Moving to Arizona as a residential contractor: every state's rule

1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE): an open-book, computer-based training course and exam taken online only through Gmetrix, covering the building, safety, health and lien laws of the state, the administrative principles of the contracting business and the Registrar's rules. A grade of at least 70 percent is required..
2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($61). Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam fee, paid directly to Gmetrix.
3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Combined B General Residential / B-3 General Remodeling and Repair / CR-61 Carpentry trade exam (PSI): 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70 percent to pass, with the 2018 International Residential Code and OSHA 29 CFR 1926 allowed in the room.
4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($66). PSI trade exam fee, per attempt, valid for one year.
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). The initial application fee is waived for a first-time sole proprietor applicant who is the spouse of an active-duty service member, a veteran honorably discharged not more than two years before applying, or a person whose family income does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines..
6. 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($320). License fee for the two-year General Residential license.
7. 7Other. Residential Recovery Fund assessment, charged even when the fees are waived. A $200,000 surety or cash bond may be posted instead. ($370).
8. 8Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($9,000). License bond on the Registrar's form: $9,000 if the business expects less than $750,000 of residential work a year in Arizona, $15,000 at $750,000 or more. A surety bond, cash, or a certificate of deposit from a bank operating in Arizona is accepted..
9. 9Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Attestation on the application that the business complies with Arizona's workers' compensation laws. A business required to carry workers' compensation must give its policy number or proof of self-insurance..
10. 10Background check. Complete a background check. A background check for every person named on the application, ordered through the Registrar's vendor (AccusourceHR). A check expires 90 days after it is completed, and anyone who has lived abroad needs an international and domestic check. The Registrar may also require fingerprints for a state and federal criminal records check..
11. 11Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). An LLC or corporation must be registered with, and in good standing with, the Arizona Corporation Commission before the application is filed; a partnership registers with the Arizona Secretary of State. A sole proprietorship needs no entity filing..
12. 12Other. A legible copy of a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, for every person named on the application. The application is filed through the ROC Online Customer Portal or by mail or in person at 1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, with the original exam score reports; exams must have been passed not more than two years before you apply..

Published fees on this path total $627, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.