Transfer Your Plumber License to Tennessee: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) ↗
No — Tennessee has no plumbing reciprocity with any state. To be licensed you qualify as a new applicant through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance): 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. Your out-of-state hours usually count toward the experience requirement; your license does not skip the exam. Application fee: $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).
Moving to Tennessee from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full re-application required
The honest news first: there is no shortcut into Tennessee for an out-of-state plumber, because Tennessee recognizes no other state's plumbing license. The productive framing is that your logged apprenticeship and on-the-job hours usually count toward Tennessee's experience requirement, so the real work is documentation and the journeyman exam, not starting your career over. Pull the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance)'s current experience rules early, order your certified license history and employment records — the long-lead item — and treat the exam as a review of work you already do. The steps below are the new-applicant path, annotated for someone who has done the job before.
Tennessee's only statewide individual plumber credential is the Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP), required for plumbing work under $25,000 per project in jurisdictions that use it (fifteen counties are statutorily exempt, and many municipalities require their own local license and exam instead). Journeyman and master plumber licenses are issued locally by Tennessee cities and counties, not by the state. The LLP application states plainly that the LLP exam is not reciprocal with other states; an exam waiver exists only when reinstating an expired Tennessee LLP. Plumbing work of $25,000 or more requires a state Contractor license with a plumbing classification (CMC, CMC-A, MC, MC-A) from the same Board; that contractor license has its own trade-exam reciprocity with several neighboring states, but it is a contractor credential, not the individual LLP. No national plumber database exists; verification is via verify.tn.gov.
Tennessee requirements at a glance
| Exam | 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 |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $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; applications needing experience or felony review are heard at the Board's bi-monthly meetings (January, March, May, July, September, November) |
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Provide proof of at least one year of plumbing experience (notarized verification with a work-experience list, or a copy of a local plumbing license).
- Pass the Tennessee Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) trade exam administered by PSI/Prov (40 questions, 73% to pass, open book).
- Complete the Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act attestation; disclose any felony conviction (TBI background report if applicable).
- Confirm local city/county licensing, permit and inspection requirements — an LLP is not exempt from local licensing.
- Pay the fees ($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)) and 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
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Tennessee:
Frequently asked questions
Does my plumbing license transfer to Tennessee?
No — Tennessee has no plumbing reciprocity with any state. To be licensed you qualify as a new applicant through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance): 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. Your out-of-state hours usually count toward the experience requirement; your license does not skip the exam. Application fee: $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).
Will I have to take Tennessee's plumbing exam?
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.
How do I get licensed in Tennessee if my license doesn't transfer?
You qualify as a new journeyman applicant: Provide proof of at least one year of plumbing experience (notarized verification with a work-experience list, or a copy of a local plumbing license); Pass the Tennessee Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) trade exam administered by PSI/Prov (40 questions, 73% to pass, open book); Complete the Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act attestation; disclose any felony conviction (TBI background report if applicable); Confirm local city/county licensing, permit and inspection requirements — an LLP is not exempt from local licensing. Your out-of-state license and work history typically count toward the experience requirement.
What will licensing in Tennessee cost an out-of-state plumber, 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); processing 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).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]