Kentucky to Tennessee: general contractor license reciprocity
Kentucky does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Tennessee's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
BC-B or BC license, including the NASCLA Accredited Examination route
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Tennessee accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors in place of its own commercial trade examination. The Board's exam information page names the NASCLA national commercial examination as accepted, and the Board's trade exam waiver document matches it to the BC-B Commercial classification, alongside the NASCLA electrical examination which matches to CE. A contractor who already holds the NASCLA credential therefore does not sit the Tennessee BC-B trade examination, but must still pass the Tennessee Business and Law examination and complete the whole application: Qualifying Agent, CPA-reviewed or CPA-audited financial statement, general liability and workers' compensation insurance, Letter of Reference, notarized Contractor's Affidavit and Secretary of State registration. An applicant with neither the NASCLA credential nor a license from a waiver state sits the Tennessee trade examination for the classification requested as well as Business and Law. Out-of-state experience counts either way, because the Board weighs documented experience on projects of the size requested when it sets the classification and the monetary limit.
The trade examination is waived only for an applicant holding the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors or a license from one of the waiver states listed separately on this page. Everyone else sits the Tennessee examination for the classification requested: BC-B Commercial, BC Building Construction for combined residential, commercial and industrial work, BC-b(sm) for small commercial up to $1,500,000, or BC-C Industrial. The Business and Law examination is never waived on this route. Applications are decided at Board meetings, held at least six times a year, and an interview may be required. The Board does not publish a processing time; the Board office is (615) 741-8307 or (800) 544-7693.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Kentucky that the destination considers comparable.The Board's exam information page states that Tennessee accepts NASCLA accredited examinations for Commercial General Building Contractors and for Electrical contractors, and the Board's trade exam waiver document lists a NASCLA row mapping the national commercial and electrical examinations to the Tennessee BC-B and CE classifications. The Board does not map the NASCLA examination to the residential BC-A classification. The NASCLA credential is origin-independent: it is an examination a candidate sits, not a license held in another state, and it does not waive the Tennessee Business and Law examination or any application, financial, insurance or registration requirement.
- Documented construction experience appropriate to the classification and monetary limit requested. Tennessee sets no fixed minimum number of years, but the Board states it prefers about three years and weighs experience, plant and equipment when it assigns a classification.Experience may be shown through previous employment, volunteer work, internships, education or training, evidenced by letters of recommendation, certificates, diplomas or employment verification, and may have been earned working for other contractors or in another state.
- The Qualifying Agent who holds the out-of-state credential is an owner, officer or full-time employee of the Tennessee applicant entity; a Qualifying Agent who is not an owner files a Power of Attorney with the application.
What you'll do to get licensed in Tennessee
- 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Tennessee Business and Law examination, taken by the Qualifying Agent after the Board approves the application. It is open book, 50 questions, 140 minutes, 73% to pass, and is drawn from the Contractors' Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Tennessee Edition. It is not waived by any trade exam waiver agreement or by the NASCLA examination; the only contractor license that does not require it is the restricted residential BC-A/r. Examination scores are typically treated by the Board as valid for two years..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Tennessee BC-B Commercial trade examination, administered after the Board approves the application. It is open book, 100 questions, 300 minutes, 73% to pass. It is required only of applicants who do not hold the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors and do not come in on a trade exam waiver. The equivalent examinations for the other general classifications are BC Building Construction (100 questions, 300 minutes), BC-b(sm) Small Commercial (70 questions, 200 minutes) and BC-C Industrial (72 questions, 210 minutes)..
- 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($250). Non-refundable application and initial license fee of $250, paid with the Initial New Contractor Application at core.tn.gov (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0680-01-.20(1)). The license renews every two years at $200, with a $20 per month late penalty for up to twelve months..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee, paid to the testing company rather than to the Board. The Board's rule sets the fee as whatever the administering company charges subject to Board approval, so no amount is published by the Board; Prov began administering Tennessee contractor examinations on July 1, 2026 and publishes the current fee when an examination is booked. One fee is charged for each examination taken..
- 5Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Financial statement prepared by a licensed public accountant or CPA on the accountant's letterhead, in the name of the applicant entity, conforming to GAAP and dated no more than twelve months before the application. There is no fixed minimum dollar figure: the monetary limit on the license is set at ten times the lesser of working capital and net worth, supported by experience, so a $150,000 limit needs $15,000 of each and an unlimited license needs $300,000 of each. A reviewed opinion is required for a limit of $3,000,000 or less and an audited opinion above that. A line of credit or a Board Guaranty Agreement may be used to supplement working capital or net worth..
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Optional alternative to the CPA-reviewed or CPA-audited financial statement: from July 1, 2026 the Board accepts a Contractors' Surety Bond on the Board's own form in an amount of at least 50% of the monetary limit requested. A bond or Guaranty Agreement may also be required in addition to the financial statement where the statement is primarily cash without fixed assets or where a parent company guarantees the applicant..
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($100,000). Certificate of general liability insurance in the same name as the license, listing the Board as certificate holder. The Board's minimum coverage is set by the monetary limit requested: $100,000 of coverage for a limit up to $500,000, $500,000 of coverage for a limit of $501,001 to $1,500,000, and $1,000,000 of coverage above $1,500,001 to unlimited. Workers' compensation insurance is also required unless the business has no employees and qualifies for an exemption or registers as a Construction Services Provider. The amount shown is the lowest coverage tier..
- 8Business license. Obtain a business license. The license is issued to a legal entity in its exact name, so the corporation, LLC or limited partnership must be registered with the Tennessee Secretary of State before the license is issued; an entity formed in another state registers as a foreign entity and files its Certificate of Authority or Articles of Organization. A separate business tax license from the Tennessee Department of Revenue is needed for each city or county the contractor operates in..
- 9Other. Letter of Reference on the Board's form from a past client, employer or code official who can speak to construction experience; it may be from outside Tennessee but may not come from a relative, and only one is needed. Also required: a Contractor's Affidavit signed and notarized by the Qualifying Agent, owners, partners, members, main officers and major stockholders, a statement of experience and management information, and a list of equipment. An interview at a Board meeting may be required, for example where the Qualifying Agent is not a majority owner and has been employed less than six months, where the experience shown is thin for the limit requested, or where there is complaint, judgment, bankruptcy or felony history..
Published fees on this path total $250, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Law / code exam
- Trade exam · if applicable
- Exam fee
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $100,000
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license
How Tennessee licenses general contractors
Tennessee general contractor · “Contractor license, BC-B Commercial or BC Building Construction classification”
Statewide license
Issued by Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance)
Tennessee licenses contractors at state level, and the unlimited tier is the BC family of building classifications issued by the Board for Licensing Contractors under T.C.A. Title 62, Chapter 6. BC-B Commercial covers buildings for use and occupancy by the general public, including residential buildings of more than four units or more than three stories; BC Building Construction is the full classification covering residential, commercial and industrial work and all 34 building categories; BC-b(sm) is small commercial capped at $1,500,000 and BC-C is industrial. A license is required before bidding on, offering on or contracting for a project of $25,000 or more. The license is held by the business, issued in the entity's exact name and qualified by a named Qualifying Agent who is an owner, officer or full-time employee and who sits the examinations, so an inbound contractor applies as or for the entity that will sign contracts. Every license carries a monetary limit set at ten times the lesser of working capital and net worth on a CPA-reviewed or CPA-audited financial statement, plus documented experience on projects of that size; above $3,000,000 the statement must be audited, and unlimited means showing $300,000 in both working capital and net worth. Tennessee accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors in place of its own commercial trade examination, and has trade exam waiver agreements with a short list of named states.
Why Kentucky has nothing to transfer
Kentucky general contractor · “General or commercial building contractor license or registration (city- or county-issued)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by No state authority; cities and counties license or register commercial building contractors
Kentucky has no statewide general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, so there is nothing at state level for an out-of-state general contractor's license to transfer into, no qualifying party to designate with the state and no NASCLA route to take. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction licenses the trades instead - its home page says it "licenses/certifies plumbers, electricians, boiler contractors, sprinkler and/or fire alarm contractors and building inspectors", and 815 KAR adds HVAC licensing, elevator safety, boilers and pressure vessels, manufactured homes and home inspectors, with no chapter for building contractors anywhere in the title. Commercial building is controlled through local permitting, and the requirements are administrative rather than technical. Louisville Metro issues a Building Type A - Commercial license for $125 a year on a liability certificate, a workers' compensation filing and a Jefferson County occupational license number, with no exam and no bond. Lexington-Fayette registers a general contractor who "performs commercial, industrial, public works, and/or residential construction of larger than four-family homes" under its Contractors Registration Ordinance, and unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits there. Bowling Green and Warren County run a joint Contractors Licensing Board whose $250 General Contractors License covers construction management and permit pulling, while telling applicants plainly that the license does not warrant that they are qualified. Owensboro and Covington require only an occupational business license and insurance. A commercial builder arriving in Kentucky therefore registers jurisdiction by jurisdiction and makes sure the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, boiler and fire-protection scope is performed under the correct HBC state licenses.
How local licensing works in Kentucky
How local licensing works. Kentucky has no state general contractor board, no state business-and-law exam for builders and no statewide reciprocity for commercial construction. Every rule that binds a general contractor is either a trade license from the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, the Kentucky Building Code in 815 KAR Chapter 007, or a local ordinance. Find the building department with jurisdiction over the site first, then register there before bidding. A registration in one Kentucky jurisdiction is worth nothing in the next, and an out-of-state general contractor license is worth nothing in any of them.
Louisville Metro (Jefferson County). The Office of Construction Review licenses building contractors for the merged city-county. License A covers "one or more permitted projects during a calendar year" and License B a single permitted project; the work scopes are Building A-Residential, Building A-Residential/Commercial, Building A-Commercial and Building B. Building Type A is "for building contractors seeking to obtain multiple permits within Louisville Jefferson County" at $125 a year on a term running 1 January to 31 December; Building Type B is $50 and is limited to one permit per person or company per renewal year. The filing is a certificate of liability insurance with the Office of Construction Review as certificate holder, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance or a notarized affidavit where the contractor has no covered employees, an Occupational License Number from the Revenue Commission of Jefferson County, and the application through the Metro business portal. The six-hour continuing education requirement attaches to the scopes that include housing - Building A-R, Building A-RC and Building B - so a contractor registered purely as Building A-Commercial is the one building class without it. Renewals must include a subcontractor list. There is no exam, experience review, bond or financial statement on any building class. 444 S. 5th St., Suite 100, (502) 574-3321.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County. The Division of Building Inspection registers every contractor under the Contractors Registration Ordinance, and "unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits." The commercial class, under Ordinance 5-90(a)(1), is the general contractor, who "performs commercial, industrial, public works, and/or residential construction of larger than four-family homes (4-plex); and may supervise, arrange, and/or perform wholly or partly more than two building trades or crafts." A firm that concentrates on one or two trades registers as a specialty contractor instead. The filing is a Home Office Certificate ($10) or Certificate of Occupancy ($25) where the business address is in Fayette County, an occupational business license from Revenue, general liability and workers' compensation insurance with LFUCG named as certificate holder, and the online Contractor Registration Application with those two documents uploaded. No exam, experience or bond is required. The published Building Inspection fee schedule covers permits and lists no contractor registration fee, so confirm the amount with the division. 101 E. Vine St., (859) 258-3770.
Bowling Green and Warren County. One joint Contractors Licensing Board serves the city and the county under Ordinance 91-58 WC and Ordinance 91-25 BG. The General Contractors License, $250 and non-refundable, is required of anyone "doing any type of general contract work in Bowling Green / Warren County including pulling permits for building or remodeling, construction management, or if you would have two or more subcontractors per job." The Specialty Contractors License is $100 and covers subcontract work or a job with at most one subcontractor. Insurance is the substantive test: a certificate naming the board as certificate holder with general liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation shown on the certificate or a notarized Affidavit of Exemption, and a notarized Partnership Agreement for partnerships. Licenses are non-transferable, renewals are annual and pro-rated mid-year, and a change of ownership voids the license. There is no exam or experience requirement; the board states that it "does not warrant that you are otherwise qualified to perform your trade or specialty by the issuance of its license." A city occupational license is needed for work inside Bowling Green and a county one for work outside it. 1141 State Street, Suite 200, 270-781-3530.
Owensboro and Daviess County. There is no contractor license here. The Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission's Building & Electrical Division issues building, electrical, HVAC, sign and parking lot permits and certificates of occupancy for Owensboro-Daviess County under the Kentucky Building Code and the National Electrical Code, and issues no contractor credential; demolition permits come from City of Owensboro Public Works. A commercial builder registers with the city's Occupational License Division before doing business inside the city limits, with a minimum license fee of $75 at registration. 101 East 4th Street, 270-687-5600.
Covington and Kenton County (Northern Kentucky). Planning and Development Services of Kenton County is the building department, and it requires that "all contractors must obtain and maintain a Kenton County occupational license and provide proof of Kentucky workers' compensation insurance coverage", plus the HBC state license "for electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and fire suppression work", with copies of all of it on file "before any permits can be issued." There is no general contractor license, exam or bond. In Covington a zoning permit precedes the building permit, and a certificate of appropriateness is needed first inside a historic preservation overlay. PDS, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Suite 3400, Covington, 859-331-8980.
What does and does not travel. An out-of-state general contractor license, a NASCLA Accredited Examination and out-of-state project experience carry no weight in any Kentucky jurisdiction, because none of them tests or qualifies commercial builders. Kentucky is not a NASCLA participating state, and no Kentucky city on this page accepts an examination in place of its own filing. What does matter is holding, or employing someone who holds, the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction license for each state-licensed trade in scope - plumbing, electrical, HVAC, boilers, fire sprinklers and fire alarms - because those licenses are statewide, are the only Kentucky construction credentials with reciprocity rules of their own, and are separately demanded by several of the local building departments above.
- Louisville Metro / Jefferson County (Office of Construction Review - Building A-Commercial licenses)
- Lexington-Fayette Urban County (Division of Building Inspection - general contractor registration under Ord. 5-90(a))
- Bowling Green and Warren County (joint Contractors Licensing Board - $250 General Contractors License)
- Owensboro and Daviess County (Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission - permits only; city occupational license)
- Covington and Kenton County (Planning and Development Services of Kenton County - occupational license and insurance only)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Tennessee general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Kentucky?
- The trade exam is waived, but Tennessee requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Tennessee general contractor license from Kentucky?
- Published fees on this path total $250, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kentucky work hours count in Tennessee?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Tennessee's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Tennessee to Kentucky?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Tennessee to Kentucky, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors - Contractor License Application Package and Instructions · T.C.A. Sections 62-6-111, 62-6-120 · Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors - Classification Outline · Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors - Exam Information · Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors - Fees · Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors - Get a Contractor License · T.C.A. Title 62, Chapter 6 · Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Trade Exam Waiver (Reciprocity) with Tennessee and Request for Contractor License Verification (Rev. 06/2026) · Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors - Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Rules of the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Chapter 0680-01 Licensing (November 2025 revision) · Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0680-01-.02, -.12, -.13, -.16, -.20, -.29, -.30, -.32 · Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Publications · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.