Plumber License from Illinois to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Tennessee accept an Illinois plumbing license?
No — Tennessee has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois plumbing license holders. You must apply to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) as a new applicant and meet Tennessee's full licensing requirements, including any exams it requires that you have not already passed.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full re-application
Tennessee has no plumbing reciprocity or endorsement covering Illinois, so this is a full journeyman application either way. Tennessee does not waive its Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) trade exam for out-of-state plumbers; the LLP exam is expressly non-reciprocal and every applicant must pass it (the only exam waiver is for reinstating an expired Tennessee LLP). Tennessee licenses journeyman and master plumbers only at the local city/county level, not statewide. The productive plan: gather proof of the apprenticeship or on-the-job hours you logged in Illinois, register for Tennessee's journeyman exam, and treat your experience as exam preparation and as credit toward Tennessee's experience requirement. Budget a new-applicant timeline and order your certified license history early — it is the long-lead item.
What's different between Illinois and Tennessee
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Tennessee. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Tennessee (this page): Full re-application.
Tennessee to Illinois (the reverse move): Full re-application.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Illinois matter?
Coming from Illinois does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Tennessee.
- Application fee
Tennessee lists $75 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $225 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Tennessee and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Tennessee (this move): Tennessee does not waive its Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) trade exam for out-of-state plumbers; the LLP exam is expressly non-reciprocal and every applicant must pass it (the only exam waiver is for reinstating an expired Tennessee LLP). Tennessee licenses journeyman and master plumbers only at the local city/county level, not statewide
- Illinois (the reverse move): Illinois requires every out-of-state plumber to pass the Illinois plumber's licensing examination; the application's out-of-state section accepts prior apprenticeship/licensure toward the four-year experience prerequisite but does not waive the exam. The only license-WITHOUT-examination pathway is for a holder of a current City of Chicago plumber's license (an intra-Illinois municipal reciprocity), not for licensees of other states
What changes, Illinois → Tennessee
| Illinois (current) | Tennessee (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $225 (Application fee for a plumber registered or licensed in Chicago or outside Illinois is $225 (an in-state Illinois licensed-apprentice applicant pays $175); a separate $150 plumber's license fee applies on issuance (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100). The City-of-Chicago reciprocity (license without exam) carries a $150 license fee. Returned-check fee $100) | $75 ($75 two-year LLP license/application fee ($50 non-refundable); LLP exam fee ~$55 paid to PSI/Prov separately; a state Contractor license with a plumbing (CMC/MC) classification is a separate, higher fee for work of $25,000 or more) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; the examination application is due at least 30 days before the examination date | No board-stated processing time; applications needing experience or felony review are heard at the Board's bi-monthly meetings (January, March, May, July, September, November) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | 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
- Review Tennessee's initial-licensure requirements on the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) website (linked below).
- Expect to meet Tennessee's education/experience requirements and pass any required exams you have not already passed — a national exam you passed often still counts, as can prior out-of-state licensure toward experience.
- Submit the standard (new applicant) application with fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
- Allow No board-stated processing time; applications needing experience or felony review are heard at the Board's bi-monthly meetings (January, March, May, July, September, November).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the Illinois-to-Tennessee move cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75 two-year LLP license/application fee ($50 non-refundable); LLP exam fee ~$55 paid to PSI/Prov separately; a state Contractor license with a plumbing (CMC/MC) classification is a separate, higher fee for work of $25,000 or more), plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant. Processing time: No board-stated processing time; applications needing experience or felony review are heard at the Board's bi-monthly meetings (January, March, May, July, September, November).
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in Tennessee?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Illinois credential active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule and you hold both, which is common for plumbers working near a state line.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- TN Commerce & Insurance — Limited Licensed Plumbers (LLP) program page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TN Board for Licensing Contractors — LLP Application ($75 fee, 1-year experience, 40-question exam, local-license exemptions, exam waiver only for reinstatement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Examination for Plumber's License (fees $175 in-state / $225 out-of-state; out-of-state section; 4-year 225 ILCS 320/10(d) requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Plumber's License Reciprocity with the City of Chicago License Without Examination ($150 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100 — Plumbers' and Apprentice Plumbers' Examination and Licensure Fees (Legal Information Institute) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Plumbing program (license types, license verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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