Moving to Tennessee as a master plumber: every state's rule
Tennessee does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is no reciprocity to speak of. Here is what that means in practice.
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)