Plumbing License in Tennessee: Requirements & How to Get One

Tennessee has no statewide journeyman or master plumber license. A plumbing license in Tennessee comes from the Board for Licensing Contractors in one of two forms: a Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) license for jobs under $25,000, or a contractor license with a plumbing classification (CMC-A or full CMC) for jobs of $25,000 or more. Journeyman and master licenses do exist, but cities and counties issue them, not the state.

Who licenses plumbers in Tennessee

The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors is part of the Department of Commerce and Insurance. It licenses contractors, home improvement contractors, limited licensed electricians, and limited licensed plumbers under Tennessee Code Title 62, Chapter 6. Prov runs the state exams. Prov took over from PSI on July 1, 2026.

Your city or county may have its own rules on top of that. The Board says to always check with your local government first, because many places run their own plumbing licensing, permits, and inspections.

Requirements change, so confirm with the Board before you apply. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice.

License types

Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP). An individual license for plumbing work under $25,000 per project. Per the Board’s LLP page, you only need it where the municipality uses the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections. General maintenance under $500 is exempt. An LLP can’t call itself a contractor or advertise as a plumbing contractor.
Contractor license, CMC-A (Plumbing and Gas Piping). Needed before you bid, offer, or negotiate a plumbing job of $25,000 or more. That includes plumbing subs working for a general contractor when the plumbing part is $25,000 or more, counting materials, equipment, and labor.
Contractor license, full CMC (Mechanical). Covers plumbing plus HVAC. Same $25,000 threshold.
Related CMC codes. The Board’s classification outline lists CMC-B (Process Piping, no trade exam), CMC-C (HVAC, Refrigeration and Gas Piping, exam required), and CMC-J (Fuel Gas Piping, no exam). CMC-B is not a plumbing license.

A contractor license is issued to the business (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, or partnership), with a monetary limit. The person who passes the exams is the Qualifying Agent, who can be an owner, officer, or full-time employee.

How to become a plumber in Tennessee

The state has no apprentice registration or hour log for plumbers. Experience is what counts. Here’s the usual ladder:

Work under someone licensed. The LLP application says you’re exempt from the LLP if you’re employed as a plumber by a state licensed plumber or contractor.
Get 1 year of experience, then the LLP. Tennessee Code 62-6-406 and the LLP application require proof of at least one year of plumbing experience. You show it with a local plumbing license or a notarized experience verification. Then you pass the LLP exam.
Get 3 years, then go for CMC-A. To sit for the CMC-A or CMC exam, the Board must pre-approve you. The pre-approval form asks for at least three years of plumbing work experience (or a plumbing or mechanical engineering degree).
Check local licensing. If you work in a city with its own plumbing board, you may need its journeyman or master license instead of, or on top of, the state ones.

Where the LLP isn’t required. The LLP application lists these exemptions: holders of a state contractor license with CMC-A, MC-A, CMC, or MC; plumbers licensed by the city or county where they’re working; homeowners on their own home; and work in 15 counties named in Tennessee Code 62-6-416 (Benton, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Humphreys, Lake, Lawrence, Lewis, Obion, Perry, Stewart, and Weakley).

Local journeyman and master licenses

This is where “journeyman” and “master” come in. The state doesn’t publish a list of local programs, so here’s only what official local documents show:

Nashville and Davidson County. Metro Codes issues Master Plumber certificates. A 2020 Metro registration form says plumbing contractors register with the Board of Plumbing Examiners and Appeals and attach a $40,000 permit bond and a $300,000 general liability certificate.
Hamilton County. The county license application lists a Class I Master Plumber license and a Class III Journeyman Plumber license.
Other cities. The Board’s contractor application mentions proctored local trade exams in places like Nashville, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and Chattanooga.

For Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, or anywhere else, call the local codes office. We couldn’t confirm their current requirements from official pages.

Exams

All Board exams are computer based and open book. Here’s what the current Prov candidate bulletin says:

LLP exam. 40 questions, 2 hours.
CMC-A Plumbing Contractor exam. 100 questions, 5 hours. Board pre-approval first.
Business and Law exam. 50 questions, 2.5 hours. Every new contractor license needs it. LLPs don’t take it.
Passing score. 73% on every exam.
Retakes. Unlimited, no waiting period.
Where. Prov test centers, including several in Tennessee, or online through Examroom.

The Board says exam scores are typically valid for two years.

Renewal

Per the Board’s renewal page, you renew online in CORE. The option shows up 90 days before expiration, and the Board says to file at least 30 days early.

LLP. 3 month grace period with a late fee. After 3 months expired, you reapply as new.
Contractor. 12 month grace period. You upload a financial statement or balance sheet, general liability insurance, and workers’ comp proof (or exemption).
CE. The Board lists 8 hours of continuing education only for residential building classifications. It lists no CE for LLP or CMC-A.

As of September 17, 2026, the Board no longer mails license certificates. You print yours from CORE.

Cost

These come from the Board’s fees page, the contractor page, and the Prov bulletin. Board fees are non-refundable:

LLP initial or reinstatement: $75 (the application calls it a two-year license fee).
LLP renewal: $50.
LLP late renewal: $10 per month, up to 3 months.
Contractor initial, reinstatement, or ownership change: $250.
Contractor renewal: $200.
Contractor late renewal: $20 per month, up to 12 months.
CMC-A or CMC exam pre-approval: $50.
Each Prov exam: $53, same for retakes.
Duplicate license: $5 LLP, $25 contractor.

Older Board PDFs still show PSI exam prices ($57 contractor, $55 LLP). Prov’s current bulletin says $53, so go with that. Contractors also pay for a CPA-reviewed financial statement (or the new surety bond option) and insurance, and those costs vary.

Reciprocity

Tennessee does not let you work on another state’s license. What it has is a trade exam waiver for contractor licenses. Per the Board’s waiver form:

Plumbing partners. Ohio (matches CMC-A) and South Carolina’s Commercial Contractors Licensing Board (commercial plumbing, matches CMC-A).
Full mechanical. Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia are matched to the full CMC (plumbing plus HVAC). Ask the Board if your license there qualifies.
Not for plumbing. Alabama, Arkansas, and North Carolina are listed for other trades only. North Carolina covers building and electrical.
Limits. The waiver only skips the trade exam. You still take Business and Law. It doesn’t apply to the LLP, and applicants with discipline, open complaints, or felony convictions aren’t eligible.

Neither Kentucky nor Georgia is on the list. See our plumbing license reciprocity guide for how other states handle it.

How to apply

Go online. Apply in CORE using the initial LLP or initial contractor application.
For CMC-A, get pre-approved first. Email the pre-approval form to contractors.home-improvement@tn.gov, then register with Prov.
Contractor extras. A reviewed or audited financial statement (or the surety bond, at least 50% of your monetary limit), a letter of reference, proof of insurance, a notarized Contractor’s Affidavit, and Secretary of State registration for an LLC or corporation.
Ignore the mail-in note. The older LLP application PDF says to mail a check. The current Board pages say apply online in CORE, so go with CORE.
Need help? Call the Board at 615-741-8307.

FAQ

Does Tennessee have a state journeyman plumber license?

No. The state issues the LLP and plumbing contractor classifications. Journeyman and master licenses come from local governments.

How much does a Tennessee plumbing license cost?

An LLP is $75 plus a $53 exam. A contractor license is $250, plus $53 per exam and the $50 pre-approval for CMC-A.

Do I need a license for a $500 repair?

General maintenance under $500 is exempt from the LLP. Local rules may still apply.

Can I use my Ohio plumbing license in Tennessee?

Not directly. An Ohio plumbing contractor license can waive the CMC-A trade exam, but you still apply and pass Business and Law.

Next steps

Start by calling your local codes office to see if they take the LLP or run their own license. To compare Tennessee with other states, see our plumbing license by state page, the full plumbing license guide, and plumbing license cost by state. Working near the border? Check the Kentucky plumbing license and Georgia plumbing license pages too. When you’re ready to bid bigger jobs and run your own shop, read how to start a plumbing business.