Tennessee to North Carolina: master electrician license reciprocity
North Carolina has a reciprocity agreement with Tennessee: a Tennessee master electrician can get a North Carolina license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Tennessee (CE electrical contractor)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Under the agreement with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, the holder of an active Tennessee contractor license with the CE (electrical) classification may obtain any North Carolina classification (SP, Limited, Intermediate or Unlimited) without taking the NC technical examination (G.S. 87-50; 21 NCAC 18B .0701). Tennessee's local journeyman and master cards and its Limited Licensed Electrician license are not part of the agreement. Tennessee is also covered by G.S. 93B-15.3. The applicant files the Tennessee reciprocity packet with the classification license fee, an official verification of licensure and examination from the Tennessee board, a notarized Qualified Individual Affidavit naming the same individual who qualified the Tennessee license, two character statements, and must pass the 25-question North Carolina Laws, Rules and Business Practices Examination enclosed with the packet. Intermediate and Unlimited applicants add the bonding-ability statement, and Unlimited applicants add two supervise-and-direct statements.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Typical processing
- About 10 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Tennessee license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.
- The North Carolina license must list the same qualified individual (Tennessee qualifying agent) who is listed on the Tennessee license (21 NCAC 18B .0701)
What you'll do to get licensed in North Carolina
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). License fee for the classification requested: Unlimited $200, Intermediate $150, Limited or Special Restricted $100.
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. 25-question North Carolina Laws, Rules and Business Practices Examination submitted with the reciprocity application.
- 3Surety bond. Post a surety bond. Statement of bonding ability or bank line-of-credit letter: $150,001 for Unlimited, $60,001 for Intermediate.
- 4Other. Notarized Qualified Individual Affidavit, two character statements, two supervise-and-direct statements (Unlimited only), NC Secretary of State registration for corporations/LLCs, free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months.
Published fees on this path total $200, 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
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
How North Carolina licenses master electricians
North Carolina master electrician · “Electrical Contractor (Limited / Intermediate / Unlimited) - Listed Qualified Individual”
Statewide license
Issued by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC)
North Carolina has no license called 'master electrician'; its highest and only exam-qualified electrical credential is the electrical contracting license issued by the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors under G.S. 87-43 in the Limited (single projects up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate (up to $150,000) and Unlimited (any value) classifications, plus seven Special Restricted classifications such as SP-SFD (single-family dwellings) and SP-FA/LV (fire alarm/low voltage). The license is issued in the name of a business, which may be a sole proprietorship, but it is earned by a listed qualified individual: the person who passed the PSI-administered classification exam and is named on the license with the statutory duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical work done in the licensee's name (G.S. 87-41.1). That qualification is personal, follows the individual between licenses through the Board's add/drop form, carries the continuing-education duty, and is what Texas and Virginia treat as equivalent to their master electrician licenses, so this site maps it to the master level. A new qualified individual needs 3,000 hours of experience (2,000 primary) for Limited, 5,750 (5,000 primary) for Intermediate or 9,000 (8,000 primary) for Unlimited, and must pass a 100-question open-book exam (6 hours, 70% to pass) that also covers the licensing law, Board rules and business practices; the exam application fee is $125 and annual license fees are $100, $150 and $200 by classification. Intermediate and Unlimited applicants must also show bonding ability ($60,001 and $150,001). Licenses expire one year after issuance; qualifiers complete a free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months and 8 hours of CE per year. The Board has reciprocity agreements with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia under G.S. 87-50, which waive the technical exam but not a short NC laws, rules and business exam.
Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer
Tennessee master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
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
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Carolina master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- The trade exam is waived, but North Carolina requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a North Carolina master electrician license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $200, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 10 days.
- Does it work the other way, from North Carolina to Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Carolina to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4 - Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (as published by the Board) · N.C.G.S. 87-41.1, 87-43, 87-43.3, 87-44, 87-50 · North Carolina General Assembly (reproduced by NCBEEC) · Statute · verified September 15, 202687-43 defines electrical contracting as engaging or offering to engage in the business of installing, maintaining, altering or repairing electric work. 87-43.3 sets the classifications and their experience floors (Limited 3,000 hrs / 2,000 primary; Intermediate 5,750 / 5,000; Unlimited 9,000 / 8,000). 87-41.1 defines the 'listed qualified individual' as the person who passed the qualifying exam and is listed on the license with the duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical contracting done in the licensee's name. 87-44 caps annual license fees at $100/$150/$200. 87-50 authorizes reciprocal licensing without written examination. The Article contains no journeyman license.
- N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 - Neighboring states licensure recognition · N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 (S.L. 2025-61) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Requires occupational licensing boards to license an applicant who has established residence in North Carolina, has been licensed at the same or substantially equivalent level in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia for at least one year, passed any examination required there, is in good standing in every jurisdiction, has no disqualifying criminal history or unresolved discipline, and pays all fees; the board may verify competency through methods it determines, including minimum education, supervision or work-experience requirements.
- 21 NCAC 18B - Board Rules for the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law · 21 NCAC 18B .0201, .0202, .0209, .0404, .0701, .1101 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026.0201 experience per classification; .0202 primary experience (journeyman electrician, foreman, supervisor, estimator at 100%; 2,000 hours = 1 year) and secondary experience (approved apprenticeship 100%, helpers 80%, college coursework 50%, lineman 10%); .0209/.0404 fees ($125 exam application, $25 review, $100-$200 license). .0701 reciprocity: the Board recognizes licenses from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia; the applicant must furnish certification of the current reciprocal-state license, list the same qualified individual as on the original license, document that all non-examination requirements of Sections .0200-.0400 for the classification are met, and pay the license fee. .1101 CE: free 4-hour Laws and Rules course within 12 months of becoming a qualified individual; 8 hours CE per year for Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited/SP-SFD qualifiers.
- NCBEEC Examination Information Handbook 2026 (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors / PSI · Other · verified September 15, 2026Passing score 70% for all exams. Board approval is required before scheduling; one attempt per approval; 3-month wait after a failure. Exam content for Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited includes 15-18 questions on the licensing law, 21 NCAC 18B and the NASCLA business/law guide, so there is no separate law exam for examinees. References the 2020 NEC. Until licensed it is unlawful to engage in electrical contracting (G.S. 87-43).
- NCBEEC - Examinations (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI. Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited exams are 100 multiple-choice questions in 6 hours, open book (NEC, NFPA 72, NASCLA business guide). The page contains no journeyman license or exam.
- NCBEEC - Fees & Services · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Application & examination fee $125 (all classifications); examination review $25; license fees Limited $100, Intermediate $150, Unlimited $200, Special Restricted $100; verification of license $25. No separate reciprocity fee is listed.
- NCBEEC - Forms & Documents · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists a separate 'Reciprocity License Application' packet for each of the ten reciprocal states (AL, SC, FL, TN, GA, TX, MS, VA, OH, WV), the NASCLA Qualified Individuals License Application, the Examination Application and the Add/Drop Qualified Individual form.
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Home · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board mission under G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4. Lists the ten current reciprocity states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
- NCBEEC - Licensing (classifications, fees, qualified individuals) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Limited ($100/yr, single project up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate ($150/yr, up to $150,000, bonding ability statement), Unlimited ($200/yr, any value, bonding ability statement) plus seven Special Restricted classifications ($100/yr). The license is issued to the business and the person who passed the exam is listed as the Qualified Individual; qualified individuals may be added or dropped. Licenses expire one year after issuance; $25 late renewal fee.
- NCBEEC - Reciprocity · N.C.G.S. 87-50 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Quotes G.S. 87-50: 'the Board may grant licenses of the same or equivalent classification to electrical contractors licensed by other states without written examination.' Lists the ten reciprocal states and links to a page and application packet per state.
- NCBEEC - Application for License by Reciprocity: Tennessee · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026Applicants holding an active CE-classification electrical contractor license in Tennessee may apply for any NC classification. Same checklist, fees and 25-question laws/rules/business exam as the other reciprocity packets.
- NCBEEC - Reciprocity: Tennessee · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Tennessee CE Electrical Contractor licensees are eligible for SP, Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.