LicensebyState

Tennessee to Indiana: master plumber license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 16, 2026· 4 sources

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

Commission review of out-of-state master/contractor credentials (IC 25-28.5-1-19; no named partner states)

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

An out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor applies to the Indiana Plumbing Commission for a Plumbing Contractor licence through MyLicense One. Indiana names no reciprocal partner states, so the path is Endorsement under IC 25-28.5-1-19: a plumbing contractor licensed in another state shall without examination be granted an Indiana Plumbing Contractor licence of the same category if the applicant is at least 18, the origin requirements were substantially equal at last licensing, and the same privilege is accorded to Indiana licensees. If mutual privilege is not shown, the Commission may require the Indiana Plumbing Contractor examination administered by PROV. A licensee who will operate through a corporation, partnership or association must additionally register the entity as a Corporate Plumbing Business. Initial fees are prorated by odd or even issuance year.

Same as journeyman: mechanism Endorsement (no named partners); examTradeRequired false because IC 25-28.5-1-19 waives the exam when substantial equality and mutual privilege are shown. IC 25-28.5-1-12 still unread, so the four-years-as-journeyman contractor prerequisite is not asserted as a numeric condition on this inbound path.

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.
  • Applicant is at least 18 years of age (IC 25-28.5-1-19)
  • Origin state's licensing requirements were substantially equal to Indiana's at the time of the applicant's last licensing, and the same privilege is accorded to Indiana licensees (IC 25-28.5-1-19). If mutual privilege is not shown, the Commission may require the PROV exam.

What you'll do to get licensed in Indiana

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Plumbing Contractor application/licence issuance fee paid in MyLicense One; amount not captured (PLA fee schedule accordion was collapsed). Initial fee is prorated by whether the licence is issued in an odd or even year..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Indiana Plumbing Contractor examination administered by PROV. Waived under IC 25-28.5-1-19 when origin requirements were substantially equal and Indiana licensees receive the same privilege; otherwise required after Commission review. Fee and passing score not captured..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PROV examination fee, paid to the vendor; amount not captured.
  4. 4Other. Verification of the out-of-state licence from the issuing state authority and documentation of journeyman experience, uploaded in MyLicense One.
  5. 5Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). Corporate Plumbing Business registration with the Commission if plumbing work will be performed through a corporation, partnership or association (IC 25-28.5-1-13).
  6. 6Background check. Complete a background check (if applicable). PLA FAQs describe a criminal background check step for applications; whether it applies to plumbing applicants was not confirmed.

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 · if applicable

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

How Indiana licenses master plumbers

Indiana master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency)

Indiana has no 'master plumber' licence. The top individual credential is the Plumbing Contractor licence issued by the Indiana Plumbing Commission (PLA) under IC 25-28.5-1, which is held by a person who has qualified by experience and passed the Indiana plumbing contractor examination administered by PROV; this file maps it to the master level because it is the credential that authorises a plumber to contract for and supervise plumbing work. A corporation, partnership or association that performs plumbing work registers separately as a Corporate Plumbing Business, and the Commission also issues a Temporary Plumbing Contractor licence (IC 25-28.5-1-18.5). Applications and renewals are processed in MyLicense One, and initial licence issuance fees are prorated by odd or even issuance year. The reciprocity section of the statute (IC 25-28.5-1-19) applies to out-of-state master or contractor licensees in the same way as to journeymen.

Moving to IndianaLeaving Indiana

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

Verified September 16, 2026· 9 sources

Issued by Local code enforcement offices (Nashville/Davidson, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis/Shelby County and other exempt jurisdictions); the state issues the LLP to individuals and the CMC-A / CMC contractor license to businesses

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.

Moving to TennesseeLeaving Tennessee

Common questions

Do I have to take the Indiana master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
Do my Tennessee work hours count in Indiana?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Indiana's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Indiana to Tennessee?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Indiana to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. Indiana Code Title 25, Article 28.5 (Plumbers), Chapter 1 - Regulation of Plumbers; Creation of Commission; Licensing · IC 25-28.5-1-12, -15, -17, -18.1, -18.3, -18.5, -19, -20, -22, -23, -33 · Indiana General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  2. Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Home (Indiana Plumbing Commission) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  3. Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Licensing Information (application instructions, renewal, fee schedule) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  4. Wayback Machine snapshot (2025-09-02) of PLA Plumbing Licensing Information · Internet Archive (capture of in.gov) · Other · verified September 16, 2026

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

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