Moving between states / Arizona
Kentuckyto
Arizona, Truck driverMoving from Kentucky to Arizona as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Kentucky has to do to work in Arizona, what the move does to your pay, and who in Arizona is hiring from out of state.
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Arizona resident you surrender the Kentucky CDL at a Arizona driver licence office, pass the vision test, pay the fee, and your endorsements carry over. A hazmat endorsement needs a fresh TSA threat assessment in Arizona. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Arizona leaves you roughly $900 a year more than Kentucky does, because Arizona's rate is lower.
| Salary | Kentucky state tax | Arizona state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,600 | $1,000 | +$600 |
| $60,000 | $2,400 | $1,500 | +$900 |
| $90,000 | $3,600 | $2,250 | +$1,350 |
Rough figures for a single filer: exact in the flat-rate and no-tax states, approximated at 70% of the top bracket in the progressive ones. In Kentucky: many cities and counties add an occupational tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Kentucky to Arizona
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Kentucky certificate stays on the Kentucky Board of Nursing, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Arizona you apply to the Arizona State Board of Nursing (CNA and LNA certification) for reciprocity. It accepts an active certificate in good standing from another state; there is no retest if your record is clean. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Kentucky to Arizona
Works on day one. Both Kentucky and Arizona are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Kentucky is valid in Arizona the day you arrive. Once Arizona is your primary residence, apply there for a Arizona multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Kentucky to Arizona
Licensed by the city. Arizona has no state electrician licence; the Arizona Registrar of Contractors decide what card you need, and it can differ between cities. No state journeyman licence; contractors license through the Registrar and cities run their own electrician cards where they require one. Ask the contractor hiring you which municipality the first job is in and apply to that one. Your Kentucky state licence is evidence of hours, not a licence there.
Does Arizona pay you to come?
No statewide program in Arizona pays people to move in. Towns sometimes list an offer through MakeMyMove, and employers in short-staffed trades pay relocation themselves; ask for it in writing before you accept.
Openings filed in Arizona
157 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Arizona employers who could not fill them locally.
- Program Specialist IV - AI Bugs & OutagesUber · Phoenix
- Relationship Banker - Mesa AreaBank of America · Mesa
- Residential Review AppraiserBank of America · Chandler
- Ops Proficiency Coach IBank of America · Phoenix
- Maintenance - Level IEquity Lifestyle Properties · Tucson
- FencingBayless & Berkalew Co. Inc. · Benson · $19.73/hr
Your own route from Kentucky to Arizona
Tell us your trade and your licence. We write the steps for your case, check the job offer for scams, and keep your resume ready for Arizona employers.
Plan my move to ArizonaSame move, by trade
CNA: Kentucky to Arizona · RN or LPN: Kentucky to Arizona · Electrician: Kentucky to Arizona · All licences: Kentucky to Arizona
From Kentucky to the states next to Arizona
California (progressive, top rate 13.3%) · Nevada (no state income tax) · Utah (flat 4.5% state income tax) · Colorado (flat 4.4% state income tax) · New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%)
To Arizona from the states next to Kentucky
Indiana · Ohio · West Virginia · Virginia · Tennessee · Missouri · Illinois
Everything about working in Arizona · All moves between states · All 50 states