Tennessee to Alabama: master plumber license reciprocity
Tennessee does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Alabama'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 plumber: direct admission to the Alabama master exam (states other than Mississippi)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master plumber licensed in a state other than Mississippi is admitted to the Alabama Master Plumber examination on the strength of the origin license, without first holding an Alabama journeyman certificate for a year. The Board's conditions are that the out-of-state master license 'must have been issued based on successful completion of an exam with a minimum score of 70%', 'must be active and in good standing with no unresolved disciplinary issues', and that the origin agency complete the Board's Request for Verification of License/Registration form or provide the same information on letterhead. The applicant files the Examination Packet for Out-of-State Applicants, passes the master plumbing exam on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and, since January 1, 2026, the Board's business law exam, then has 90 days to submit the Master Pass Packet with the certification fee. A master who will own or run a plumbing business must also register the company with the Board under Ala. Code § 34-37-6(b) and be named its Principal Master, with annual business renewals under rule 720-X-17-.01.
Fees are set in the Board's rules (Ala. Admin. Code r. 720-X-4-.01): $160 master exam fee, $100 business law exam fee, $50 initial application processing fee and $175 initial master certificate fee. Both exams are open book, given by Prov, and require 70%. The Examination Packet for Out-of-State Applicants is at https://pgfb.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Exam-App-Out-of-State-01-26.pdf; the Board's phone is (205) 945-4857. The Board admits an out-of-state master to the Alabama master exam on a verified origin license; the one-year Alabama journeyman holding period is the in-state qualifier.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must have held your Tennessee license for at least 1 year.In-state qualifier is certification as an Alabama Journeyman Plumber for a minimum of one year. Out-of-state masters sit the Alabama master exam on a verified origin license instead of first holding an Alabama journeyman certificate.
- Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Your Tennessee license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Origin licensing agency completes the bottom half of the Board's Request for Verification of License/Registration form, or supplies the same information on its own form or letterhead
What you'll do to get licensed in Alabama
- 1Other. Examination Packet for Out-of-State Applicants (Exam-App-Out-of-State-01-26) with copy of the origin license and completed verification form.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($160). Non-refundable Master Plumber examination fee, paid to the Board once you are approved to test.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Non-refundable business law examination fee, paid to the Board.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Alabama Master Plumber examination on the 2021 International Plumbing Code, given by Prov as an open-book computer exam; a score of 70% is required..
- 5Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Alabama business law examination required of all master-level applicants effective January 1, 2026: 40 questions in 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass.
- 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Initial application processing fee, paid with the Master Pass Packet 2026 within 90 days of passing both exams.
- 7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($175). Initial master certificate fee, paid with the Master Pass Packet 2026 within 90 days of passing both exams. Certificates are annual and renew October 1 - December 31 for $175..
- 8Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). Company registration with the Board (New Business Registration Form 02-24) naming a Principal Master, if the applicant owns or is responsible for a plumbing business; annual business renewal under Ala. Admin. Code 720-X-17-.01.
- 9Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Four hours of continuing education from a Board-approved provider for each annual renewal, due before November 1 to avoid a deficiency plan and deficiency fee. Not required to renew a first certificate obtained through the out-of-state route in the same calendar year..
Published fees on this path total $485, 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.
- Exam fee · $160
- Exam fee · $100
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
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 · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Alabama licenses master plumbers
Alabama master plumber · “Master Plumber (annual certificate)”
Statewide license
Issued by Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board
Alabama certifies Master Plumbers statewide through the Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board; a master plumber may register as the Principal Master for a plumbing business, and every company doing plumbing work in Alabama must register with the Board and name one. To sit the master exam an applicant must have been certified as a Journeyman Plumber for at least one year (the Board describes this as one year of current work experience). Effective January 1, 2026, master-level applicants must pass both the plumbing exam (2021 International Plumbing Code) and a separate business law exam, and after passing have 90 days to pay the certification fees. Certificates are annual, renewing October 1 - December 31 with continuing education due by November 1. The Board's only reciprocal agreement, effective January 1, 2026, is with the Mississippi Board of Contractors at the master level; a master from any other state may sit the Alabama master exam directly if the origin license was earned by exam at 70% or better, is active and in good standing, and is verified by the origin agency.
Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer
Tennessee master plumber · “Master plumber (city or county card); state CMC-A plumbing contractor is a business license”
Licensed by cities and counties
Tennessee does not issue a master plumber license. The state-level plumbing credentials are (1) the Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP), a personal license for work under $25,000 where the Division of Fire Prevention inspects, which the Board does not treat as a master equivalent and for which it has no exam-waiver agreements, and (2) a contractor license with the CMC-A (plumbing) or CMC (full mechanical: plumbing and HVAC) classification, issued to a business that names a qualifying agent and required for plumbing projects of $25,000 or more. CMC-A and CMC candidates need Board pre-approval ($50) before the plumbing or full-mechanical trade exam; every contractor also takes the Tennessee Business and Law exam (Prov from 2026-07-01; scores typically valid two years). Initial contractor application fee $250. The Board's trade-exam-waiver form lets a contractor whose origin board verifies a comparable plumbing or mechanical exam skip the Tennessee trade exam but not Business and Law, and it cannot be used for the LLP: Ohio plumbing maps to CMC-A, South Carolina plumbing to CMC-A, and Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia mechanical licenses to CMC. That waiver is contractor-to-contractor only (Ohio's OCILB listing of Tennessee as a plumbing-contractor partner is the same relationship from Ohio's side). Master plumber licenses proper exist only locally; Nashville's MPE Board issues a master plumber certificate. An out-of-state master plumber has no statewide personal recognition: to contract for $25,000 or more they need the CMC-A or CMC contractor license; to pull small-job permits they need the LLP where it is accepted, or the local master card where it is not.
How local licensing works in Tennessee
State contractor route (CMC-A / CMC) — business license, not a personal master. Required statewide to bid or contract plumbing of $25,000 or more (subcontractor plumbing portion counted with materials, equipment and labor). Qualifying agent (owner, officer or full-time employee) takes the Tennessee Business and Law exam and the CMC-A or CMC trade exam after a $50 pre-approval request to [email protected]. Up to two people may take each exam; Business and Law and the trade exam need not be the same person. Application $250 at core.tn.gov. From 2026-07-01 a contractors' surety bond of at least 50% of the requested monetary limit may replace a CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement. General liability and workers' compensation (or exemption) are required on the contractor application. Trade exam waiver (not Reciprocity for a master plumber card): origin board completes the Request for Contractor License Verification in lieu of the Tennessee trade exam score. Plumbing rows: Ohio Plumbing -> CMC-A; South Carolina Plumbing -> CMC-A; Louisiana Mechanical -> CMC; Mississippi Mechanical -> CMC; West Virginia Mechanical -> CMC. Business and Law is never waived. Ineligible if discipline, open complaints or felony convictions. Cannot be used for LLP, LLE or home improvement. NASCLA accredited exams on the Board exam page are commercial building and electrical, not plumbing.
State LLP (personal, limited, not master). $75 initial, Prov LLP exam, under $25,000, Fire Prevention jurisdictions only, no exam waiver. A Tennessee CMC-A/CMC firm may still need Metro registration to pull permits; confirm with Codes (615-862-6500).
Knoxville. State Contractor registration (CMC-A/CMC) or Unlicensed/State Limited License (LLP) registration to pull permits.
- Nashville / Davidson County (Codes and Building Safety)
- Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections)
- Chattanooga (Land Development Office)
- Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Alabama master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- Yes. Alabama requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Alabama master plumber license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $485, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Tennessee work hours count in Alabama?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Alabama's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Alabama to Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Alabama to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Ala. Admin. Code ch. 720-X, Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board rules (complete, Jan-26 compilation) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board - Continuing Education (with Licensee CE Q&A PDF) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Examination Packet for Out-of-State Applicants (rev. 01/2026) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board - Exams (applications, packets, code edition, business law exam) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board - Home (renewal period and continuing education reminder) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board - How Do I Become Licensed (Apprentice, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber, companies) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board - Out-of-State Applicants (Applying for Certification in Alabama) · Ala. Code § 34-37-6(a)-(b); Ala. Admin. Code r. 720-X-17-.01 · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board - Reciprocation (Mississippi Reciprocal Request Form; LP Gas Board) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.