Tennessee to Oklahoma: master plumber license reciprocity
Tennessee does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Oklahoma'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 or plumbing contractor (all states; no contractor reciprocity agreements)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
No state has a written plumbing contractor reciprocity agreement with Oklahoma, so every out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor uses the same route. Under OAC 158:30-9-1.4 a contractor-level applicant from a state without an agreement (or with only local licensing) may request exam equivalency; if the Board has previously approved that jurisdiction's exam, the technical trade section of the Oklahoma contractor exam is waived on a certified letter showing current good standing, the license category, a 70%+ exam score and no pending discipline, but 'the applicant for the contractor exam will still be required to take and pass the Oklahoma business and law section'. CIB does not publish the approved jurisdictions. Otherwise the applicant files the Application for Plumbing Examination with notarized experience affidavits and a copy of the out-of-state license, documents four years of verifiable plumbing experience (out-of-state hours count if lawfully obtained; a current out-of-state license may expedite processing), pays $330, and must pass both portions of the contractor exam through PSI with 75% each, completing the second portion within three years of approval. To activate the license the contractor files a $5,000 bond and $50,000 general liability insurance with CIB, or the Affidavit for Plumbing waiver if employed by a single entity.
Even where a written contractor agreement exists, OAC 158:30-5-4(e) grants only a journeyman license by reciprocity and requires the Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor Business and Law portion before the contractor license issues; since CIB publishes no plumbing contractor agreement with any state, no contractor reciprocity rows are recorded. Vendor claims of Oklahoma plumbing reciprocity with Texas, Colorado or Louisiana could not be confirmed from any CIB page.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Journeyman requirement of three years plus one additional year of experience in the plumbing trade, at approximately 2,000 hours per year (OAC 158:30-5-1(c)); approved education substitutes for up to two years.
- Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Tennessee that the destination considers comparable.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Oklahoma
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Contractor application processing fee, forfeited if the applicant does not meet minimum qualifications (OAC 158:30-9-2(b)).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Initial contractor license fee, submitted with the application; annual renewal $200, late fee $100.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Technical trade portion of the Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor exam administered by PSI, 75% to pass; waived only under approved exam equivalency.
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor Business and Law portion (PSI), 75% to pass; open book on the CIB rules study aid, Plumbing License Law of 1955, Oklahoma Liens Law and the NASCLA Contractor's Guide; never waived.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($184). PSI fee of $92 per examination portion (two portions), non-refundable; retakes charged again.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($5,000). Continuous $5,000 corporate surety bond payable to the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board in the individual license holder's name with 30-day cancellation notice, or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit held for bonding (OAC 158:30-5-2).
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($50,000). Commercial general liability insurance of at least $50,000 with the CIB named as certificate holder; required to activate and keep the license active.
- 8Other. Notarized experience affidavits signed by each verifying plumbing contractor, copy of the out-of-state license or original certificate, and notarized affidavit of lawful presence (56 O.S. § 71).
- 9Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of Committee-approved continuing education within the 36 months preceding each license expiration (OAC 158:30-9-4).
Published fees on this path total $514, 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
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $184
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 · $5,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $50,000
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Oklahoma licenses master plumbers
Oklahoma master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor (Unlimited)”
Statewide license
Issued by Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB), Plumbing Division
Oklahoma has no 'master plumber' title; its highest person-held plumbing credential is the Plumbing Contractor license, which CIB describes as 'the highest ranking plumbing license' and issues to an individual who passes the two-part contractor exam (technical trade and Plumbing Business and Law, 75% on each part, PSI, $92 per portion). This site maps the Unlimited Plumbing Contractor license to the master level. An applicant needs the journeyman qualifications plus one additional year, so four years (about 8,000 hours) of verifiable plumbing experience, and pays $330 ($30 application plus $300 initial license). After passing, the license is inactive until the contractor files a $5,000 corporate surety bond (or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit) and a $50,000 commercial general liability certificate with CIB; only a licensed contractor may contract for plumbing work, and the licensee may operate as an individual, firm, LLC or corporation. CIB's Arkansas agreement covers journeymen only, so no state has contractor reciprocity with Oklahoma; out-of-state masters and contractors use exam equivalency where available or sit the full exam. Licenses renew annually ($200) with six hours of continuing education every 36 months.
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 Oklahoma master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- Yes. Oklahoma requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Oklahoma master plumber license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $514, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Tennessee work hours count in Oklahoma?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Oklahoma's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Oklahoma to Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Oklahoma to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Industry · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Application Information and Application for Plumbing Examination (Contractor and Journeyman, 9/2023) · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Contractor · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Forms · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- OAC Title 158, Chapter 30 - Plumbing Industry Regulations (permanent rules effective 10/1/2024) · OAC 158:30-1-2, 158:30-5-1, 158:30-5-2, 158:30-5-4, 158:30-9-1, 158:30-9-1.4, 158:30-9-2, 158:30-9-4 · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma Plumbing License Law of 1955, 59 O.S. §§ 1000.1 et seq. · 59 O.S. § 1000.5A · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- State of Oklahoma Electrical, Mechanical, Roofing and Plumbing Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · 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.