LicensebyState

Texas to Arizona: residential contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 13 sources

Texas does not issue a statewide residential contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Arizona's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Out-of-state waiver of the trade examination and experience (every origin state)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

Arizona has no reciprocity agreement with any state, so every inbound applicant follows the same route and no origin state is treated better than another. The Registrar's own words are: "Arizona does not have direct reciprocity with any state; however, the Registrar does offer out of state applicants the opportunity to request a waiver of the required trade exam and experience, if the qualifying party has held a comparable license in another state within the past 5 years of the application date and the license was obtained by a trade examination." You request that waiver on Form RC-L-200G, Out-of-State Waiver Request Form: you fill in your side, send it to the agency that issued your license so it can verify your license history, exams and years of experience and stamp it with a state seal, and then enclose the returned form with your Arizona license application in place of a trade exam result. The waiver is discretionary and is not pre-approved, so it is reviewed only once your complete application is in; if it is refused you sit the Arizona B General Residential Contractor trade exam through PSI. The Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam is never waived on this route, because it cannot be waived for anyone who has not been the qualifying party on an Arizona contractor's license within the past five years. Everything else on the checklist still applies: four years of trade experience, a license bond, the Residential Recovery Fund assessment, background checks for every person named on the application, entity registration and the fees.

The rule behind the waiver is A.A.C. R4-9-106(E)(1): the Registrar "may waive the trade examination requirement if records reflect that the qualifying party is currently or has previously been a qualifying party for a licensee in the other state in the same classification, or in a comparable classification, within the preceding five years." Because it is written as "may waive", it is a case-by-case decision rather than an entitlement, and comparability of your out-of-state classification to the Arizona B classification is the Registrar's call. Form RC-L-200G also cites A.R.S. 32-1122(A)(4), A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1) and A.R.S. 32-4302 and says that a qualifying applicant may see "the waiver of the examination requirements, experience requirements, or both." A.R.S. 32-4302 is Arizona's universal licensing recognition statute: it requires a Title 32 license to be issued to a person who establishes residence in Arizona and who has held a good-standing license in another state at the same practice level for at least a year, obtained by examination where the other state required one, with no discipline or pending investigation; subsection (C) preserves the state-laws exam, so the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam still applies. The Registrar's Service Members and Veterans page publishes the no-examination version of that statute for the spouse of an active-duty member accompanying the member to an Arizona duty station, and waives the initial application fee for that spouse and for a veteran discharged within the past two years applying as a sole proprietor for the first time. Separately, A.A.C. R4-9-106(F) lets the Registrar waive the experience requirement in whole or in part on the strength of an appropriate trade examination passed within the past two years or a valid, nationally recognized certification. The Registrar publishes no processing time for application review or approval; ask at [email protected], 602-542-1525 or 877-692-9762.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • You are currently, or have been within the preceding five years, the qualifying party for a licensed contractor in another state in the same classification or in a classification the Registrar finds comparable to the Arizona B General Residential Contractor classification.A.A.C. R4-9-106(E)(1)(b). The Registrar's applying page states the same test as having "held a comparable license in another state within the past 5 years of the application date". Comparability is decided by the Registrar; there is no published list of equivalent out-of-state classifications and no pre-approval, so the decision is made when the completed application is reviewed. The verification is done by the issuing agency on Form RC-L-200G, which asks it for your current license status, the date you were first named on the license, the number of years of experience it can verify, the exams you took and the name and date of the passing exam, under the agency's state seal.
  • Your Texas license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
  • You must have passed a licensing exam in Texas that the destination considers comparable.The Registrar's applying page says applicants "for the KB-1 Dual Building Contractor and KB-2 Dual Residential and Small Commercial license classifications may take the National Association of State Licensing Agency Commercial General Building Exam in lieu of the AZ ROC trade exam", and its licensing-fees page extends the same option to the B-1 and B-2 commercial classifications. Read the scope carefully if you only want to build houses: no AZ ROC page extends NASCLA acceptance to the standalone B General Residential Contractor classification, so NASCLA reaches residential work only through the KB-1 or KB-2 dual license, which costs more and carries a combined residential and commercial bond. The NASCLA exam is an exam credential rather than a license or an agreement between states: anyone may sit it in any participating jurisdiction, and it waives no other Arizona requirement, including the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam.
  • Four years of practical or management trade experience in residential construction, at least two of them within the last ten years. Accredited college, university or manufacturer training may substitute for up to two of the four years. Experience earned in other states counts.A.R.S. 32-1122(E)(1) and the Registrar's License Classification Requirements, which set four years for the B, B-3, KB-1 and KB-2 classifications and state that the years "must be hands-on and/or managerial experience". A.A.C. R4-9-119 requires the Registrar to accept military service or training, diplomas or transcripts from accredited training programs, and completion certificates from an apprenticeship approved by the US Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency, and to accept experience regardless of whether you were licensed or working for a licensed entity at the time. The Registrar may also reduce the four-year requirement where custom and usage in the craft shows it to be excessive, and under A.A.C. R4-9-106(F) may waive experience in whole or in part on the strength of a trade exam passed within the past two years or a valid nationally recognized certification. Form RC-L-200G can waive the experience requirement as well as the exam when the out-of-state agency verifies your years.
  • You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.A.R.S. 32-1122(C) and (D). The Registrar may find the circumstances behind a denial, refusal or revocation excusable if your actions did not result in an unremedied hardship, danger or loss to the public. Prior-license, felony and unlicensed-activity disclosure forms go in with the application where they apply.

What you'll do to get licensed in Arizona

  1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE), a computer-based open-book course and exam offered only online through Gmetrix. It covers the building, safety, health and lien laws of the state, the administrative principles of the contracting business and the Registrar's rules, and a grade of at least 70 percent is required. It cannot be waived unless the qualifying party has been the qualifying party on an Arizona contractor's license within the past five years, so an out-of-state applicant always takes it..
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($61). Examination fee for the online Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam, paid directly to Gmetrix..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). B General Residential Contractor trade exam, taken online or at a testing center through PSI Services, with a passing grade of at least 70 percent and taken not more than two years before you apply. It is required only if the Registrar does not grant your out-of-state waiver. The Registrar has combined the B, B-3 and CR-61 exams into a single exam, so one sitting covers whichever of those classifications you apply for. After a failure you wait 30 days to retake, 30 days after a second failure and 90 days after any further failure..
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($66) (if applicable). Examination fee for a trade-specific exam, taken either online or at a testing center, paid directly to PSI. Payable only if you sit the Arizona trade exam rather than obtaining a waiver..
  5. 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($180). Application fee for a General Residential classification (B, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, B-10). A General Dual classification such as KB-1 or KB-2 has a $200 application fee instead. The Registrar waives the initial application fee for a first-time sole proprietor applicant who is the spouse of an active-duty service member, or a veteran discharged not more than two years before the application date..
  6. 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($320). License fee for a General Residential classification, making $870 in total with the application fee and the Residential Recovery Fund assessment. A General Dual license (KA, KB-1, KB-2) costs $480 in license fee and $1,050 in total. Renewal is $320 plus a $270 recovery fund assessment, or $590 in total; a General Dual license renews at $480 plus $270, or $750..
  7. 7Other. Residential Recovery Fund assessment. Every applicant for a residential or dual classification pays it, even if a license fee waiver is approved. The alternative to the assessment is posting a surety or cash bond of $200,000 to the license. ($370).
  8. 8Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($9,000). Contractor's license bond on the Registrar's bond form, sized by classification and by the gross volume of work you expect to do in Arizona. For the residential general classes (B, B-3, B-4, B-4R, B-5, B-5R, B-6, B-10) it is $9,000 for contemplated gross volume under $750,000 and $15,000 at $750,000 or more. A dual license such as KB-1 or KB-2 combines the residential and commercial amounts and the penal sum must be split on the bond between the residential and commercial figures. A surety bond, cash, or a certificate of deposit from a bank operating in Arizona is accepted. The effective date cannot be in the future and must be within six months of submission, the attorney-in-fact's signature must be notarized, the bond company's seal must be attached, and corrections must come from the bond company as a rider rather than by hand..
  9. 9Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Attestation that you have complied with the statutes and rules governing workers' compensation insurance. If the business is required to carry workers' compensation under Arizona law, the attestation must give the policy number or be accompanied by proof of self-insurance..
  10. 10Background check. Complete a background check. A background check for every person named on the license application, obtained through the Registrar's background check vendor. A completed check expires 90 days from its completion date. Anyone who has had an international address must submit an international and domestic check and list every foreign and domestic address where they have lived..
  11. 11Business license. Obtain a business license. Entity registration. A limited liability company or corporation must be registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission and in good standing with it before the license application is submitted, and must stay in good standing to renew. A partnership registers with the Arizona Secretary of State. A sole proprietorship needs no entity filing. You may only contract and advertise under the entity name the Registrar has licensed, so any trade name you want to use must be entered on the application as a DBA; filing the trade name with the Secretary of State is recommended but not required..
  12. 12Other. A legible copy of a government-issued photo identification, such as a valid driver's license or passport, for every individual named in the Persons section of the license application. Applications are filed through the ROC Online Customer Portal, or mailed to Registrar of Contractors, P.O. Box 6748, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6748, or delivered to 1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2812..

Published fees on this path total $561, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $61
  • Trade exam · if applicable
  • Exam fee · $66 · if applicable

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · $9,000

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license

How Arizona licenses residential contractors

Arizona residential contractor · “B General Residential Contractor (KB-1 or KB-2 dual licenses also carry the B scope)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC)

Arizona licenses residential contractors statewide through the Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC), and there is no city or county residential builder license layered on top of it. The homes-only credential is the B General Residential Contractor classification, which allows the licensee to construct and repair all or any part of a residential structure or appurtenance; electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, boiler, swimming pool, spa and water well work must be subcontracted to an appropriately licensed contractor. B-3 General Remodeling and Repair Contractor is the narrower version for remodeling and repairing an existing residential structure. The Registrar uses classification prefixes to separate markets: plain B codes are residential general building, B-1 and B-2 are commercial general building, C- and R- are commercial and residential specialty trades, CR- is specialty dual, and K codes are general dual. A contractor who wants both residential and commercial building work takes a dual classification instead of two licenses: KB-1 Dual Building Contractor covers the B-1 and B scopes together, and KB-2 Dual Residential and Small Commercial covers the B-2 and B scopes together. The license is held by a business, not by a person: it may be issued to a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company or corporation, and the Registrar states that "the license belongs to the business and not to the qualifying party." The reader of this page is the qualifying party, the regularly employed person who supplies the experience and passes the exams on the business's behalf, and who must hold four years of practical or management trade experience in this type of construction.

Moving to ArizonaLeaving Arizona

Why Texas has nothing to transfer

Texas residential contractor

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 15 sources

Texas issues no statewide residential contractor, home builder or remodeler license, and no state agency examines or qualifies people who build houses. The Texas Residential Construction Commission, which registered builders and remodelers from 2003, was abolished and its Act expired on September 1, 2009, and nothing replaced it. What Texas does license are individual trades: electricians and air conditioning and refrigeration contractors through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and plumbers through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, so a builder who self-performs that work needs the matching state license. Residential contracting itself is regulated, where at all, by cities through registration, insurance, bonding and permitting: San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso, Dallas and Austin all require a residential builder or home-improvement contractor to register before pulling a permit, while Houston states that general contractors are not required to be licensed. A builder moving to Texas therefore has no state license to transfer and no reciprocity to apply for; the practical work is registering in each city where they build, carrying the insurance and bonds those cities require, and hiring or becoming state-licensed trades. The one credential that does travel is a national ICC certification, which San Antonio accepts from the registration holder or a designated Certified Agent.

How local licensing works in Texas

How it works in Texas. There is no state license, no state application and no state exam for residential contractors. Cities control who may pull a residential building permit, and each city sets its own rules, so a builder registers separately in every jurisdiction where they work. Registration is about identity, insurance, bonding and (in one city) a national certification - not about trade competence testing, and not about what license you held in your last state. Nothing an out-of-state residential contractor holds gives a discount on any of it.

San Antonio. Development Services runs the most demanding residential program in the state, under Chapter 10-115 of the Code of Ordinances, with two registrations. A Residential Building Contractor registration covers 'the constructing, structural alteration, or enlarging any one or two-family detached dwelling' (new homes, additions, foundations, roofing, pools and spas, fences, minor repairs). It requires an FBI criminal history record dated within 30 days of submittal, liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 aggregate and $500,000 aggregate for products and completed operations with the City of San Antonio as certificate holder, and a certification: 'either the registration holder or one agent affiliated with the contractor must obtain a Residential ICC Certification or other certifications approved by the Building Official; or the company has a minimum of 5 years of continued registration with no violations ... suspensions, or revocation.' The fee is $170 and the term is two years. A Home Improvement Contractor registration covers 'nonstructural repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, conversion, or modernization to any existing building', needs the same FBI background check and insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate, costs $150 for two years, and carries no certification requirement. Both applications ask whether the applicant has lost or been suspended from home improvement or residential building privileges in any Texas jurisdiction. Apply through the BuildSA portal or in person at 1901 S. Alamo Street; customer service is (210) 207-1111.

Dallas. Building Inspection registers general contractors on one form, and its own note defines the category broadly: 'A General Contractor includes, but is not limited to, the following: residential general contractor, commercial general contractor, roofing contractor, fence contractor, foundation contractor, demolition contractor and pool contractor.' The form states an annual registration or renewal fee of $120.00 and requires a contracting company addressed inside the city limits to give a Certificate of Occupancy number or have a home office form on file. The responsible party assigns PINs to the company staff allowed to sign permit applications. There is no exam and no experience requirement. Registrations are renewed in person at a Building Inspection office or online through DallasNow; call (214) 948-4480.

Fort Worth. Development Services requires that 'any firm, business, individual or organization obtaining a permit related to the building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical provisions' of the city codes hold a valid Contractor Registration, with a carve-out for a single-family homeowner working on their own residence. A residential builder registers as a Building Contractor: the completed application plus a copy of a valid driver's license, $168.75, expiring one year from the date of issuance. No trade license, exam or experience documentation is required for that type. Customer service is 817-392-2222.

El Paso. Planning and Inspections registers a General Contractor for 'New Residential, Additions, Alterations, and Roofing' as well as commercial work. The packet is an Assumed Name Certificate or corporate documents, the Contractor Registration Application, a certificate of general liability insurance of at least $100,000 with the City of El Paso as certificate holder, and a blanket building construction bond - the current application states $50,000 for general contractors, while the city's requirements sheet lists $25,000 (confirm the amount with the One Stop Shop before buying the bond). A $10,000 blanket bond covers a defined list of minor work such as fences, tents, temporary signs and patch-and-paint. The requirements sheet lists a $102.00 annual fee. The application 'must be filed annually to be eligible to obtain permits from the City of El Paso in accordance with Section 18.02.104.5 of the El Paso City Code.' One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Avenue, 915-212-0104.

Austin. Development Services is explicit that 'in Texas, anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required', but the general contractor named on a building permit must first register with Building and Trade Contractor Services through an Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal account, submitting the web registration form and a Letter of Authorization. General contractors register once and update only when their name, address or authorized agents change; the city publishes no fee for the registration.

Houston. Houston requires nothing of a residential builder. Its Residential Permitting 101 guide states that 'the building permit may be purchased by the owner, agent, contractor. General Contractors are not required to be licensed', and the plan review page repeats that 'a general contractor's license is not required to obtain building permits.' What Houston does require is that the trades register their state licenses with the city: a TDLR-licensed Master Electrician, a TDLR Class A or B air conditioning contractor and a TSBPE-licensed Master Plumber must each be registered with the City of Houston before buying a trade permit, and a sidewalk or driveway permit needs a contractor with a $2,000 surety bond.

Everywhere else. Smaller Texas cities and unincorporated county areas vary widely; many require only a permit and proof of insurance, and counties generally have no building-permit authority at all outside a city's limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. Check the building or development services department of each city before contracting there.

Moving to TexasLeaving Texas

Common questions

Do I have to take the Arizona residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in Texas?
The trade exam is waived, but Arizona requires a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a Arizona residential contractor license from Texas?
Published fees on this path total $561, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Texas work hours count in Arizona?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Arizona's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Arizona to Texas?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Arizona to Texas, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Chapter 9 - Registrar of Contractors (R4-9-106 Examinations; R4-9-119 Minimum Trade Experience) · A.A.C. R4-9-106(C)-(F); R4-9-119 · Arizona Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  2. A.R.S. 32-1122 - Qualifications for license (qualifying party experience, examination, bond, workers' compensation attestation) · A.R.S. 32-1122(B)-(F) · Arizona State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  3. A.R.S. 32-4302 - Out-of-state applicants; residents; military spouses; licensure; certification; exceptions; notice · A.R.S. 32-4302(A)-(C), (G) · Arizona State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - Applying for a License (qualifying party, examinations, NASCLA, out-of-state applicants, trade-exam waiver) · A.A.C. R4-9-106(E); A.R.S. 32-1122(E) · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - Bond Information (license bond amounts by classification and contemplated gross volume) · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - Instructions for License Bonds and bond schedules (Form RC-L-220/I, Rev. 02/23) · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  7. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - Applying for a License checklist (LLC or corporation applicants) · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  8. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - License Classification Requirements (minimum years of experience and exams by classification) · A.R.S. 32-1122(E) · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - License Classifications (B, B-1, B-2, B-3, KB-1, KB-2 general building scopes) · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  10. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - License and Renewal Fees (general commercial, general residential and general dual) · A.R.S. 32-1152 · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  11. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - Service Members and Veterans (licensure without examination, fee waiver, military experience) · A.R.S. 32-4301, 32-4302, 32-4303; A.A.C. R4-9-119 · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  12. Arizona Registrar of Contractors - Out-of-State Waiver Request Form (Form RC-L-200G, Rev. 02/23) · A.R.S. 32-1122(A)(4), 32-1122(E)(1), 32-4302; A.A.C. R4-9-106, R4-9-119 · Arizona Registrar of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  13. NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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