Trust & Verification
Is My Septic Company Licensed in Arizona?
As of August 2026, Arizona licenses septic work two different ways depending on what the company does: installation and repair requires an Arizona Registrar of Contractors CR-41 license, verifiable free online, while routine pumping requires a separate ADEQ septage hauler license that won't show up in an ROC search. Here's how to check each one.
If They Install or Repair Septic Systems: Check for a CR-41 License
Septic installation, replacement, and repair work in Arizona is licensed under the Registrar of Contractors' R-41 (residential), C-41 (commercial), or CR-41 (both) "Septic Tanks and Systems" classification. To verify a company:
- Go to the ROC's free public Contractor Search tool.
- Search the company's exact legal or DBA name, or their license number if they've given you one.
- Confirm the license is Active and lists a CR-41, R-41, or C-41 classification.
A related classification, CR-80 "Sewers, Drains and Pipe Laying," covers some sewer/drain excavation work that can overlap septic-adjacent trenching, but it's not the septic-system classification itself -- if a company only holds CR-80, ask specifically whether they hold CR-41 for the actual septic system work.
If They Only Pump/Haul: Ask for Their ADEQ Septage Hauler License
Routine tank pumping is regulated separately, through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality's septage hauler program -- entirely outside the ROC's jurisdiction. A pumping-only company will never appear in an ROC Contractor Search, under any name variant, because it isn't required to hold an ROC license at all. That's expected and normal, not a red flag by itself.
To verify, ask the company directly for their ADEQ septage hauler license status, and cross check against ADEQ's current published hauler roster (available from ADEQ's septage-hauler program page) -- confirm it's a current-year listing, since older cached lists can carry stale entries.
One important note if a company does both -- pumping and installation/repair -- they need both licenses, one for each function. Holding a valid ROC CR-41 doesn't automatically mean their hauling truck is separately ADEQ-licensed, and vice versa.
Beyond Licensing: Insurance
Licensing and insurance are separate things -- verifying a license doesn't confirm current insurance coverage. Ask any contractor for proof of current general liability insurance directly, and consider asking for a certificate of insurance for a larger job like a new installation or full replacement. See our best septic companies guide for a list of companies we've independently license-verified.
Get Matched With a License-Verified Contractor
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my septic company licensed in Arizona?
Check the Arizona Registrar of Contractors' free online Contractor Search for install/repair companies (CR-41 classification), or ask a pumping-only company for their ADEQ septage hauler license number -- pumping-only operators are regulated separately and won't appear in ROC search. Both are quick to verify before you hire.
Why doesn't my septic pumping company show up in the ROC Contractor Search?
Because pumping/hauling and installation/repair are two entirely separate Arizona licensing programs. A pumping-only company is licensed by ADEQ's septage hauler program, not the Registrar of Contractors -- so it will never appear in an ROC search, under any name variant. That's expected, not a red flag on its own.
Does a septic company need to be licensed to pump my tank?
Yes -- Arizona requires septage haulers to hold an ADEQ septage hauler license, a vehicle-based permit covering the hauling truck (minimum tank capacity, leak-proof construction, and related handling requirements). It's a different license than the ROC contractor license used for installation and repair work.