Arizona ROC License Verification:
The 5-Minute Check That Could Save You $50,000
"Takes 5 minutes. Could save your life savings. Here's exactly how to do it."
⚠️ Before you sign ANY contract or pay ANY deposit
This simple verification catches 90% of contractor scams before you lose a dollar
⏱️ Time Required: 5 minutes | 💰 Potential Savings: $50,000+ | 🛡️ Protection: Massive
Why This 5-Minute Check Matters
Remember Sarah from our Kitchen Nightmare story? She paid a contractor $100,500 for work worth maybe $25,000. Her kitchen took 18 months instead of 12 weeks. She faced $28,900 in liens on her home.
This entire nightmare could have been prevented with a 5-minute license check.
When Sarah finally checked azroc.gov (10 months too late), she discovered the contractor's license had been suspended twice before, he had 2 previous complaints, and he'd been working illegally on her home for 6 months. All of this information was publicly available, free, and took less than 5 minutes to find.
What You'll Learn in This Guide
✓ Step-by-Step Process
- Exact URL to use
- Where to click
- What to type
- How to read results
✓ What Everything Means
- Active vs Inactive status
- Bond amounts decoded
- Complaint history
- License classifications
⚠️ Red Flags to Watch
- Suspended licenses
- Multiple complaints
- Low bond amounts
- Expired licenses
🚨 Common Scams
- Fake license cards
- Expired licenses
- Wrong license type
- Using someone else's license
Step-by-Step: How to Verify an Arizona Contractor License
Follow these exact steps before hiring anyone
Go to the Official ROC Website
This is the only official source for Arizona contractor license verification
Official URL:
⚠️ Bookmark this page. You'll use it for every contractor you consider.
💡 Pro Tip: Be suspicious if a contractor says "you can't look me up online" or "the ROC website is down." The website works 24/7, and all legitimate contractors WANT you to verify their license.
Click "Contractor Search"
Located prominently on the homepage
Screenshot Description:
The homepage has a blue navigation bar with "Contractor Search" as one of the main options. Click this button. You'll be taken to a search page with several options for looking up contractors.
Enter the License Number OR Company Name
You can search multiple ways
Option A: Search by License Number (BEST)
The contractor should give you their ROC license number on their business card, proposal, or website. It looks like this: #123456 or ROC 123456
Example: Bayside Home Improvement's license is ROC #353387. You'd type "353387" into the search box.
Option B: Search by Company Name
Type the exact business name. Be careful, similar names will appear. Make sure the address and owner name match what the contractor told you.
⚠️ Common Scam Alert
If a contractor won't give you their license number, that's a massive red flag. Legitimate contractors have this number on everything, business cards, trucks, websites, proposals. If they're evasive about providing it, walk away immediately.
Review the License Status
This is the most critical information
What You'll See on the Results Page:
✓ License Status: ACTIVE
This is what you want to see. Active means the contractor is currently licensed and in good standing with the ROC. They've maintained their bond, insurance, and continuing education requirements.
✗ License Status: INACTIVE
DO NOT HIRE. Inactive means the license has been voluntarily inactivated, expired, or suspended. It is illegal for them to perform contracting work. Any contract signed with an inactive contractor is void.
✗ License Status: SUSPENDED
MAJOR RED FLAG. Suspended means the ROC has taken action due to violations, failure to maintain insurance/bond, or serious complaints. Never hire a suspended contractor, they're legally prohibited from working.
⚠️ License Status: EXPIRED
DO NOT HIRE. Expired means they didn't renew. They may have left the industry, had financial problems, or simply let it lapse. Either way, it's illegal for them to work as a contractor.
CRITICAL: If the status is anything other than "ACTIVE," stop immediately and find a different contractor.
Check the License Classification
Make sure they're licensed for YOUR type of work
⚠️ Why This Matters:
Arizona contractors are licensed for specific types of work. A plumber can't legally do electrical work. A landscaper can't build room additions. You need to verify the contractor is licensed for what you're hiring them to do.
Common License Classifications:
- KB (Dual, General Contractor): Can do most residential work, kitchens, bathrooms, additions
- CR (Residential Contractor): General residential construction
- A (General Engineering): Large commercial projects
- B (General Building): Building construction
- Specialty licenses: Plumbing (P), Electrical (E), HVAC (L), Roofing (R), etc.
Check the Bond Amount
Higher bond = more financial responsibility
What is a Contractor Bond?
A bond is financial protection for homeowners. If the contractor violates the law, doesn't complete work, or causes damage, you can file a claim against their bond. The minimum required in Arizona is $7,500 (for contractors doing up to $750,000 in work per year).
✓ Good Sign
Bond: $12,000+
Higher than minimum shows they're willing to invest in protection. Indicates they do larger projects and have more to lose.
⚠️ Caution Sign
Bond: $7,500
Minimum required. Not necessarily bad, but for a $50,000+ kitchen remodel, you want higher bond protection.
Review Complaint History
The most revealing information
🚨 THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION
The complaint history shows if other homeowners have had problems. Click on "View Complaints" or "Complaint History" to see details.
How to Interpret Complaints:
✓ Zero Complaints
Ideal. Means no homeowners have filed official complaints with the ROC.
⚠️ 1-2 Resolved Complaints
Not necessarily a dealbreaker if they're old and were resolved. Read the details. What was the issue? How was it resolved? Look for patterns.
✗ 3+ Complaints
MAJOR RED FLAG. Multiple complaints indicate a pattern. Even if some are "resolved," this contractor has issues. Find someone else.
✗ Active/Open Complaints
DO NOT HIRE. Active complaints mean someone is currently having problems. The ROC is investigating. This is your warning, walk away immediately.
💡 Pro Tip: Read the actual complaint descriptions, not just the count. Complaints about "didn't show up" or "abandoned project" are worse than complaints about "minor quality issue that was fixed."
Understanding What You Find
Decoding the information on the ROC profile
📅 License Expiration Date
Arizona contractor licenses expire every two years. Check the expiration date:
- Expires in 6+ months: Good, they're current
- Expires in 1-3 months: Fine, but verify they plan to renew
- Already expired: Cannot legally work, find someone else
🏥 Workers Compensation Status
This protects YOU if a worker gets hurt on your property. Look for:
- "Workers Comp: Yes" or "WC Exempt: No": They have insurance, you're protected
- "Workers Comp: No" or "WC Exempt: Yes": Sole proprietor with no employees (ask questions)
- Status unclear: Ask for proof of workers comp insurance directly
⚠️ Without workers comp, YOU can be held liable for medical bills and lawsuits if someone gets hurt working on your home. This can cost $50,000-$500,000+.
📋 License History
Click "View License History" to see:
- How long they've been licensed: 5+ years is good
- Previous suspensions: Suspension history = major red flag
- License changes: Multiple license numbers might indicate problems
🚩 Major Red Flags to Watch For
If you see ANY of these, walk away immediately
1. License Status is NOT "Active"
Inactive, Suspended, Expired = illegal for them to work. No exceptions. No excuses. It doesn't matter how good their prices are or how convincing their story is.
2. Multiple Active Complaints
One open complaint might be a disgruntled customer. Three or more? That's a pattern. Other homeowners are having problems RIGHT NOW. Don't be next.
3. Previous Suspensions
Check the license history. If they've been suspended before (even if it's "resolved" now), they've had serious problems. Suspensions happen for failure to pay workers, insurance lapses, or significant violations.
4. Wrong License Classification
Hiring a plumber to build your room addition. Hiring a landscaper to remodel your kitchen. If their license doesn't cover your project type, they can't legally do the work.
5. No Record Found
Contractor gave you a license number but nothing comes up in the search? They're either giving you a fake number, using someone else's license, or completely unlicensed. All are illegal.
6. Name Doesn't Match
The license shows "John Smith" but you're talking to "Mike Johnson." Contractor says it's his "partner" or "employee." Get the actual licensed contractor's name and verify THEY will be managing your project.
Remember Sarah's Story
She skipped this 5-minute check. It cost her $80,000, 18 months of stress, and nearly her home. Don't make the same mistake.
Common Contractor Lies About Licensing
Don't fall for these excuses
❌ "I'm between renewals, it'll be active next week"
Truth: If their license is expired or inactive TODAY, they cannot legally work TODAY. Tell them to contact you when it's active again. Legitimate contractors renew on time.
❌ "I'm working under my partner's license"
Truth: Get the partner's name and verify their license. Make sure the actual licensed contractor will supervise your project, not some unlicensed "partner."
❌ "The ROC website is wrong, I'm actually licensed"
Truth: The ROC database is updated daily and highly accurate. If it says inactive/suspended, they're inactive/suspended. No legitimate contractor blames "computer errors."
❌ "I don't need a license for small jobs"
Truth: In Arizona, any construction, alteration, or repair work over $1,000 requires a licensed contractor. If your project is over $1,000 (which most are), they need a license.
❌ "Licensing is just a money grab by the state"
Truth: Licensing protects YOU. It ensures contractors have insurance, workers comp, pass exams proving competence, and post a bond for your protection. Unlicensed = unprotected.
Print & Save: Your Verification Checklist
Use this for EVERY contractor you consider hiring
- ☐ Went to azroc.my.site.com/AZRoc/s/
- ☐ Entered contractor's license number or company name
- ☐ Verified status is "ACTIVE"
- ☐ Checked license classification matches my project type
- ☐ Reviewed bond amount ($10,000+ preferred for large projects)
- ☐ Read ALL complaint history (zero or resolved only)
- ☐ Checked license expiration date (6+ months remaining)
- ☐ Confirmed workers comp status
- ☐ Reviewed license history for previous suspensions
- ☐ Printed or saved PDF of verification page
- ☐ Verified contractor name matches who I'm talking to
If you can't check ALL these boxes, find a different contractor.
Verify Bayside Right Now
We practice what we preach. Here's our license information:
Bayside Home Improvement
Arizona ROC #353387
Status
ACTIVE
Complaints
ZERO
Bond
$15,000
Go ahead, verify us right now. We encourage it. We have nothing to hide and everything to prove. That's the difference between professional contractors and scammers.
Ready to Work with a Contractor You Can Actually Verify?
No hidden licenses. No suspended status. No complaints. Just transparent, professional service you can verify in 5 minutes.
Call Today: (602) 345-1464
Or schedule a consultation, we'll start by showing you our ROC verification
The first thing we'll do is give you our license number and show you how to verify it. That's transparency. That's professionalism. That's how contracting should work.