LicensebyState

Tennessee to New Mexico: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Tennessee does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Mexico'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 (all states)

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

An out-of-state master electrician or electrical contractor receives no exam waiver in New Mexico. The applicant files the qualifying party application with PSI ($36) and a notarized work-experience affidavit showing four years of experience in the EE-98 classification within the past ten years, then must pass the EE-98 trade exam (three parts, $269.06) and the Contractor's Business and Law exam ($68.88), or complete a commission-approved business and law course in place of that exam. Out-of-state experience is accepted on the affidavit. Once the certificate of qualification is issued, the individual or business applies for the EE-98 contractor's license ($30 application under 14.5.5 NMAC; $100 per year or $200 for two years) and must carry workers' compensation coverage.

The RLD page states the QP application fee as $36 and the license application fee as $36 plus license fees, while 14.5.5.8 NMAC states the contractor license application fee as $30; the amounts below follow the RLD page for the QP fee and the rule for the license fees. A contractor license in New Mexico may be held by an individual as sole proprietor. No official page describes a reciprocal agreement or exam waiver for qualifying parties from any state.

At a glance

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • Four years of practical or related trade experience in the EE-98 classification within the ten years immediately before application (NMSA 60-13-14(A)(8); 14.6.6.10(B)(1)(a) NMAC)

What you'll do to get licensed in New Mexico

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($36). Qualifying party application fee paid to PSI, with notarized work-experience affidavit.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. EE-98 Residential and Commercial Electrical exam, three parts, administered by PSI.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($269.06). PSI fee for the three-part EE-98 exam; a single failed part is retaken for $89.69.
  4. 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Contractor's Business and Law exam (required of all new candidates) or a commission-approved business and law course.
  5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam.
  6. 6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license ($30). EE-98 contractor's license application fee, non-refundable (14.5.5.8 NMAC).
  7. 7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). EE-98 contractor's license fee, $100 per year or $200 for the two-year license term (14.5.5.8 NMAC).
  8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation coverage is required for all licensed entities.

Published fees on this path total $573.94, 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
  • Exam fee · $269.06
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $68.88

Liability insurance

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

  • Insurance

How New Mexico licenses master electricians

New Mexico master electrician · “EE-98 Electrical Contractor (qualifying party certificate of qualification)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID)

New Mexico has no license called 'master electrician'. Its highest electrical credential is the EE-98 electrical contractor classification (all electrical systems and wiring methods at 5,000 volts nominal or less), which is issued by CID in two parts: the contractor's license goes to the contracting entity, and a personal, non-transferable certificate of qualification goes to the qualifying party, the individual who passed the EE-98 three-part trade exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam and is responsible for the licensee's code compliance. Because the certificate of qualification is held by a person and earned by examination, this site maps it to the master level. A qualifying party needs four years of experience in the classification within the ten years before application. CID publishes reciprocity only for EE-98J journeymen; no reciprocity or exam waiver is published for qualifying parties or EE-98 contractors, although NMSA 60-13-14(C) allows the division to enter into reciprocal agreements with states having equivalent requirements.

Moving to New MexicoLeaving New Mexico

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.

Moving to TennesseeLeaving Tennessee

Common questions

Do I have to take the New Mexico master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a New Mexico master electrician license from Tennessee?
Published fees on this path total $573.94, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Tennessee work hours count in New Mexico?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from New Mexico to Tennessee?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-2(E), 60-13-14, 60-13-16, 60-13-38 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§60-13-2(E): a 'qualifying party' is an individual who submits to the examination for a license and is responsible for the licensee's compliance. §60-13-14(A)(8): a contractor license applicant needs four years of trade experience within the ten years before application. §60-13-14(C): the division, with the commission's consent, may enter into a reciprocal licensing agreement with any state having equivalent licensing requirements. §60-13-16: no certificate of qualification is issued until the individual passes the division's exam, which includes business/law and, for EE classifications, a technical exam; the certificate is not transferable. §60-13-38: journeymen must hold a certificate of competence obtained by examination; eligibility for the journeyman electrician exam requires four years of accredited training, apprenticeship or practical experience (two years commercial/industrial); 16 hours of continuing education per three-year code cycle for EE-98J.
  2. 14.5.5 NMAC - Fees (Construction Industries Division) · 14.5.5.8 and 14.5.5.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Non-refundable contractor's license application fee $30.00; license fee $100.00 per year or $200.00 for two years for the GA-98, GB-2, GB-98, GF-98, EE-98 and MM-98 classifications and $50.00 per year or $100.00 for two years for all other classifications (including MM-3). Journeyman certificate renewal fee $25.00 per year (14.5.5.9).
  3. 14.6.6 NMAC - Classification and Scope of Licenses and Certificates (mechanical and plumbing) · 14.6.6.10 and 14.6.6.11 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning: four years of experience; scope is to 'install, alter, repair, service and maintain HVAC air handling and refrigeration equipment and piping, including fans, coils, condensing units, self-contained packaged air conditioning or heating units, evaporative cooling units, and ductwork' plus controls at 24 volts or less. MM-98 Mechanical (four years) covers MM-1 through MM-4 and the MS-3, MS-6, MS-12 and MS-14 specialties. Journeyman classifications: JR Journeyman Refrigeration (two years; 'must demonstrate compliance with environmental protection agency (EPA) recovery requirements before certificate may be issued'; works under MM-3, MM-4, MM-98 or JSM) and JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal (two years; works under MM-3 or MM-98).
  4. State of New Mexico Contractor (Qualifying Party) Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. Business and Law exam 'REQUIRED OF ALL NEW CANDIDATES' $68.88, or an approved Business and Law course may be taken instead; trade exams for MM-1, MM-2, MM-3, MM-4 and the MS specialties are $68.88 each, first time or retake. MM-3 Heat, Vent and Air Conditioning exam: 100 questions, 245 minutes, 75% (75 points) to pass, open book on the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; content covers motors/controls, piping, heating and cooling equipment, refrigerants and refrigeration, and ductwork/ventilation. No reciprocity or out-of-state exam waiver is described.
  5. NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Section 'Reciprocal Journeyman in New Mexico': 'The only journeyman classification reciprocated in New Mexico is EE-98J, residential and commercial electrical'; no mechanical or refrigeration journeyman classification is reciprocated. Section 'Becoming a Qualifying Party': QP applicants need the required years of experience within the 10 years before application, must pass the classification exam(s) and a Contractor's Business and Law exam, must be pre-approved to schedule exams, and pay a $36 QP application and work-experience affidavit fee; the company license application fee is $36 plus license fees. No reciprocity is mentioned for qualifying parties or contractors.

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

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