How to Get a Plumbing License in Tennessee: LLP, CMC-A and City Licenses

Tennessee does not issue a statewide journeyman or master plumber license. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors issues two plumbing credentials, and the project's value decides which one you need: the Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) for plumbing projects under $25,000 where the state handles plumbing permits or inspections, and a contractor license with the CMC-A plumbing classification before you bid a project of $25,000 or more. Cities such as Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga license their own plumbers.

At a glance

• Issuer: the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Department of Commerce and Insurance
• The line: under $25,000, the LLP where the state inspects; $25,000 or more, a contractor license classified CMC-A or CMC
• Exams: Prov, $53 each, open book, 73 percent to pass; CMC-A needs pre-approval and 3 years of experience
• State fees: LLP $75, renewed every two years for $50; contractor license $250, renewed for $200
• Cities: Nashville, Memphis and Shelby County, and Chattanooga run their own plumber licenses

For the company side, see our Tennessee contractor license guide, and for other states, how to get a contractor license in each state.

Exam vendor change. Prov took over the board's exams on July 1, 2026, replacing PSI, which gave only previously booked exams through September 2026. New registrations go through Prov.

Which Plumbing License Fits the Job

A contractor license is required before you bid, offer a price or negotiate on a project of $25,000 or more. Since July 1, 2026, T.C.A. 62-6-102, as amended by Public Chapter 1039, counts total cost as all labor, materials, equipment, subcontracted work, overhead and profit, whoever pays and however many contracts. The line applies to a prime contractor and to a plumbing subcontractor working under another contractor (T.C.A. 62-6-102 and Rule 0680-01-.24). Below it, the LLP is the state credential, and the board's LLP application warns that a job may not be split into phases or separate contracts to stay under the line.

Notes on the table

• LLP. Issued to an individual, never a business name. An LLP may not call itself a contractor without also holding a contractor license (Rule 0680-04-.01(2)).
• CMC-A. The "Plumbing and Gas Piping" classification under Mechanical Contracting in Rule 0680-01. A CMC-A contractor may also run gas piping to water heaters, laundry and kitchen equipment, pool heaters and gas logs.
• CMC. Full mechanical: plumbing, HVAC, process piping, sprinklers and boilers.

The same $25,000 line runs through the Tennessee electrician license; HVAC contractors test for CMC-C, covered in our Tennessee HVAC license guide.

The Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP)

The LLP comes from the Limited Licensed Plumbers' Act of 2004 (T.C.A. 62-6-401 and following) and the board's Rule Chapter 0680-04.

What the LLP Covers

Under T.C.A. 62-6-402, plumbing work means building, altering, repairing or removing the piping, fixtures and appliances inside a residential or commercial building that supply gas, water or liquids or carry away waste water or sewage. Work outside the building, such as utility connections or irrigation, is outside the LLP law.

Where the LLP Is Required

The board's LLP page says the license is only required of plumbers working in a municipality that uses the Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections, and general maintenance under $500 is exempt. The LLP application adds these exemptions:

• holders of a state CMC-A, MC-A, CMC or MC classification
• plumbers employed by a state licensed plumber or contractor
• plumbers licensed by the county or city where they work
• homeowners working on their own residence
• 15 counties exempted by population under T.C.A. 62-6-416: Benton, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Humphreys, Lake, Lawrence, Lewis, Obion, Perry, Stewart and Weakley

Under T.C.A. 62-6-406(h), cities and counties may still set stricter testing and experience rules. The State Fire Marshal's Office lists Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties as exempt from its residential permit program, so local codes offices issue permits there.

What You Need to Apply

1. Be at least 18.
2. Show one year of plumbing experience, a minimum T.C.A. 62-6-406 says the board may not waive. Proof is a local plumbing license or a notarized verification from a past employer, customer or contractor.
3. Bring photo ID and your Social Security number.
4. Pass the LLP trade exam through Prov, or show a plumbing exam passed with a Tennessee local government.
5. Apply online with the $75 fee, which is non-refundable.

Workers' compensation proof is not required with the LLP application; an owner's Construction Services Provider exemption never covers employees.

The LLP Exam and Renewal

The LLP exam has 40 questions, a 2 hour limit and a 73 percent pass mark, and it is open book, built on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and Fuel Gas Code. There is no Business and Law exam, because the LLP is not a contractor license.

An LLP expires every two years on the last day of the month it was issued. The $50 renewal is due at least 30 days before expiration, late renewals carry a monthly penalty, and a renewal more than 90 days late is treated as a new application (Rule 0680-04-.05). The board may assess civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.

The Exams and Their Fee

Every board exam is open book and passed at 73 percent. Each attempt costs $53, paid to Prov, with no waiting period or cap on retakes.

The board says results are typically valid for two years, and Prov accepts the prior vendor's reference books through January 1, 2027. For booking, see how to schedule a contractor exam with PSI, Prov or Pearson VUE and contractor exam approval by state.

The CMC-A Plumbing Contractor License

At $25,000 the company needs a contractor license in its exact business name, with a qualifying agent who passes the exams for it.

Pre-Approval and the Three Year Rule

The CMC-A and CMC are the only board exams that need approval before scheduling. Under T.C.A. 62-6-111(l), the candidate verifies at least three years of plumbing work experience on the board's notarized Plumbing Exam Pre-Approval Request, with the verification signed by a past employer, plumbing contractor or permit office, never by the applicant.

The form accepts three substitutes for the experience pages: W-2s for the past three years from a plumbing contractor, an active plumbing license from another agency, or an engineering degree in the plumbing or mechanical field. Email it to the board with a $50 fee; once approved, Prov emails scheduling instructions. Business and Law and the CMC-A are each passed at 73 percent; one person need not take both, and up to two people may take each exam for the company.

Financial Statement and Monetary Limit

Every license carries a monetary limit, the largest project the company may bid. Under Rule 0680-01-.13 it is generally ten times the lesser of working capital or net worth, with receivables over three months late left out. Lines of credit add to working capital, and at least $300,000 in both working capital and net worth may earn an unlimited license.

The statement must be reviewed for a limit of $3,000,000 or less and audited above that; a compiled statement is not accepted. Rule 0680-01-.32 requires a licensed public accountant or CPA, accepted accounting principles, a date within 12 months and the applicant's own name. A 10 percent tolerance applies above the limit.

Since July 1, 2026, T.C.A. 62-6-111(b)(5) lets a company file a continuous surety bond of at least 50 percent of the requested limit instead of the statement, at application or renewal. If the bond lapses, the license becomes invalid.

Insurance

Workers' compensation is required unless the company has no employees and has registered an exemption. No bond is required for the state license unless you choose the surety bond route; a city may require one for permits. See contractor insurance requirements by state and contractor bond requirements by state.

Application, Review and Renewal

The application fee is $250 for a two year license. There is no filing deadline: a board member reviews applications as they arrive, approvals are ratified at the next meeting, and the board meets every other month. An application waits for a meeting only when the board wants an interview. The instructions ask you to allow at least three weeks before checking status.

Renewal costs $200. Under Rule 0680-01-.10, effective November 18, 2025, a renewal limit above $1,500,000 needs an accountant's compilation, and a lower limit needs a notarized statement. The board's continuing education rule covers only residential building classifications, not CMC-A or LLP holders.

Reciprocity is a trade exam waiver only, and never for the LLP. The board's current list names Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia, each for set license types; Ohio's names plumbing, South Carolina's covers commercial plumbing, and Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia cover mechanical.

City Plumbing Licenses in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga

The board's LLP application lists 15 cities that may run their own licensing and generally do not accept the LLP: Athens, Chattanooga, Humboldt, Jackson, Johnson City, Kingsport, Knoxville, LaFollette, Maryville, Memphis, Morristown, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge and Sparta. The list dates from the form's 2018 revision, so confirm with the city.

A state CMC or CMC-A licensee and its employees cannot be made to pass a local test (T.C.A. 62-6-111(i)(2)(C)), though local registration, business licenses, bonds and permits still apply.

City notes

• Nashville. Metro's Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Examiners and Appeals Board examines plumbers; each level needs six months at the level below, or an engineering degree. Candidates test through Prov at 70 percent, may retest after 30 days, and masters add the septic tank exam. A Registered Metropolitan Plumbing Contractor files a $40,000 permit bond, $300,000 general liability, a Davidson County business license and proof its master works full time.
• Memphis and Shelby County. The 2022 joint plumbing code requires a master or journeyman plumber, or the state contractor, in charge on every job and a $25,000 permit bond from each plumbing contractor. A master candidate needs a journeyman license plus four years as a journeyman, or an engineering degree plus four years of plumbing design and installation, and licenses expire each September 30. A state licensed contractor registers with Construction Code Enforcement using an affidavit from the state board verifying its qualifying agent, a business license and a $50 fee.
• Knoxville. Every permit applicant holds a registration by type: State Contractor, Homeowner, or Unlicensed or State Limited License (LLE or LLP). Knox County Codes posts an LLP affidavit.
• Chattanooga. A journeyman needs four years of plumbing work and pays $55 per two year cycle; a master needs five years and pays $215.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Price the job and find the city. Under $25,000, check for the LLP or a local license; at $25,000 or more, get a contractor license.
2. Document your experience. One year for the LLP; three years for the CMC-A, verified by an employer, contractor or permit office.
3. For the LLP, pass the 40 question Prov exam and apply online with the $75 fee.
4. For the CMC-A, file the notarized pre-approval request with the $50 fee.
5. Pass Business and Law and the CMC-A, each at 73 percent.
6. Order the CPA statement sized to the limit you need, or a surety bond of at least half that limit.
7. Bind insurance at your limit's general liability level, plus workers' compensation or an exemption.
8. Apply with the $250 fee, reference letter, affidavit and any employee qualifying agent's Power of Attorney.
9. Register with each city where you pull permits.

State Fees in One Place

The accountant's statement, insurance, city fees and any permit bond vary by company.

Who Qualifies a Plumbing Company in Tennessee

Tennessee licenses the company, and a qualifying agent qualifies it. The qualifying agent passes the exams for the entity and may be an owner, officer or full time employee; an employee must file a Power of Attorney and, under T.C.A. 62-6-115, know the business well enough to bind it. A qualifying agent may not appear on more than one license without majority ownership, and if one leaves, the company notifies the board within 10 days and has three months to replace them.

Growing plumbing companies stall here: the work is ready at $25,000 and up, but no one has three verified years and passing CMC-A scores. The lawful answer is a qualifying agent who joins as a full time W-2 employee and actually supervises the work. Founders Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski built The Licensing Company in Nashville, and Tennessee's qualifying agent rules are home ground for them.

Read what a qualifying agent is, our Tennessee qualifying agent guide, what a plumbing contractor qualifying agent does and owner versus employee qualifiers, or go straight to hire a qualifying agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tennessee have a journeyman or master plumber license?

Not at the state level. The state issues the LLP and the CMC-A or CMC contractor license, while cities such as Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga issue journeyman and master licenses under their own rules.

What is an LLP license in Tennessee?

The Limited Licensed Plumber license lets an individual do plumbing on projects under $25,000 where the state requires it. It takes one year of experience, a 40 question open book exam at 73 percent and a $75 fee, and the holder may not advertise as a contractor.

Do I need a license for plumbing work under $25,000?

Often, but it may be a city license rather than the LLP. The LLP applies where the Division of Fire Prevention handles permits or inspections, and general maintenance under $500 is exempt.

How long does it take to get a plumbing license in Tennessee?

Experience sets the pace: one year before the LLP and three years before the CMC-A exam. Prov emails results when you finish.

Can I use my plumbing license from another state?

Only to skip the trade exam for a contractor license, never the LLP. Ohio's and South Carolina's waiver agreements name plumbing, and you still pass Business and Law and complete the full application.

Does the LLP work in Nashville or Memphis?

Plan on no. The board's LLP application lists both among cities that generally do not accept it. A state CMC-A licensee cannot be made to retest locally but still registers with each city.

Who can qualify my company for the plumbing contractor license?

An owner, officer or full time employee who passes the CMC-A, with Business and Law passed by that person or a second qualifying agent. If no one on your team qualifies, a qualifying agent can join as a W-2 employee.

Sources

All pages retrieved 2026-09-28.

• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP); LLP License Application; Contractor License Requirements; Contractor License Application Instructions; Exam Information; Fees; Plumbing Exam Pre-Approval Request
• Tennessee Secretary of State rules: Chapter 0680-01 Licensing; Chapter 0680-04 Limited Licensed Plumbers; Chapter 0680-09 Continuing Education
• Statutes: Public Chapter 1039 (2026), HB 2530; Tenn. Code 62-6-111 (FindLaw); Tenn. Code 62-6-406 (FindLaw)
• State Fire Marshal and Prov: Residential Jurisdictions; Prov Candidate Information Bulletin
• Metro Nashville Codes: Plumbing Exam Application; Plumbing Contractor Registration; Examiners and Appeals Board
• Memphis and Shelby County: 2022 Joint Plumbing Code; State Licensed Contractor Registration
• Knoxville and Knox County: Register to Pull a Permit; Knox County LLP
• Chattanooga: Master Plumber License; Journeyman Plumber License

Talk With Us About Your Tennessee Plumbing License

If your plumbing company is ready for $25,000 jobs but short a qualified person for the CMC-A, call us at 615-219-2110, or start at hire a qualifying agent.