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

Yes. Nebraska requires the trade exam on this path.

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

Published fees on this path total $367.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Tennessee work hours count in Nebraska?

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

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

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

Tennessee to Nebraska: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 10 sources

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

Out-of-state master or electrical contractor without a reciprocity agreement

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

A master electrician or electrical contractor from a state outside Nebraska's contractor agreements applies for the Electrical Contractor exam on the standard Application for State Electrical License, documenting at least one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician (or an electrical engineering degree plus one year, or five years of planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring) with employer verification letters, pays the $180 application fee, and must pass the Nebraska contractor exam through PSI. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120(1) also lets the Board license without examination, in the same grade and class, an electrician licensed for at least one year by a state that provides similar treatment and whose qualifications equal Nebraska's, but the Division's pages do not describe using that authority outside the listed agreements. After passing, the applicant pays the license fee and must keep the public liability insurance required by the Board. There is no separate business or law exam; State Electrical Act questions are part of the trade exam.

The PSI exam fee and the Board's required liability insurance limits are not published on the Division's pages fetched for this file. Whether an out-of-state journeyman license satisfies the 'licensed journeyman electrician' experience requirement was not confirmed from an official page, although the application form accepts any listed current license.

At a glance

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

What you must already have

At least one year of experience acceptable to the Board as a licensed journeyman electrician, or a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a journeyman, or five years planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107; 2026 application)

What you'll do to get licensed in Nebraska

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($180). Electrical Contractor application fee, non-refundable once processed.
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Nebraska Electrical Contractor exam administered by PSI: 2023 NEC (open book), basic electrical theory, Nebraska State Electrical Act, emergency and fire alarm circuits.
3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($187.50). License fee when issued in an even-numbered year (2026); $375 when issued in an odd-numbered year, covering the remainder of the two-year term.
4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Public liability insurance policy as required by the State Electrical Board (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2104(6)(c)); limits not published on the Division's pages.

Published fees on this path total $367.50, 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.

Trade exam

Liability insurance

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

Insurance

How Nebraska licenses master electricians

Nebraska master electrician · “Electrical Contractor”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Nebraska State Electrical Division (State Electrical Board)

Nebraska's highest person-held electrical license is the Electrical Contractor license, issued by the State Electrical Division to an individual who has at least one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician (or a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a journeyman) and passes the PSI-administered contractor exam. Nebraska stopped issuing new Class A Master Electrician licenses in 1993; the master, Class B contractor and Class B journeyman fees in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118(4) apply only to renewals of licenses issued before September 9, 1993, so this site maps the Electrical Contractor license to the master level. The application fee is $180 and the license fee is $187.50 per year of the two-year term ($187.50 when issued in an even-numbered year, $375 in an odd-numbered year); licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years. Contractors must keep in force the public liability insurance required by the Board. The Board has reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas, and its Electrical Contractor page also names Iowa.

Moving to Nebraska Leaving Nebraska

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 Nebraska master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?: Yes. Nebraska requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Nebraska master electrician license from Tennessee?: Published fees on this path total $367.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Tennessee work hours count in Nebraska?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Nebraska's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Nebraska to Tennessee?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Nebraska to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Nebraska State Electrical Division - Application for State Electrical License (updated 3/2026) · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026One form for Electrical Contractor, Journeyman Electrician, Residential Journeyman, Fire Alarm Installer, Special Installer and Apprentice; applicants tick 'Application for License By: PSI Examination / Reciprocity with Other States / Having Passed an Approved Municipal Examination' and list current licenses with whether each was obtained by written exam. Application fees: Electrical Contractor $180; Journeyman $90; Residential Journeyman $90; Fire Alarm Installer $90. License fees issued in even years: Contractor $187.50, Journeyman $37.50; odd years: Contractor $375, Journeyman $75. 'Applicants for reciprocal licenses are required to submit a registration fee equal to the application fee plus license fee.' Experience: contractor needs an EE degree plus one year as a journeyman, one year as a licensed journeyman, or five years planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring; journeyman needs four years verifiable experience or three years plus an electrical technology degree.
Nebraska State Electrical Division - Electrical Contractor · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Qualifications: a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a licensed journeyman electrician, or at least one year of experience acceptable to the Board as a licensed journeyman electrician. Application fee $180; license fee $187.50 (even-numbered year) or $375 (odd-numbered year). States that the Board has a reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreement with Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas; the Reciprocal Information page lists only Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.
Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Information and Licensing Applications · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams for all license types except apprentice registration cover the 2023 National Electrical Code, basic electricity theory, the Nebraska State Electrical Act and emergency circuits including fire alarm circuits. Links the 2026 mail-in licensing application, the online application portal, and Policy 37 on the retest waiting period (effective July 11, 2025).
Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Scheduling · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Applicants submit an Exam Application to the Division, and after approval receive an email from PSI (the third-party testing provider) with a link to schedule and pay for the exam. The page does not state the PSI exam fee.
Nebraska State Electrical Division - 2025-2026 License and Registration Fees · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Per year of the two-year license period: Electrical Contractor $187.50; Class A Master $187.50; Class B Electrical Contractor $187.50; Class B Master $187.50; Journeyman Electrician $37.50; Class B Journeyman $37.50; Residential Wireman $37.50; Fire Alarm Installer $37.50; Apprentice Registration $35. Licenses expire December 31, 2026.
Nebraska State Electrical Division - Reciprocal Information · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman Electrician reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming; Electrical Contractor reciprocity with Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas. Conditions: the applicant must have passed a state examination with 75% or greater for the license to be reciprocated and must have held that license in good standing for at least one year. One-time reciprocation policy: a reciprocal licensee who lets the Nebraska license lapse must take an exam to get it back. Refunds are not made for processed applications. Applications are filed through the online portal or the mail-in form.
State Electrical Act and State Electrical Board Rules (March 2026 booklet) · Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-2104(6), 81-2107, 81-2108, 81-2109, 81-2115, 81-2118, 81-2120 · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'Important Facts' section: all state electrical licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; 12 hours of continuing education (six on the NEC) per two-year period; reciprocal journeyman agreements with the thirteen listed states and reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Minnesota and South Dakota. §81-2108: wiring for others requires licensure as a Class B electrical contractor, electrical contractor, Class A master electrician or fire alarm installer; journeymen must be employed by one of those. §81-2118(4): Class B electrical contractor, Class A master electrician and Class B journeyman fees apply only to renewal of licenses issued before September 9, 1993. §81-2104(6)(c): the board may revoke the license of an electrical contractor or master electrician who fails to keep in force a public liability insurance policy as required by the board. §81-2115: the written exam covers the current NEC and electrical theory; the NEC portion is open book.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107 - Electrical contractor license; applicant; qualifications · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026An applicant for an electrical contractor license shall (a) be a graduate of a four-year electrical course in an accredited college or university or (b) have at least one year's experience, acceptable to the board, as a journeyman electrician. Class B electrical contractor licenses are limited to residential systems of 400 amperes or less in municipalities under 100,000 population.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 - Licenses and registrations; expiration; fees · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026All licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; the board sets examination, issuance and renewal fees by unanimous vote; expired licenses may be renewed for three months with a 10% per month penalty, after which a new application is required.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 - Licenses; issued without examination based on reciprocity; qualifications; reciprocal credentialing agreement, military occupational specialty, or apprenticeship training program · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 (as amended by Laws 2024, LB16) · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(1) To the extent another state provides for similar action, the board may grant licenses without examination, of the same grade and class, to an electrician licensed by that state for at least one year, on payment of the fee and proof that the applicant's qualifications equal those of Nebraska licensees. (2) The board shall issue a license to an applicant who holds a credential in a state with a reciprocal credentialing agreement, a qualifying military occupational specialty, or a license whose prerequisite was completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, if the credential has been held at least one year, was obtained by exam or education/training/experience standards, and the applicant has no disqualifying criminal record, revocation, surrender or pending complaint, and pays the fees; the board acts within 60 days or five business days after its next meeting.

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

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