Plumber License from Texas to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arizona accept a Texas plumbing license?
There is no Arizona state license to transfer into: Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Any licensing for this work is handled below the state level (a city, county or contractor-level authority), so check with the authority where you will work.
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Verdict
No state license to transfer
There is nothing at the state level to transfer your Texas license into: Arizona issues no statewide plumbing license, so plumbers there are licensed at the contractor level or by cities and counties. Not applicable at the journeyman level — Arizona issues no state journeyman (or master) plumber license, so there is no state journeyman trade exam to waive or require. Plumbing is regulated only at the contractor level by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (e.g., C-37 commercial plumbing, plus residential and dual plumbing classifications); individual journeymen and apprentices are not state-licensed and work under a licensed contractor. At the contractor level, A.R.S. § 32-1122 lets the Registrar waive the trade exam for a qualifying party who held an Arizona license in the same classification within five years, and Form RC-L-200G extends a comparable out-of-state trade-exam waiver, but the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE) is never waived. The move is a local or contractor-board application, not a reciprocity filing — identify the authority that governs your worksite and work from its exam, experience, and fee rules. Your Texas license may count toward a local experience requirement, but Arizona has no state credential for it to reciprocate into.
What's different between Texas and Arizona
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arizona. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Texas to Arizona (this page): No state license to transfer.
Arizona to Texas (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from Texas matter?
Coming from Texas does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Arizona.
- Reciprocity agreements
Texas's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Louisiana and Arkansas), not including Arizona.
- Fee and processing
Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no Arizona state license application fee or processing time to compare with Texas's.
- Exam rules on record
Arizona and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arizona (this move): Not applicable at the journeyman level — Arizona issues no state journeyman (or master) plumber license, so there is no state journeyman trade exam to waive or require. Plumbing is regulated only at the contractor level by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (e.g., C-37 commercial plumbing, plus residential and dual plumbing classifications); individual journeymen and apprentices are not state-licensed and work under a licensed contractor. At the contractor level, A.R.S. § 32-1122 lets the Registrar waive the trade exam for a qualifying party who held an Arizona license in the same classification within five years, and Form RC-L-200G extends a comparable out-of-state trade-exam waiver, but the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE) is never waived.
- Texas (the reverse move): Texas waives its journeyman plumber examination only for plumbers currently licensed in Louisiana or Arkansas, who may qualify for a reciprocal Texas license; every other out-of-state journeyman or master plumber (currently licensed and having held that license at least two years) must apply for an Out-of-State Examination and pass the Texas computer-based (Pearson VUE) written exam plus the practical journeyman exam
What changes, Texas → Arizona
| Texas (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $40 ($40 non-refundable out-of-state journeyman examination processing fee to TSBPE ($25 for master); a separate computer-based test fee is payable to Pearson VUE on approval, plus IdentoGO fingerprint costs and the license issuance fee once passed; Louisiana/Arkansas applicants use the Reciprocal License Verification pathway) | No state journeyman plumber license exists, so there is no journeyman application/license fee. For reference, ROC contractor plumbing fees under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-9-130 are $100 application + $480 biennial for C-37 commercial and $80 application + $270 biennial for the residential plumbing classification (contractor tier, out of scope for the journeyman credential) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (TSBPE states typical processing of 30-45 days for straightforward applications; longer with criminal history or unclear immigration status) | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no state license to transfer: confirm with the authority linked on this page who licenses the work where you will practice.
- Contact that city, county or contractor-level authority for its own requirements, exams and fees.
- Keep records of your current license, exams and documented experience — a local authority may credit them, but nothing transfers at state level.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Texas plumbing license while I work in Arizona?
Yes — Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so nothing you obtain locally in Arizona replaces your Texas license. Keep the Texas license active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule, and meet the local requirements where you work in Arizona.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors — License Classifications (plumbing licensed only at contractor level) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 32-1122 — Qualifications for license; waiver of examination (contractor tier) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California CSLB — Reciprocal Classifications List (confirms AZ C-37/C-37R plumbing recognition operates at the contractor tier, not journeyman) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — Out-of-State Examination Application (LA/AR reciprocity banner; 2-year license; $40 journeyman fee; fingerprints; written + practical exam), Rev. March 2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — License Types (Tradesman, Journeyman, Master Plumber) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — Printable Forms (Reciprocal License Verification, Louisiana and Arkansas only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com