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LicenseReciprocity

Contractor License from Alabama to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) ↗

Yes — Tennessee has a reciprocity arrangement covering Alabama license holders. Apply to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.

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Verdict

Reciprocity agreement

Tennessee has a trade agreement covering Alabama — but read it at the trade-and-class level before celebrating. The agreement waives Tennessee's exam for the specific trade and class named in the table below; your other licenses may not be covered. What survives for every applicant: Tennessee's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration. Confirm your exact trade and class against the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) listing.

What changes, Alabama → Tennessee

Side-by-side: Alabama vs Tennessee (Contractor (GC/electrical/plumbing/HVAC)), verified 2026-08-07
Alabama (current)Tennessee (destination)
Application fee$220–$315 (Fees are per-board, not additive: General Contractors prime application $300; Electrical reciprocal license $315 (eff. 2/14/2026); HVAC reciprocity $220 (plus $20,000 bond); Home Builders and plumbing fees separate.)$250 (Initial contractor license application fee $250. The CPA-prepared reviewed or audited financial statement is a separate professional cost, and some verifying states charge a fee to complete the Board's license-verification form. Beginning July 1, 2026 exams are administered by Prov.)
Processing time~4 weeks (GC reciprocity applications must be on file 30 days before a quarterly board meeting, so timing depends on the meeting calendar; other boards do not publish a processing range.)No processing-time estimate is published; applications are acted on at the Board's scheduled meetings.
Licensing authorityAlabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (plus separate Home Builders Licensure Board, Board of Electrical Contractors, HACR Board, and Plumbers & Gas Fitters Examining Board)Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the reciprocity application to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Pass the Tennessee Business & Law exam (required for every classification except restricted residential BC-A/r).
  5. Submit a reviewed or audited financial statement from a licensed accounting firm, less than 12 months old, to set the monetary limit.
  6. Have the participating state complete the Board's Request for Contractor License Verification in place of the trade-exam score.
  7. Be free of disciplinary action, open complaints and felony convictions — these disqualify an applicant from the trade exam waiver.
  8. Pay the $250 application fee; the license is required before bidding or contracting at $25,000 or more.
  9. Pay the fees ($250 (Initial contractor license application fee $250. The CPA-prepared reviewed or audited financial statement is a separate professional cost, and some verifying states charge a fee to complete the Board's license-verification form. Beginning July 1, 2026 exams are administered by Prov.)) and allow No processing-time estimate is published; applications are acted on at the Board's scheduled meetings..

Official links

Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) ↗Tennessee application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Tennessee → AlabamaContractor in AlabamaContractor in TennesseeAll contractor states

Frequently asked questions

Does Tennessee accept a Alabama contractor license?

Yes — Tennessee has a reciprocity arrangement covering Alabama license holders. Apply to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.

What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?

Tennessee's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.

What does the Alabama-to-Tennessee move cost and how long does it take?

$250 (Initial contractor license application fee $250. The CPA-prepared reviewed or audited financial statement is a separate professional cost, and some verifying states charge a fee to complete the Board's license-verification form. Beginning July 1, 2026 exams are administered by Prov.); processing No processing-time estimate is published; applications are acted on at the Board's scheduled meetings..

Would the NASCLA exam help for this move?

If you do commercial general-building work, possibly — about 15 states accept the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building exam toward licensure. Check whether Tennessee is one on the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) site.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]