Tennessee Contractor License Reciprocity and Which States Count

Tennessee does not offer full contractor license reciprocity, so a license from another state cannot be used to work in Tennessee. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors waives only the trade exam, for contractors licensed in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina or West Virginia in matching classifications, and it accepts NASCLA national exam scores for commercial building and electrical work. You still pass the Tennessee Business and Law exam (except for the restricted residential classification) and complete the full Tennessee application.

At a glance

• The Board says "You cannot operate in Tennessee with a license from another state." The contractor page says a license is required at $25,000 or more when acting as a prime contractor, and electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing subcontractors need one when their portion is $25,000 or more. Masonry subcontractors need one at $100,000 or more.
• The waiver covers the trade exam only. Every new applicant except the restricted residential BC-A/r takes the Tennessee Business and Law exam.
• The Board's waiver list (Rev. 06/2026) names eight states and the NASCLA exam. It does not apply to home improvement, limited licensed plumber or limited licensed electrician applications.
• The initial contractor application fee is $250.

Checked against the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors on October 16, 2026.

What Tennessee accepts from other states

If you already hold a contractor license somewhere else, Tennessee relies on your home state to verify that you passed a comparable trade exam, and nothing more. The Board calls this a trade exam waiver. It is the only reciprocity Tennessee publishes, and it works through a verification form that your home state's licensing agency completes and returns to you. You attach that form to your Tennessee application in place of the trade exam score. For the full picture of the state's license, see our Tennessee contractor license guide.

Three limits come straight from the Board's waiver form. The waiver is limited to the trade exam, so the Business and Law exam is required for every new applicant except BC-A/r, reciprocity or not. It cannot be used for home improvement, limited licensed plumber or limited licensed electrician applications. And an applicant with disciplinary action, open complaints or felony convictions is not eligible for the waiver. Some states may charge a fee to complete the verification, according to the same form.

Which states and classifications count

The Board's trade exam waiver form, revised 06/2026, lists these participating states. The Board's contractor license page lists the same states and points to the classification outline; the class mapping in this table comes from the form.

Notes on the table:

• West Virginia's building scope on the form is residential, commercial and industrial building. The Tennessee classes are BC (full building), BC-A (residential), BC-B (commercial), BC-C (industrial), CE (full electrical), CMC (full mechanical) and LMC (licensed masonry).
• Older Board material, the online application resource dated 8/2024, still names Georgia. The form revised 06/2026 and the Board's contractor page do not, so treat Georgia as not on the current list and confirm with the Board.
• The same 8/2024 resource adds that not every agency in a listed state will reciprocate, so the verification form is the real test.
• The Board's application resource says the reciprocating state must be your home state. Confirm with the Board which state counts for you before you request the form.
• Plumbing and full mechanical exams carry an extra step: the Board's exam page requires Board pre-approval for the plumbing CMC-A or full mechanical CMC exam, and the request form is on the Forms and Downloads page.

What an out of state contractor still does in Tennessee

Reciprocity shortens the exam step and nothing else.

Application. The initial contractor application is submitted online at core.tn.gov, and the Board's contractor page lists the fee as $250. The Board's 8/2024 online application resource says licenses are issued for two years, and it lists the attachments: contractor's affidavit, letter of reference, experience list, power of attorney if the qualifying agent is not an owner (a majority owner of 20% or more does not need one), the license verification for reciprocity, financial statement, exam scores, Secretary of State documents and a certificate of insurance. An interview may be required if the application is incomplete or not in order, according to the contractor page.

Business entity. An out of state corporation registers as a foreign corporation in Tennessee and submits its charter and certificate of authority. An out of state LLC submits its articles of organization and proof of Tennessee Secretary of State registration. If your accountant is out of state, the Board says the accountant needs a non-resident mobility agreement with Tennessee.

Financial statement and monetary limit. The Board requires a reviewed statement for limits up to $3,000,000 and an audited statement above $3,000,000, prepared by a licensed, independent CPA or LPA in the exact name being licensed, under 12 months old at initial application and following GAAP. Starting July 1, 2026, a contractors' surety bond of at least 50% of the requested limit may replace the CPA statement, on the Board's approved form. The limit is 10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth, plus required experience, and an unlimited limit requires $300,000 in both working capital and net worth plus experience.

Insurance. The Board requires general liability insurance based on the monetary limit, and workers' compensation unless you provide proof of exemption. Its insurance resource sets the minimum general liability at $100,000 for limits up to $500,000, $500,000 for limits above that up to $1,500,000, and $1,000,000 for limits above $1,500,000 through unlimited. The certificate lists the Board as certificate holder, per the 8/2024 application resource.

Experience. The 8/2024 application resource says the Board prefers three years of experience, and the experience list may include out of state projects.

Tennessee's Business and Law exam and the trade exam

Prov has administered the Tennessee contractor exams since July 1, 2026. The Business and Law exam is open book, and the Board states that exams are typically valid for two years. The person who takes the Business and Law exam does not have to be the person who takes the trade exam, and up to two people may take each exam for a company. For the reference list, read the Prov candidate information bulletin for Tennessee contractors, and for booking steps see our guide to scheduling contractor exams.

Two exam rules help out of state applicants. The restricted residential BC-A/r license, for residential work with a limit of less than $125,000, replaces the exam requirement with an approved course from a Tennessee community or vocational school. The Business and Law exam is required for every new applicant except BC-A/r, and according to the 8/2024 application resource it is not retaken for a reinstatement, an additional license, a replacement qualifying agent or a revision of a current license. If you would rather sit one national exam, the Board accepts the NASCLA National Commercial exam.

Moving a Tennessee license to another state

The reverse direction is set by the other state, not Tennessee. These are the boards that publish something about Tennessee licenses. Each state's own page is the authority, and several ask the Tennessee Board to complete the verification form.

• Alabama. The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors lists Tennessee with Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and North Carolina. It requires a license in good standing in a comparable classification, the same qualified individual, and 30 days on file before a license issues. The applicant may have the trade portion waived with written certification from the other state, and the business law portion "shall not be waived."
• Arkansas. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board reciprocal form instructions (revised 3/2025) name Tennessee and require a valid Tennessee license for at least one year. The form states the applicant is not required to pass an Arkansas Business and Law exam. Plumbing, electrical, HVACR and other trade classifications must meet that agency's own requirements.
• Mississippi. The Mississippi State Board of Contractors sheet (revised 07/2025) says the Tennessee Board's license waives all trade exams, and that Tennessee is the only listed state that waives mechanical and plumbing. You must hold a current license, have taken the exam and have no disciplinary action during the last year, and the fee is $50 for each exam waived. Mississippi still requires its law and business management exam, and its How Do I page describes a general three consecutive year rule, so confirm which applies to you.
• North Carolina. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors says it has no full reciprocity but lists Tennessee among its exam waiver agreements. The other board completes the waiver form in the application, and the NC Business and Law exam is still required. Our North Carolina reciprocity guide goes deeper.
• Ohio. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board Tennessee reciprocity application requires a current Tennessee license obtained by testing or grandfathering, not reciprocity from a third state. It requires the Ohio Business and Law exam, a $25 fee per trade and at least $500,000 of liability insurance.
• South Carolina. The South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board technical exam waiver list (revised May 2026) accepts Tennessee BC, BC-B, BC-b, BC-BC, BC-C, BC-A/b, BC-A/B, CMC, CMC-A, CMC-C and CE exams. South Carolina requires its commercial Business, Law and Project Management exam. See our South Carolina reciprocity guide.
• Louisiana. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors reciprocity page lists no states. The board's letter dated October 23, 2024 says it will accept a passed required test from any other state with "no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering," all other requirements still apply, and previous agreements are null and void. Confirm with the board how that applies to your Tennessee license. See our Louisiana reciprocity guide.
• Georgia and West Virginia. We could not confirm a published Tennessee entry from either board's own page, so confirm with each. See our Georgia reciprocity guide and the reciprocity by state hub.

Steps for an out of state contractor

1. Confirm your home state and classification appear on the Board's waiver list for the Tennessee class you need, and that the state is your home state.
2. Download the License Verification and Waiver of Trade Exam form from the Board's Forms and Downloads page, fill in the applicant section and send it to your home state's licensing agency.
3. Schedule and pass the Tennessee Business and Law exam through Prov, unless you are applying for BC-A/r.
4. Have a CPA prepare your reviewed or audited statement, or arrange the surety bond option, and gather your certificate of insurance, letter of reference and notarized contractor's affidavit.
5. Register your entity with the Tennessee Secretary of State and attach the proof.
6. Apply online at core.tn.gov, attach the returned verification form, and pay the $250 fee.
7. Be ready for an interview and for the Board to ask for more information.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in Tennessee on my out of state license? No. The Board states you cannot operate in Tennessee with a license from another state, and its application resource says no reciprocal agreement allows working before you hold a Tennessee license.

Does reciprocity waive the Tennessee Business and Law exam? No. The waiver is limited to the trade exam, and every new applicant except BC-A/r takes the Business and Law exam. According to the 8/2024 application resource, it is not retaken for an additional license, a reinstatement, a replacement qualifying agent or a revision.

Does a Georgia license qualify? Georgia is not on the Board's current waiver list. An older 8/2024 Board resource named it, so ask the Board before relying on either.

What if my license came from a waiver or grandfathering? Tennessee's waiver form does not address it, but other states do. Ohio will not accept a Tennessee license obtained through reciprocity from another state, and South Carolina's licensure page excludes licenses obtained by waiver or grandfathering. Confirm with the Board for your own file.

Do small jobs need a Tennessee license? The Board's contractor page says a license is required at $25,000 or more when acting as a prime contractor. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing subcontractors need one when their portion is $25,000 or more, and masonry subcontractors at $100,000 or more. The Board's 8/2024 contractor's affidavit also asks about work at $2,500 for those domiciled in non-reciprocal states, so confirm the current threshold with the Board before you bid.

When reciprocity does not fit

Sometimes a license cannot move by reciprocity, or the person who needs it cannot sit or pass the exam in time. A company can still be licensed through a qualifying agent who already holds the license and qualifies the company as an owner or full time W-2 employee who supervises the work. Tennessee's Board says the qualifying agent may be an owner, full-time employee or officer, and a non-owner completes the Power of Attorney form, while a majority owner of 20% or more does not need one. Our contractor qualifier services explain the model, and what a qualifying agent is and our Tennessee qualifying agent guide show how it works in this state.

Talk to people who hold the licenses

Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, our founders, are licensed general contractors, master electricians, master plumbers and master mechanical contractors. If you are unsure whether a Tennessee waiver, a national exam or a qualifying agent is the faster route, call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. Our live exam classes are coming soon.

Sources

All pages read October 16, 2026.

• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Contractor license page
• Tennessee Board, Trade Exam Waiver (Reciprocity) with Tennessee, Rev. 06/2026
• Tennessee Board, Exam Information
• Tennessee Board, Classification Outline
• Tennessee Board, Forms and Downloads
• Tennessee Board, Online Application Forms Resource, Rev. 8/2024
• Tennessee Board, Insurance Resource Information
• Prov, Tennessee Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Reciprocity
• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Reciprocal Form Instructions, Revised 3/2025
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Reciprocity Information, Revised 07/2025
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, How Do I?
• North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, FAQ for Contractors
• Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Tennessee Reciprocity Application
• South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board, Technical Exam Waiver Agreements, Revised 5/2026
• South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board, Licensure
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Reciprocity
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Reciprocity Change letter, October 23, 2024