Do I have to take the Delaware master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?

At least 5 years before applying.

What does it cost to get a Delaware master electrician license from Tennessee?

Published fees on this path total $203, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Tennessee work hours count in Delaware?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Delaware's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Tennessee?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Tennessee to Delaware: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Tennessee does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Delaware'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.

Master license by reciprocity from a state not on the Board's published lists

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

A master electrician holding a current license of the same type from a state, U.S. territory or the District of Columbia that is not on the Board's published lists applies by reciprocity in DELPROS; no Delaware examination is required. The applicant must submit a copy of or links to the origin state's electrician laws and regulations so the Board can evaluate whether its standards are substantially similar under Regulation 11.3 (at least 6 years of full-time experience under a licensed master, a licensing test by a Board-recognized testing entity, 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education, and inspection of electrical work by qualified inspectors). If the Board finds them substantially similar, 24 Del. C. § 1409(a) requires it to grant the license; if not, § 1409(b) and Regulation 11.2 require proof of at least five years of practice under the license after licensure, documented with Verification of Employment forms or W-2s/Schedule C. Every applicant pays the $203 application fee, has licensure verification sent directly to the Board from each jurisdiction where licensed, files proof of $300,000 general liability insurance, and must complete the application within six months. Holders of only a municipal license (Pennsylvania, for example) cannot use reciprocity and must apply by examination with six years of experience (or four plus two years of technical training) and the Prov master exam.

The Board's page does not say how long the substantially-similar evaluation of an unlisted state takes. Applicants who cannot qualify by reciprocity apply by examination: $203 fee, Prov exam at 75%, six years' experience or four years plus two years of technical training (Delaware experience after June 30, 2012 must have been under an apprentice or journeyperson license).

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.
You must have held your Tennessee license for at least 5 years.Required only if the Board finds the origin state's standards not substantially similar: five years of practice under the license after licensure (24 Del. C. § 1409(b); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.2)
Origin state's requirements are reviewed against Regulation 11.3: 6 years full-time experience under a licensed master, a licensing test administered by a Board-recognized testing entity, 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education, and inspection of electrical work by qualified inspectors

What you'll do to get licensed in Delaware

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($203). Master electrician application fee (exam or reciprocity), paid in DELPROS.
2Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 (24 Del. C. § 1411; 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 6.1).
3Other. Licensure verification sent directly to the Board from each jurisdiction where the applicant holds or has held a license; the application must be completed within six months of starting it in DELPROS.
4Other. Copy of or links to the origin state's electrician laws and regulations for Board evaluation; Verification of Employment forms if the Board requires five years of practice.

Published fees on this path total $203, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

Insurance

How Delaware licenses master electricians

Delaware master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation)

Delaware issues a person-held Master Electrician license through the Board of Electrical Examiners; it is the state's highest electrician credential and authorizes residential, commercial and industrial work. The Board also issues Master Electrician Special (restricted to specialties such as elevators, HVAC, signs, pools or primary distribution) and Limited Electrician licenses (residential-scale work, three years' experience), which are lesser credentials. A new master must show six years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, or four years plus two years of technical training, or a completed apprenticeship of 8,000 hours with 576 hours of related instruction, and pass the Prov-administered master exam with 75% using only the NEC as a reference; the application fee is $203 and proof of at least $300,000 general liability insurance is required before the license issues. Out-of-state masters are licensed by reciprocity without a Delaware exam under 24 Del. C. § 1409: the Board has published that Maryland and New Jersey standards are substantially similar (no experience proof) and that eighteen other jurisdictions are not, requiring five years of licensed practice; all other states are evaluated case by case. Licenses run two years and renew with continuing education.

Moving to Delaware Leaving Delaware

Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer

Tennessee master electrician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 13 sources

Issued by Local code enforcement offices (Nashville, Memphis/Shelby County, Knoxville, Chattanooga and other exempt jurisdictions); state issues only the CE contractor license

Tennessee does not issue a master electrician license. The state-level credential for electrical contracting is a contractor license with the CE (electrical) classification from the Board for Licensing Contractors, which is issued to a business (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC or corporation) that names a qualifying agent, and which is required for any electrical project of $25,000 or more. To obtain it the qualifying agent passes the Tennessee Business & Law exam and the CE trade exam (Prov), and the business files a reviewed or audited CPA financial statement (or, from July 1, 2026, a surety bond) that sets its monetary limit, proves general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and pays a $250 application fee ($200 biennial renewal). The Board has trade-exam-waiver agreements under which a contractor licensed in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina or West Virginia, or one who passed the NASCLA electrical exam, skips the CE trade exam but still takes the Business & Law exam and meets every other requirement; the Board stresses that these 'do NOT allow using another state's license in Tennessee'. Master electrician licenses proper exist only at the local level in the jurisdictions that run their own inspection programs: Nashville (Metro Master Electrician, six years of experience), Memphis/Shelby County (Master Electrician, four years as a journeyman), Chattanooga (Class I electrical contractor, three years as a journeyman) and other exempt jurisdictions, each with its own exam and fees and none publishing reciprocity for out-of-state masters. An out-of-state master electrician who only wants to work for an employer needs no state license; to pull permits for small jobs they need the local master license or an LLE where accepted, and to contract for work of $25,000 or more they need the state CE contractor license.

How local licensing works in Tennessee

State CE contractor license (business level). Required statewide for electrical projects of $25,000 and up and accepted by every local jurisdiction for permits, but it is a business license, not a personal master credential. Requirements: qualifying agent (owner, officer or full-time employee) passes the Tennessee Business & Law exam and the Electrical (CE) trade exam administered by Prov; reviewed or audited financial statement less than 12 months old (or a contractors' surety bond at 50% of the requested limit from July 1, 2026) setting a monetary limit of 10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth ($300,000 of each for an unlimited limit); general liability insurance scaled to the limit; workers' compensation or exemption; $250 initial fee, $200 renewal every two years; exam scores valid about two years. Trade exam waiver (the only state reciprocity): a contractor licensed in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina or West Virginia whose board verifies a comparable electrical exam on the Request for Contractor License Verification form, or who passed the NASCLA Electrical exam, files that verification in place of the CE trade exam score. The Business & Law exam is never waived, applicants with discipline, open complaints or felonies are ineligible, and the waiver cannot be used for the LLE. Arkansas's agreement covers only building classifications, not electrical.

Nashville (Metro Codes and Building Safety). The Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Examiners and Appeals Board issues the Metropolitan Master Electrician certificate. Applicants need six years of experience (an electrical engineering degree may substitute), employer verification letters, a character letter and approval by the Chief Electrical Inspector, then pass the Prov-administered Metro master exam with 70%. The application asks whether the applicant holds a master license in another city or state and how long, but no exam waiver is described. Nashville registers state CE contractors separately.

Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement). The Master Electrician license (Sec. 1305 of the joint electrical code) requires age 24 and either an electrical engineering degree plus two years of installation experience or four certified years as a journeyman; application in person with three industry recommendations, 30-day investigation, exam before the Electrical Code Advisory Board on theory, installation, the NEC and local codes. Fees: exam $150, initial license $100, active renewal $150. A separate Electrical Contractor license ($150 exam, $150 license, $150 registration) must be held by or employ a master; state-certified CE contractors register for $150 instead of testing. No reciprocity provision appears in the code.

Chattanooga (Land Development Office). The Class I electrical license is the contractor/master credential: three or more years as a journeyman or plant electrician (or three years as a Class II residential contractor, a prior Class I license, a Tennessee PE license, or equivalent), city examination, $415 per two-year term. A Board of Electrical Examiners oversees testing; no reciprocity is mentioned.

Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections). Knoxville is on the state's exempt list and requires a city registration to pull permits; a state CE contractor registers directly. Details of Knoxville's own electrical contractor/master exam and fees are not published on the pages found (865-215-4311).

Out-of-state holders. No Tennessee city or the state endorses another state's master license as such. The realistic paths are: (1) obtain the state CE contractor license, using the trade-exam waiver if licensed in AL, LA, MS, NC, OH, SC or WV or NASCLA-tested, which every jurisdiction accepts; or (2) apply for the local master license in each exempt jurisdiction where you will work, documenting the experience required there and passing the local exam.

Nashville / Davidson County (Metro Codes and Building Safety)
Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement)
Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections)
Chattanooga (Land Development Office)
Hamilton County
Clarksville
Murfreesboro
Franklin
Jackson
Kingsport

Moving to Tennessee Leaving Tennessee

Common questions

Do I have to take the Delaware master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?: At least 5 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Delaware master electrician license from Tennessee?: Published fees on this path total $203, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Tennessee work hours count in Delaware?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Delaware's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Tennessee?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

24 Del. C. Chapter 14, Subchapter II - License (Board of Electrical Examiners) · 24 Del. C. §§ 1407-1411 · Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online) · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§ 1408(a)(1) master electrician: knowledge of residential, commercial and industrial work plus six years' full-time experience under a licensed master, or 8,000 hours plus 576 hours of related instruction in an apprenticeship, or four years' experience plus two years' technical training; § 1408(a)(4) journeyperson: age 20 and either a Board-approved apprenticeship with final exam or over 8,000 hours of full-time electrical work under a licensed master; § 1408(a)(5) residential electrician: exam plus over 4,000 hours or a residential apprenticeship; all except apprentices pass a standardized written exam. § 1409(a): on application and fee the Board 'shall grant a license' to an applicant with proof of current licensure in good standing in another state, D.C. or territory whose standards are substantially similar; § 1409(b): an applicant from a state whose standards are not substantially similar 'shall have practiced for a minimum of 5 years after licensure'. § 1411: proof of general liability insurance as required by the Board; licenses renew biennially with continuing education.
Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners - Home · 24 Del. C. ch. 18 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy because dpr.delaware.gov rejects direct fetches. 'The Board issues master plumber, master HVACR and master restricted HVACR licenses'; restricted licenses limit practice to a specialty such as air conditioning. Notes the March 11, 2025 regulation update (restricted candidates take only the relevant bypass exam sections; continuing education clarified for the 2026 renewal). Board meets the second Tuesday monthly and reviews only complete applications.
Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners examination information (Prov) · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by Prov at Delaware test sites (Wilmington, Newark, Dover) or online via Examroom; a minimum score of 75% is required; exams are based on the most current NEC adopted in Delaware; candidates apply in DELPROS first and Prov contacts approved candidates within 1-2 weeks with a Candidate Information Bulletin. Exam fees are not stated on the page.
Delaware DPR - Plumbing and HVACR Fee Schedule · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Application fees: Master HVACR $173; Master Restricted HVACR $173; Plumber or HVACR Temporary $40. Commercial Hood System Examination $50; Verification of Licensure $35 ($45 with exam scores/hours/history). Renewal fee is announced at renewal; late renewal adds 50%. All fees are non-refundable and paid in DELPROS.
Delaware DPR - Apply for a Master or Limited Electrician license by Examination or by Reciprocity · 24 Del. C. § 1408(a); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Reciprocity is for holders of a current license of the same type from another state, U.S. territory or D.C. Applicants licensed in Maryland or New Jersey need no proof of experience (standards substantially similar). Applicants licensed in Arkansas, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia or Wyoming must submit Verification of Employment forms (or W-2s/Schedule C with an explanation) showing five years of licensed practice. Applicants from any other state must submit that state's laws and regulations for Board evaluation. Pennsylvania issues no state license, so holders of only Pennsylvania municipal licenses must apply by examination. All applicants: proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 and licensure verification sent directly from every jurisdiction; master by exam needs six years' full-time experience or four years under a master plus two years of technical training; applications must be completed within six months of starting in DELPROS.
Delaware Register of Regulations, 18 DE Reg. 704 (March 1, 2015) - Board of Electrical Examiners final order (Regulations 3.0 Qualifications and 4.0 Examinations) · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 §§ 3.0, 4.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Regulation 3.0: qualifications are proven by affidavit on a Board form (supervising-electrician affidavits or W-2s); two years of technical training may be a vocational/technical high school program or 48 post-secondary credit hours; for journeyperson licensure at least 4,000 of the 8,000 hours must be under a licensed master electrician. Regulation 4.0: applicants must score 75% on the Division-approved test with only the NEC book as a reference; applications with credentials are due 45 days before the test; the license issues on a passing score, proof of insurance and payment of the fee.
Delaware Register of Regulations, 27 DE Reg. 885 (May 1, 2024) - Board of Electrical Examiners final order amending Regulation 11.0 Reciprocity · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Final order signed April 3, 2024, effective ten days after publication. 11.1: reciprocity applicants present proof of current licensure in good standing from every jurisdiction where licensed (inactive, lapsed, expired, suspended or revoked licenses do not qualify) and copies of the reciprocal state's requirements. 11.2: if the reciprocal state's requirements are not substantially similar, proof of practice under the license for at least 5 years after licensure (employer affidavits, or W-2s/tax documents showing five years of full-time employment). 11.3: a state's master electrician requirements are substantially similar if it requires at least 6 years full-time experience under a licensed master, passing a licensing test by a Board-recognized testing entity, 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education, and inspection of electrical work by qualified inspectors. 11.4: journeyperson requirements are substantially similar if the state requires at least 4 years full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, a licensing test by a Board-recognized testing entity, and 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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