as a flat $6,750. That is only the entry tier; the bond scales with gross volume in each stream.
Arizona HVAC Licensing FAQ
Can I take the NASCLA exam instead of the Arizona HVAC trade exam?
No. The Registrar accepts the NASCLA accredited examination as an alternative for its electrical classifications only. Air conditioning and refrigeration applicants sit the ROC trade exam through PSI ($66), alongside the Arizona Statutes and Rules exam ($54).
Why does a dual HVAC license pay into a residential Recovery Fund?
Because the dual license includes residential work, and the Recovery Fund (A.R.S. section 32-1132) is financed by the licensees who serve homeowners: $370 with the first license and $270 at every renewal. A commercial-only C-39 pays no assessment. Drop the residential scope and the fund drops away, along with the right to do residential work.
What is the difference between C-39, R-39R and CR-39?
Scope and price. C-39 is commercial only ($100 application, $480 license, no Recovery Fund). R-39R is residential only ($80 application, $270 license, Recovery Fund owed). CR-39 is the dual covering both ($100 application, $380 license, Recovery Fund owed). Contractors who work both sides of the market generally hold the dual rather than two separate licenses.
How much bond does a small CR-39 contractor post?
At the entry volumes, $6,750 combined: $4,250 on the residential scale for under $375,000 of residential work plus $2,500 on the commercial scale for under $150,000, the two amounts stated separately on one bond under rule R4-9-112. The bond steps up with gross volume, and a cash deposit can replace it.
How much does a HVAC / Mechanical Contractor license cost in Arizona?
The filing and licensing fees on the Arizona HVAC / Mechanical Contractor schedule total approximately $970. This consists of a $100 application fee, a $120 examination fee, and a $380 initial license fee. The remaining $370 covers the residential Recovery Fund assessment (initial) ($370). A $6,750 surety bond is also required; its annual premium is set by the surety provider and no official rate is published.
How long does it take to get a HVAC / Mechanical Contractor license in Arizona?
Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) does not publish a fixed end-to-end processing time for this license. Arizona rule R4-9-113 gives the ROC up to 60 calendar days to grant or deny a complete new-license application; that is a decision deadline set by rule, not a typical processing average.
What are the penalties for working as an unlicensed HVAC in Arizona?
Class 1 misdemeanor (§32-1164): a first offense carries a fine of not less than $1,000 (not less than $2,000 for later offenses) and up to 6 months in jail, plus statutory surcharges that currently add about 79%.
How often do you need to renew a HVAC license in Arizona?
Licenses must be renewed every 2 year(s) with a renewal fee of $380. No continuing education is required for renewal.