Plumber License from Michigan to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) ↗
No — Arizona has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Michigan plumbing license holders. You must apply to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) as a new applicant and meet Arizona's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
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Verdict
Full re-application
There is nothing at the state level to transfer your Michigan 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 Michigan license may count toward a local experience requirement, but Arizona has no state credential for it to reciprocate into.
What changes, Michigan → Arizona
| Michigan (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $40–$90 ($40 journey plumber license/application fee plus $50 examination fee (MCL 339.6121, Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407). The same fees apply to out-of-state applicants; the exam is administered by PSI.) | 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 | No board-stated processing time; the application, out-of-state verification, and license fee are mailed to LARA BCC and the exam is scheduled through PSI. | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC), Plumbing | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Arizona's initial-licensure requirements on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) website (linked below).
- Expect to meet Arizona's education/experience requirements and pass its required exams — prior out-of-state licensure may still count toward experience.
- Submit the standard (new applicant) application with fees (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).).
- Allow Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arizona accept a Michigan plumbing license?
No — Arizona has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Michigan plumbing license holders. You must apply to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) as a new applicant and meet Arizona's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Which exam applies moving from Michigan to Arizona?
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..
What does the Michigan-to-Arizona move cost and how long does it take?
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 Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued.
Can I keep my Michigan plumbing license after I'm licensed in Arizona?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Michigan credential active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule and you hold both, which is common for plumbers working near a state line.
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)
- Michigan LARA BCC — Plumbing Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MCL 339.6115 — Journey plumber's license requirements (6,000 hours / 3 years) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MCL 339.6121 — License and registration fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA BCC — Out of State License Verification form ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]