Transfer Your Electrician License to Tennessee: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Dept. of Commerce & Insurance) — state CE/LLE only; journeyman/master are local ↗
Tennessee issues no statewide electrician license — journeymen and masters are licensed by city or county building departments, so there is no state credential to transfer in or out. There is nothing for the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Dept. of Commerce & Insurance) — state CE/LLE only; journeyman/master are local to reciprocate; you apply to the local authority wherever you plan to work.
Moving to Tennessee from a specific state?
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Verdict
No reciprocity offered
The thing to settle about Tennessee before you plan anything: there is no state license here to transfer. Electrician licensing is devolved to city and county building departments, so "reciprocity" is the wrong question — the right one is which local jurisdiction covers your jobsite and what that office requires. Decide where you will actually be working, then contact that authority directly; a statewide credential you can carry across Tennessee does not exist.
Tennessee has NO statewide journeyman or master electrician license — those are issued and examined by the larger cities/counties that run their own code offices. The state credentials are the Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE, work up to $25,000) and the Electrical Contractor (CE) license (any project of $25,000+), both under the Board for Licensing Contractors. The Board's trade-exam-waiver reciprocity applies to CONTRACTOR classifications, names AL, LA, MS, NC, OH, SC, WV plus NASCLA for the Electrical (CE) scope (Arkansas is Residential/Commercial only, NOT electrical), and still requires the TN Business & Law exam — and it explicitly cannot be used for the LLE. Not a NERA member. Because no state journeyman/master credential exists and the individual LLE has no reciprocity, endorsement_available is false and no state-level journeyman reciprocity exists.
Tennessee requirements at a glance
| Exam | Not applicable — Tennessee issues no statewide journeyman or master electrician license, so there is no state journeyman exam to waive. The state Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) requires passing its exam and is expressly excluded from the Board's trade-exam-waiver reciprocity. Journeyman/master licenses are examined and issued by individual cities and counties |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | No statewide journeyman/master license fee exists; local authorities set their own fees. The state LLE and CE contractor fees are separate credentials not equivalent to a journeyman license. |
| Processing time | No statewide journeyman license, so no state processing time; local code authorities vary. |
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Dept. of Commerce & Insurance) — state CE/LLE only; journeyman/master are local website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Dept. of Commerce & Insurance) — state CE/LLE only; journeyman/master are local.
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- For a journeyman or master license, apply to the local city/county code authority (e.g., Nashville/Davidson, Memphis/Shelby, Knoxville/Knox, Chattanooga/Hamilton) — Tennessee has no statewide credential.
- The state Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE, work up to $25,000 in jurisdictions using the TN State Fire Marshal for permits/inspections) requires passing the exam; the trade-exam waiver CANNOT be used for the LLE.
- The state Electrical Contractor (CE) license (Board for Licensing Contractors) offers a trade-exam waiver to contractors licensed in AL, LA, MS, NC, OH, SC, WV or via NASCLA, but the Tennessee Business & Law exam is still required — this is a contractor, not a journeyman, credential.
- Pay the fees (No statewide journeyman/master license fee exists; local authorities set their own fees. The state LLE and CE contractor fees are separate credentials not equivalent to a journeyman license.) and allow No statewide journeyman license, so no state processing time; local code authorities vary..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Tennessee:
Frequently asked questions
Does my electrician license transfer to Tennessee?
Tennessee issues no statewide electrician license — journeymen and masters are licensed by city or county building departments, so there is no state credential to transfer in or out. There is nothing for the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Dept. of Commerce & Insurance) — state CE/LLE only; journeyman/master are local to reciprocate; you apply to the local authority wherever you plan to work.
Will I have to retake the journeyman exam in Tennessee?
Not applicable — Tennessee issues no statewide journeyman or master electrician license, so there is no state journeyman exam to waive. The state Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) requires passing its exam and is expressly excluded from the Board's trade-exam-waiver reciprocity. Journeyman/master licenses are examined and issued by individual cities and counties.
What does licensing in Tennessee cost an out-of-state electrician?
No statewide journeyman/master license fee exists; local authorities set their own fees. The state LLE and CE contractor fees are separate credentials not equivalent to a journeyman license. (No statewide journeyman/master license fee exists; local authorities set their own fees. The state LLE and CE contractor fees are separate credentials not equivalent to a journeyman license.).
How long does Tennessee take to process the application?
No statewide journeyman license, so no state processing time; local code authorities vary. — No statewide journeyman license, so no state processing time; local code authorities vary..
Who issues an electrician license in Tennessee?
Not a statewide board — Tennessee licenses electricians through city or county building departments, so requirements and fees are set locally. Contact the authority covering your jobsite.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- TN Board for Licensing Contractors — Trade Exam Waiver (Reciprocity) with Tennessee ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TN Board for Licensing Contractors — main page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TN Board for Licensing Contractors — Limited Licensed Electrician application ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]