AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Board of Technical Registration

Authority

The State Board of Technical Registration was established in 1921 by Laws 1921, Chapter 135. Current statutory authority is found at A.R.S. §§32-101 through 32-152. Regulatory rules are found at A.A.C. R4-30-101 et seq.

Function

The Board was originally established to regulate the professions of architects, assayers, engineers and land surveyors. Since its creation, Board authority expanded to include regulation of various technical professions including alarm businesses and agents; geologists; home inspectors; landscape architects; and drug laboratory site remediation firms. Effective August 6, 2016, the Board no longer regulates assayers, drug laboratory site remediation firms, architects–in-training, assayers-in-training, home inspectors-in-training, or landscape architects-in-training.

As of 2024, the Board establishes and enforces standards of qualification for engineers, architects, assayers, geologists, land surveyors, landscape architects, home inspectors and alarm agents. The Board determines if applicants are qualified to be registered or certified, conducts exams, investigates complaints and issues policy statements for public guidance.

History

The State Board of Registration, created in 1921, consisted of seven members. Six were appointed by the Governor to three-year terms and the Dean of the College of Mines and Engineering at the University of Arizona served as the seventh member. In order to serve as a Board member, a person had to be a state resident, be in good standing in his profession, and at least 35 years of age. The purpose of the Board was to “safeguard life, health and property” and to require anyone practicing as an architect, professional engineer, land surveyor or assayer to submit evidence of their qualifications to the Board.

The Board was authorized to issue certifications to qualified applicants, based on experience and education. The measure outlined the certification process, and included language regarding violations, penalties, exemptions and reasons for revocation of a certificate. An annual report was required to be sent to the Governor, the Secretary of State and the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of each county. The Board was required to keep a list of applicants and to include a list of registrants in the Board’s annual report. See Laws 1921, Chapter 135.

Laws 1923, Chapter 75 modified penalties for violating the law regarding registration requirements for a person practicing as an architect, engineer, land surveyor or assayer in Arizona. The measure also provided certain exemptions from registration.

Laws 1935, Chapter 32 repealed and rewrote previous law, changed the name of the Board to the State Board of Technical Registration, and modified the qualifications to serve as a Board member. The measure established the position of the Secretary of the Board and required the Secretary to serve as custodian of the Board records, to accept applications and assist in prosecution of cases against violators of technical registration laws. The measure also modified age and experience requirements for applicants, modified registration fees, established the Technical Registration Fund and required ten percent of fees and other revenues received by the Board to be placed in the state general fund. The remaining amount was retained in the Fund for use by the Board. Monies did not revert to the state general fund at the end of the fiscal year. Note: See entry for Laws 2024, Chapter 222 elsewhere in this document, for related information.

Laws 1947, Chapter 53 modified Board responsibilities and changed the status of the Dean of the U of A College of Engineering to ex-officio.

Laws 1952, Chapter 144 expanded the Board to nine members, including three architects and five engineers; authorized the Board to rent office space using monies in the Technical Registration Fund and increased application fees.

Laws 1956, Chapter 161 modified laws related to revocation of certificates, investigations, notice of findings, exemptions and limitations; added geologists to the professions regulated by the Board; and established a fee for a temporary permit held by an architect, engineer, geologist, assayer or land surveyor licensed in another state or territory of the U.S.

Laws 1970, Chapter 88 added landscape architects to the professions regulated by the Board; modified membership of the Board by replacing the ex-officio member with an assayer, landscape architect, geologist or surveyor; established a cap of $100 for fees; and modified language regarding exemptions and limitations.

Laws 1980, Chapter 250 modified distribution of professions on the Board; changed the age and years of professional experience required to be eligible for appointment to the Board; allowed the Board to employ an executive director rather than a secretary; modified application requirements; increased the cap for fees collected by the Board from $100 to $200; and established confidentiality requirements for certain Board records. The measure continued the Board for two years and listed specific factors for consideration in 1982.

Laws 1982, Chapter 136 established qualifications for in-training registration and professional registration for architects, engineers, geologists and landscape architects; modified fees; authorized the Board to hire hearing officers; and modified exemptions. The measure also continued the Board until 1986.

Laws 1994, Chapter 137 allowed the Board to contract with a third party to administer the registration exam.

Laws 1995, Chapter 154 limited Board members to two consecutive terms, gave the Board investigative authority and established civil penalties.

Laws 1998, Chapter 269 was an omnibus measure which made numerous changes to Board statutes and also modified confidentiality provisions.

Two measures pertaining to the Board were enacted in 2000. Laws 2000, Chapter 86 added home inspectors to the professions regulated by the Board; established the Home Inspector Rules and Standards Committee; and outlined certification and insurance requirements. Laws 2000, Chapter 124 allowed the Board to issue a letter of concern and authorized the Board to contract with a national council to administer registration exams.

Laws 2002, Chapter 297 required the Board to regulate drug laboratory site remediation firms that clean up property contaminated by the manufacture of methamphetamine, ecstasy or LSD. The measure established the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Residual Contamination of Drug Properties and established a five-member Environmental Remediation Rules and Standards Committee within the Board.

Laws 2012, Chapter 341 authorized the Board to regulate alarm businesses and associated alarm agents and required a person to be certified in order to operate an alarm business.

Several measures pertaining to the Board were enacted in 2016 which modified the professions subject to Board oversight. The Board no longer regulates assayers or drug laboratory site remediation specialists, nor does it register architects-in-training, assayers-in-training, home inspectors-in-training or landscape architects-in-training. In addition, the Environmental Remediation Rules and Standards Committee was repealed. See Laws 2016, Chapter 167, Chapter 352 and Chapter 371.

Laws 2017, Chapter 219 required alarm businesses and agents to obtain a fingerprint clearance card from the Department of Public Safety, rather than submitting fingerprints to the Board on an annual basis. The measure also extended, from two years to three years, the term of a certificate issued to an alarm business or controlling person.

Laws 2018, Chapter 46 required home inspectors to obtain a fingerprint clearance card from the Department of Public Safety, rather than submitting fingerprints to the Board.

Laws 2020, Chapter 75 increased the number of members on the Board from nine to eleven by increasing the number of public members from one to six, reducing the number of architects from two to one, and reducing the number of engineers from three to one. One public member must have a legal, construction or design product background. The measure also includes changes to membership on four other statutory boards.

Laws 2024, Chapter 204 modified the powers and duties of the Board, eliminated the Home Inspectors Rules and Standards Committee, and continued the Board until July 1, 2030. The measure also included provisions relating to the Registrar of Contractors.

Laws 2024, Chapter 222 reduced the revenue available to 27 self-supporting regulatory agencies (known as 90/10 boards) including the Board of Technology Review. Prior to enactment of Chapter 222, these boards were required to transfer to the state general fund 10% of monies collected and were allowed to retain 90% to apply to the Board’s operating costs. Effective September 14, 2024 through July 1, 2028, the boards must transfer 15% of the revenues to the state general fund and may retain 85% of the monies for operating costs.

Laws 2025, Chapter 44 requires an applicant for professional registration as an engineer, architect, land surveyor, or landscape architect to hold a valid license, registration, or certification; and a certification or model law designation from the applicable profession’s national council. An additional requirement for an applicant for a professional engineer registration is to hold a record from the profession’s national council verifying that the applicant holds at least one of the outlined criteria in the branch of engineering in which the registration is sought. An applicant for a land surveyor registration must pass the examination relating to surveying methods and legal principles designated by the Board’s rules.

Sources

• Arizona Revised Statutes §§32-101 through 32-152
• Arizona Administrative Code §§R4-30-101 et seq.
• Session Laws
  • Laws 1921, Chapter 135
  • Laws 1923, Chapter 75
  • Laws 1935, Chapter 32
  • Laws 1947, Chapter 53
  • Laws 1952, Chapter 144
  • Laws 1956, Chapter 161
  • Laws 1970, Chapter 88
  • Laws 1980, Chapter 250
  • Laws 1982, Chapter 136
  • Laws 1994, Chapter 137
  • Laws 1995, Chapter 154
  • Laws 1998, Chapter 269
  • Laws 2000, Chapter 86 and Chapter 124
  • Laws 2002, Chapter 297
  • Laws 2012, Chapter 341
  • Laws 2016, Chapter 167, Chapter 352 and Chapter 371
  • Laws 2017, Chapter 219
  • Laws 2018, Chapter 46
  • Laws 2020, Chapter 75
  • Laws 2024, Chapter 204 and Chapter 222
  • Laws 2025, Chapter 44

Arizona State Board of Technical Registration website

Arizona State Board of Technical Registration, Arizona Memory Project agency collection

Sunset Review, Senate Government Committee of Reference, 2024

Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings Performance Audit and Sunset Review, September 2014

Master List of State Programs

related collections at arizona state archives

• Record Group 146 – Board of Technical Registration