StateLicensed

Plumber License Requirements in Tennessee

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$128
Exam
Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Trade Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. The LLP application requires the applicant to certify they are at least 18 years of age. Applicants must disclose any felony conviction; a felony disclosure triggers a requirement to submit a background investigation report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and a parole-officer reference, with the Board judging cases on their merits (may include a Board-meeting interview). [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete the required training. Tennessee has no statewide journeyman plumber license and no fixed classroom training-hour requirement for the Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP), the state's individual, exam-based plumbing credential (for projects under $25,000). State law (T.C.A. § 62-6-406) requires documented proof of at least 1 year of plumbing experience — verified via a completed experience/verification form, notarized employer/client letters, or an existing local-government plumbing license — rather than a classroom-hour count, so hours is left null. Plumbers working on projects of $25,000+ instead need a Contractor's License with a Mechanical Plumbing classification (CMC-A or CMC), which requires 3 years of documented plumbing experience and Board pre-approval before sitting the trade exam. Many Tennessee cities/counties also run their own separate local journeyman/master plumber licensing programs with their own training requirements. [1]

  3. 3

    Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Trade Examination

    Pass the Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Trade Examination (fee: $53). 40 scored multiple-choice questions, 135 minutes, open-book (approved code/reference books allowed); 73% (29 of 40) required to pass. Content covers General Knowledge/Math, General Requirements (administrative, structural, backflow, materials/supports, joints/connections, storm drains, testing), Water Supply and Distribution, Fixtures (incl. water heaters), Drain/Waste/Vent Systems, Traps/Cleanouts/Interceptors, Isometric Analysis, Gas Appliances and Piping, and OSHA Safety. Retake fee is also $53; a review-only session is $40. Fee sourced from PSI's Tennessee LLP Candidate Information Bulletin (revised 2/5/2026) — the most recent published fee figure at the time of this record; confirm current pricing directly with Prov given the mid-2026 administrator transition noted above. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) with the $75 application fee. [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce and Insurance) issues your Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) for Tennessee.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $75
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] $50
Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Trade Examination [2] $53
Reinstatement (LLP expired more than 3 months) [3] $80
Late renewal penalty, per month (up to 3 months) [3] $10
Duplicate license [3] $5

Per the Board's official fee schedule, the $75 fee covers Initial/Reinstatement issuance of the LLP license — the Board does not itemize a separate post-exam 'license' fee beyond this, so license is left null. The $53 PSI exam fee is paid directly to the exam vendor, not the Board, and is recorded separately under exams.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years.

The LLP license is valid for 2 years (renewal fee $75 per third-party sources describing the license term, though the Board's official fee table lists the standalone 'Renewal' transaction fee as $50 — both figures are from Board-linked material; the $50 figure is taken directly from the Board's live fee-schedule page and is used here). Renewal opens once within 90 days of expiration and should be submitted at least 30 days before expiration; the grace period is 3 months, with a $10/month late fee, after which the license must be reinstated ($80: a $50 new-application fee plus a $30 late penalty). No continuing-education hour requirement is listed for LLP or LLE licensees on the Board's renewal page (unlike BC-A contractors, who need 8 CE hours per renewal), so ceHours is left null.

Reciprocity

No reciprocity or endorsement route was found.

Tennessee's own regulatory-board page for Limited Licensed Plumbers states plainly that 'the LLP exam is not reciprocal with other states license exams' — an out-of-state plumbing license cannot be used to waive the Tennessee LLP trade exam. (Within Tennessee, a local government plumbing license/registration can be submitted in place of a fresh LLP exam score on the application.) No interstate plumbing licensure compact exists, and Tennessee is not a member of one for this occupation. Retrieved via archive snapshot 2026-02-11 of the Board's llp.html page, which has since been reorganized into the current 'How to Get a License' page structure cited elsewhere in this record.

1 state-approved training provider in Tennessee — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $75
  • $53
Total$128

Frequently asked questions

Does Tennessee require a state plumbing license?

Only in municipalities that use the Division of Fire Prevention for plumbing permits/inspections, and only for work under $25,000 (that credential is the Limited Licensed Plumber, or LLP). Plumbing projects of $25,000 or more require a Contractor's License with a Mechanical Plumbing classification instead. Always check with local code enforcement, since many cities and counties run their own separate journeyman/master plumber licensing programs.

What do I need to get a Tennessee LLP license?

A photo ID and Social Security number, proof of at least 1 year of plumbing experience, and a passing score on the LLP trade exam. The initial application fee is $75.

Who administers the Tennessee LLP exam and what does it cost?

PSI Services LLC has administered it (40 questions, 135 minutes, 73%/29 of 40 to pass, open-book, $53 fee), but the Board is transitioning exam administration to a new vendor, Prov, for new scheduling beginning July 1, 2026.

How much does an LLP license cost to renew?

The Board's fee schedule lists a $50 renewal fee, with a 3-month grace period and a $10/month late fee after expiration; reinstatement after the grace period costs $80.

Can I transfer an out-of-state plumbing license to Tennessee?

No — the Board states the LLP exam is not reciprocal with other states' license exams, so an out-of-state license does not exempt you from Tennessee's LLP trade exam.

Sources

  1. [1] tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/regboards/contractors/forms/ContLLPAppWeb.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/exam-info.html — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/fees.html — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/renewal.html — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] tn.gov/commerce/regboards/llp.html — accessed 2026-07-12