Arizona, like Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida, has no statewide journeyman or master electrician license — the Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses Electrical Contractors only (R-11 Residential, C-11 Commercial, or CR-11 Dual). Arizona's process is also structured differently from most states we've covered: a state-administered rules exam, a separate PSI trade exam, and sometimes a third exam just for solar work.
Quick Answer: What Do You Need?
| Licensing authority | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) |
| License types | R-11 (Residential), C-11 (Commercial), CR-11 (Dual) — no state journeyman/master license |
| Testing providers | ROC itself (Statutes & Rules Exam) + PSI Services (trade exam) |
| Experience needed | Reported as 4 years / 8,000 hours of journeyman-level experience plus 900 classroom hours — confirm current specifics with ROC |
| R-11 exam format | 110 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass |
| NEC edition | 2017 per the only content outline we could verify (dated 2023) — likely outdated; confirm before buying |
R-11, C-11, and CR-11: Which License?
- R-11 (Residential): installation and repair of residential electrical systems
- C-11 (Commercial): commercial electrical systems
- CR-11 (Dual): both residential and commercial scope
None of these is a personal journeyman or master card — each is a contractor license tied to a "Qualifying Party" (defined under Arizona Revised Statute §32-1127) who must personally complete the exam requirements on behalf of the licensed firm.
Eligibility Requirements
Based on ROC's published guidance (confirm current figures directly, since this wasn't part of the PSI exam bulletin itself):
- Minimum age 18, high school diploma or GED
- 4 years (8,000 hours) of journeyman-level electrical experience
- 900 hours of classroom instruction
Use ROC's "License Classification Requirements" form (RC-L-206B) on roc.az.gov to determine exactly which exams your specific classification requires — some candidates qualify for exam waivers under specific conditions.
Two Separate Exams (Sometimes Three)
Arizona splits its requirements across two independent exams, run by two different organizations:
- AZ Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE): a computer-based training-and-testing course, provided and administered directly by ROC itself (not PSI). Required for new applicants who haven't been the qualifying party on another Arizona contractor's license within the past 5 years. Purchased and taken entirely online.
- Trade-specific exam: administered by PSI, covering the actual electrical trade knowledge for your classification (R-11, C-11, or CR-11).
- Solar exam (if applicable): a separate PSI exam required for certain solar-inclusive classifications.
This is a meaningfully different structure than most states in this guide series, where a single vendor (usually PSI) runs everything. In Arizona, the state handles the legal/regulatory portion directly, and only hands the trade-knowledge testing to PSI.
The NASCLA Alternative
For R-11, C-11, and CR-11, Arizona also accepts the NASCLA Accredited Trade Examination (for Residential or for Electrical Contractors generally) in place of the standard AZ ROC trade exam. The two exams differ in content and portability — a NASCLA pass can be recognized in other participating states, which the Arizona-specific exam cannot. PSI's candidate bulletin recommends comparing both content outlines before choosing, since "there are differences in these exams" that may matter depending on your business plans.
What's on the R-11 Trade Exam?
| Subject | Items |
|---|---|
| Service Feeders and Branch Circuits | 18 |
| Grounding and Bonding | 16 |
| Raceways and Boxes | 15 |
| Conductors and Cables | 12 |
| Photovoltaics | 10 |
| Overcurrent Protection | 7 |
| General Electrical Knowledge | 6 |
| Lighting | 6 |
| Fire Detection and Alarm Systems | 5 |
| Safety | 5 |
| Special Occupancies and Equipment | 3 |
| Motors | 3 |
| Electrical Devices | 2 |
| Low Voltage | 2 |
| Total | 110 items, 240 minutes, 70% to pass |
C-11/CR-11 content outlines follow the same general PSI format but weight toward commercial-scope topics; ROC/PSI publish a separate outline for each classification.
What NEC Edition Does Arizona Use?
The only content outline we could locate for a specific classification — R-11 Residential, last revised June 8, 2023 — lists NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2017 edition as the tested reference, alongside NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm Code), 2016 edition. That's genuinely dated for a document that was itself last touched in 2023, and by our August 2026 check it's likely even further behind. We could not confirm whether this has since been updated. Call PSI at (855) 744-0310 or ROC at 1-877-692-9762 to confirm the current tested edition before buying a codebook — don't assume the newest NEC is correct here.
A Fragmented Code-Adoption Landscape
Here's a wrinkle unique to Arizona among the states we've covered: the NEC is not adopted at the state level at all. Each Arizona municipality and county is independently free to adopt and amend its own electrical code for permitting and inspection purposes — most jurisdictions, including Maricopa, Pima, and Coconino counties, do adopt some version of the NEC, but the exact edition and any local amendments vary by jurisdiction. The ROC trade exam itself tests a single, fixed edition (per PSI's reference list) regardless of where in the state you'll actually be working — so passing the exam and knowing your local jurisdiction's actually-enforced code are two separate things you'll need to track.
What References Are Allowed?
For the R-11 exam specifically, allowed references include:
- NFPA 70 — National Electrical Code, 2017 edition
- NFPA 72 — National Fire Alarm Code, 2016 edition
- Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA), latest amendments
Explicitly banned from the R-11 exam room: Ugly's Electrical References (2008, 2011, or 2014 editions), Photovoltaic Systems (Dunlap), and The Easy Guide to Solar Electric Part II Installation Manual — notable since Ugly's is sold through PSI's own online store, the same pattern we've seen in other states where a popular reference is marketed by the testing vendor but banned from that vendor's own exam room. If you're downloading a reference from the internet, it must be bound (spiral-bound or hole-punched into a binder) to be exam-legal.
Tabs, Highlighting, and Notes
- Highlighting, underlining, annotating, indexing: allowed, if done before the exam session.
- Writing during the exam: not allowed. A candidate caught writing, highlighting, underlining, or indexing during the exam will be reported to ROC.
- Tabs: permanent tabs only — defined precisely as tabs that would tear the page if removed. Temporary tabs (Post-it notes, or anything removable without tearing the page) must be taken out before the exam begins.
- No additional loose or attached papers beyond your approved references.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE), paid to ROC | $61 |
| PSI trade exam, one exam | $66 |
| PSI trade exam, two exams (e.g., trade + solar) | $116 |
| Solar portion only | $40 |
PSI fees are charged per examination whether it's your first attempt or a retake, are non-refundable/non-transferable, and are valid for one year.
Retesting Rules
- You cannot rebook the same day you tested.
- Must wait 30 days before retaking a failed PSI exam.
- Allowed 3 attempts total; a 4th and any subsequent attempt requires a 90-day wait between each.
- Once you pass, you must submit your license application and original score report to ROC within 2 years of your passing date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an Arizona journeyman electrician license?
No. Arizona licenses Electrical Contractors only (R-11, C-11, CR-11), tied to a Qualifying Party for the licensed firm.
Do I take one exam or two?
Generally two: the ROC-administered Statutes and Rules Exam, and a PSI trade exam for your specific classification. A third, separate solar exam may also apply.
What NEC edition should I study?
The only outline we could verify (R-11, dated 2023) lists the 2017 NEC. Given how dated that likely is by now, call PSI or ROC directly before buying a codebook.
Can I bring Ugly's Electrical References?
No — it's explicitly banned from the R-11 exam room, even though PSI sells it through its own online store.
Does Your Book Spot USA guarantee I'll pass?
No. We sell official, correctly-prepared reference materials — no book or study guide can guarantee an exam result, and we don't claim otherwise.
Get the Right Reference Materials
Because Arizona's official NEC-edition guidance is genuinely uncertain as of our last check, confirm your exact edition with PSI or ROC before ordering.
Ordering for a crew or training program? Request bulk pricing.
Official Sources
- PSI Services LLC — Arizona Registrar of Contractors Residential and Commercial Contractor License Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin, revised 2/18/2026
- PSI Services LLC — R-11 Electrical (Residential) Content Outline, last revised 6/8/2023
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors (roc.az.gov)
Your Book Spot USA is not affiliated with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, PSI Services LLC, NASCLA, or NFPA. Candidate bulletins and licensing rules change — this page reflects our verification as of the date above. Spot something outdated? Let us know and we'll correct it.
