Arizona

Arizona Licensing Overview

Arizona licenses 68 out of 102 lower-income occupations (more than half of the occupations included in the study) . The state’s licensing laws are more burdensome than most other states. The state's licensing laws rank 4th in the nation.

On average, Arizona requires $481 in licensing fees, 689 days of education and about 2 exam. Fees for a license exceed $1000 for Midwife, Direct Entry, Bill Collection Agency.

Which occupation in an Arizona is the most regulated?

Out of the 68 occupations that require an occupational license in Arizona, a license for Preschool Teacher, Public School has the highest burden. A Preschool Teacher, Public School license requires $431 in fees, 2 exams, 2 years experience, and 4 years of education.

Which occupation in an Arizona is the least regulated?

Out of the 68 occupations that require an occupational license in Arizona, a license for Milk Sampler has the lowest burden. A Milk Sampler license requires $50 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no of education.

Which occupational license in Arizona is the most expensive?

An occupational license in Arizona costs the most for Bill Collection Agency. A Bill Collection Agency license requires $1675 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no of education.

Which occupational license in Arizona is the least expensive?

An occupational license for in Arizona costs the least for School Bus Driver, Bus Driver, City/Transit where the license costs $35.

Which occupational license in Arizona takes the most time to obtain?

In Arizona, an occupational license takes the most time (due to required education/experience) for Preschool Teacher, Public School. It takes 2190 days (6 years) total. A Preschool Teacher, Public School license requires $431 in fees, 2 exams, 2 years experience, and 4 years of education.

Which occupational license in Arizona takes the least time to obtain?

In Arizona, an occupational license takes the least time due to required education/experience (0 days) for Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial), Drywall Installation Contractor (Residential), Insulation Contractor (Residential), Paving Contractor (Residential), Bill Collection Agency, Travel Guide, Security Alarm Installer, Weigher, Gaming Cage Worker, Gaming Dealer, Gaming Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, Taxidermist, Animal Breeder, Milk Sampler.

In Arizona, which occupational licenses require exams?

In Arizona, to obtain an occupational license there is at least one exam required for: Preschool Teacher, Public School, Iron/Steel Contractor (Commercial), Pipelayer Contractor, Cement Finishing Contractor (Commercial), Paving Contractor (Commercial), Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Commercial), Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Residential), Door Repair Contractor (Commercial), Door Repair Contractor (Residential), Fire Alarm Installer, Landscape Contractor (Commercial), Landscape Contractor (Residential), Mason Contractor (Commercial), Mason Contractor (Residential), Cement Finishing Contractor (Residential), Iron/Steel Contractor (Residential), Athletic Trainer, Optician, Earth Driller, Water Well, Glazier Contractor (Commercial), Glazier Contractor (Residential), Terrazzo Contractor (Commercial), Terrazzo Contractor (Residential), Midwife, Direct Entry, Mobile Home Installer, HVAC Contractor (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial), HVAC Contractor (Residential), Painting Contractor (Commercial), Painting Contractor (Residential), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential), Floor Sander Contractor (Commercial), Floor Sander Contractor (Residential), Insulation Contractor (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Residential), Veterinary Technician, Interpreter, Sign Language, Pest Control Applicator, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, School Bus Driver, Cosmetologist, Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Barber, Truck Driver, Other, Pharmacy Technician, Massage Therapist, Manicurist, Skin Care Specialist, Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial), Drywall Installation Contractor (Residential), Insulation Contractor (Residential), Paving Contractor (Residential), Emergency Medical Technician, Travel Guide, Weigher. School Bus Driver requires 7 exams.

Arizona remains one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to licensing burdens for lower-income occupations. It licenses 68 of the 102 occupations studied here, and its licensing laws rank as the fourth most burdensome, due to high licensing fees and arduous education and experience requirements. Occupational licenses in Arizona require an average of $612 in fees, 765 days—more than two years—of education and experience, and approximately two exams. Because it licenses so many occupations so onerously, Arizona ranks as the fourth most broadly and onerously licensed state.

Arizona imposes particularly burdensome fees and experience requirements on would-be licensees in several occupations. Its highest fees are roughly three times the national average. Bill collection agencies face Arizona’s heftiest fees, paying $1,500 (compared to the $551 average across licensed states). Water well earth drillers must pay $1,031 (compared to the $356 national average). And Arizona’s experience burdens for aspiring opticians are some of the heaviest of their type in the nation, requiring 1,095 days (three years) of experience. This is considerably higher than the average 714 days required in the 22 states that license opticians.

Arizona’s licensing laws are also rife with irrationalities, often imposing burdens on some occupations that seem excessive compared with those for others that may pose greater risks. For example, 15 of the 33 Arizona contractor licenses studied are more burdensome than the state’s direct entry midwife license, and all of the contractor licenses studied are considerably more onerous than its EMT license, which merely requires a 110-hour course (an estimated 26 days lost), an $80 fee and two exams. To improve its rankings, Arizona should reduce or repeal its onerous licenses for contractors and other occupations, or—if government regulation is necessary—replace them with less restrictive regulatory alternatives.

Burden Rank	Occupation	Number of States that License	Fees	Education/Experience (Days)	Education	Experience	Exams	Minimum Grade	Minimum Age
1	Preschool Teacher, Public School	50	431	2190	4 years	2 years	2	0	0
2	Iron/Steel Contractor (Commercial)	26	896	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
2	Pipelayer Contractor	27	896	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
4	Cement Finishing Contractor (Commercial)	24	696	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
5	Paving Contractor (Commercial)	24	846	1460	None	4 years	1	0	18
6	Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Commercial)	25	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Residential)	30	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Door Repair Contractor (Commercial)	24	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Door Repair Contractor (Residential)	29	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Fire Alarm Installer	39	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Landscape Contractor (Commercial)	47	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Landscape Contractor (Residential)	48	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Mason Contractor (Commercial)	26	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
6	Mason Contractor (Residential)	31	596	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
15	Cement Finishing Contractor (Residential)	30	466	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
15	Iron/Steel Contractor (Residential)	30	466	1460	None	4 years	2	0	18
17	Athletic Trainer	49	712	1460	4 years	None	1	0	0
18	Optician	22	500	1095	None	3 years	3	12	18
19	Earth Driller, Water Well	51	871	1095	None	3 years	5	0	18
20	Glazier Contractor (Commercial)	26	596	1095	None	3 years	2	0	18
20	Glazier Contractor (Residential)	30	596	1095	None	3 years	2	0	18
20	Terrazzo Contractor (Commercial)	23	596	1095	None	3 years	2	0	18
20	Terrazzo Contractor (Residential)	28	596	1095	None	3 years	2	0	18
24	Midwife, Direct Entry	37	1450	730	2 years	None	2	12	21
25	Mobile Home Installer	37	454	1096	3 clock hours	3 years	1	0	0
26	HVAC Contractor (Commercial)	37	696	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
26	Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial)	37	696	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
28	HVAC Contractor (Residential)	35	596	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
28	Painting Contractor (Commercial)	22	596	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
28	Painting Contractor (Residential)	27	596	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
28	Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential)	36	596	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
32	Floor Sander Contractor (Commercial)	22	546	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
32	Floor Sander Contractor (Residential)	27	546	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
32	Insulation Contractor (Commercial)	24	546	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
32	Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Commercial)	26	546	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
32	Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Residential)	31	546	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
37	Veterinary Technician	36	150	730	2 years	None	2	0	18
38	Interpreter, Sign Language	22	365	420	60 credit hours	None	2	12	18
39	Pest Control Applicator	51	625	449	12 credit hours	1 year	4	0	18
39	Vegetation Pesticide Applicator	51	625	449	12 credit hours	1 year	4	0	18
41	School Bus Driver	51	35	371	34 clock hours	1 year	7	0	18
42	Cosmetologist	51	247	350	1500 clock hours	None	2	10	16
43	Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer	51	50	365	None	1 year	5	0	18
44	Bus Driver, City/Transit	51	35	365	None	1 year	5	0	18
45	Barber	51	300	280	1200 clock hours	None	2	10	16
46	Truck Driver, Other	51	50	365	None	1 year	4	0	18
47	Pharmacy Technician	44	326	140	600 clock hours	None	1	12	18
48	Massage Therapist	45	412	117	500 clock hours	None	1	12	18
49	Manicurist	51	247	140	600 clock hours	None	2	10	16
50	Skin Care Specialist	51	247	117	500 clock hours	None	2	10	16
51	Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial)	25	546	0	None	None	2	0	18
51	Drywall Installation Contractor (Residential)	30	546	0	None	None	2	0	18
51	Insulation Contractor (Residential)	30	546	0	None	None	2	0	18
54	Coach, Head (High School Sports)	47	127	165	15 credit hours & 12 clock hours	250 clock hours	0	0	0
55	Paving Contractor (Residential)	28	416	0	None	None	2	0	18
56	Emergency Medical Technician	51	98	30	130 clock hours	None	2	0	18
57	Bill Collection Agency	29	1675	0	None	None	0	0	0
58	Travel Guide	37	337	0	None	None	1	0	18
59	Security Alarm Installer	37	410	0	None	None	0	0	18
60	Weigher	24	48	0	None	None	1	0	18
61	Gaming Cage Worker	30	250	0	None	None	0	0	18
61	Gaming Dealer	29	250	0	None	None	0	0	18
61	Gaming Supervisor	31	250	0	None	None	0	0	18
61	Slot Supervisor	29	250	0	None	None	0	0	18
65	Security Guard, Unarmed	34	72	1	8 clock hours	None	0	0	18
66	Taxidermist	28	100	0	None	None	0	0	0
67	Animal Breeder	29	75	0	None	None	0	0	0
68	Milk Sampler	43	50	0	None	None	0	0	0

Arizona Occupational Licensing

68 out of 102 moderate-income occupations licensed

4th most burdensome licensing laws for moderate-income occupations

Average Fees for Licenses:$481