Quick answer: Tennessee licenses plumbers at the state level, but which license you need depends on the size of the job. Work under $25,000 in a municipality that uses the Division of Fire Prevention needs a Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP). Projects of $25,000 or more require a contractor license with a plumbing classification. Local permit and inspection rules still apply on top of both.
Who regulates plumbing licenses in Tennessee
The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, part of the Department of Commerce & Insurance, issues both credentials. Check their site before you apply, since classifications and fees change.
The two license paths
- Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP). Required for plumbing work under $25,000 per project in municipalities that use the Division of Fire Prevention for permits and inspections. General maintenance under $500 is exempt.
- Contractor license, classification CMC-A (Plumbing) or CMC (Full Mechanical). Required before you bid or negotiate any project totaling $25,000 or more, plumbing included.
Fifteen counties are exempt from the LLP requirement under T.C.A. 62-6-416: Benton, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Humphreys, Lake, Lawrence, Lewis, Obion, Perry, Stewart and Weakley.
Important: the Board states plainly that the LLP does not exempt you from local licensing, permit and inspection requirements. Call your city or county codes office too.
Experience and exams
LLP: you need at least 1 year of plumbing experience with proof (T.C.A. 62-6-406). The trade exam is administered by PSI and is 40 questions, open book, 120 minutes, 73% to pass.
Contractor (CMC-A / CMC): PSI administers here too. Every applicant takes the Tennessee Business and Law exam. The Plumbing and Full Mechanical trade exams require Board pre-approval first, which carries a $50 request fee. The Board does not publish a fixed hour requirement for contractor experience, so confirm what they will accept before you file.
Fees, insurance and renewal
| Item | LLP | Contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Initial application | $75 | $250 |
| Renewal | $50 | $200 |
| Late fee | $10/month, 3-month grace | $20/month, 12-month grace |
| Reinstatement | $80 | Contact the Board |
Insurance: the LLP application does not require proof of insurance. The contractor license does require General Liability scaled to your monetary limit, plus Workers’ Compensation unless you file an exemption. A Board-format bond can substitute for a Guaranty Agreement at $500,000, or $1,000,000 for an unlimited monetary limit.
Renewal cycle: both run on a two-year cycle.
Continuing education: the Board lists 8 hours of CE per renewal only for the BC-A residential building classifications. No CE is listed for the plumbing classifications, but verify before your renewal date.
New for 2026
Effective July 1, 2026, Public Chapter 1039 lets contractors use a bond in place of financial documents when applying for licensure. If your balance sheet was the thing holding you back, this is the change to read.
Once you are licensed
The license lets you work. It does not hand you customers, pricing or paperwork. Our guide on how to start a plumbing business walks the rest: entity setup, insurance, pricing your hours, and the first jobs.
Verify before you apply
Requirements change. Confirm everything above directly with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors and your local codes office before you spend money on an application.
Working in another state? See the full plumbing license by state index, or the neighboring guides for Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
