Tennessee licenses electricians differently from most states. There is no statewide journeyman card and no statewide master electrician exam. Instead, the state licenses electrical contractors and a limited class of electricians for small jobs, while the largest cities and counties examine and license their own journeymen and masters. Where you plan to work decides which license you need.

That makes the first question for any new electrician in Tennessee a local one: which office handles permits where you work? This guide walks through every layer, from apprenticeship to the state contractor license, with a link to the board, rule, or local office behind each requirement. It also covers the exam change to Prov in July 2026, the union and open-shop programs across the state, the electrical code, reciprocity, and pay.

Who licenses electricians in Tennessee?

Electrical licensing in Tennessee is split among a state board, the state fire marshal, and local governments. Knowing which one is in charge of your work saves time and money:

• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Part of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Board for Licensing Contractors issues the contractor license with the CE (electrical) classification and the Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license. Its laws are collected on the board’s laws page, and its licensing rules are in Rule Chapter 0680-01.
• Division of Fire Prevention (state fire marshal). The fire marshal’s office adopts the statewide electrical code and runs state electrical permits and inspections through Rule Chapter 0780-02-01. In much of rural and small-town Tennessee, permits come from contracted issuing agents such as utilities and electric cooperatives.
• City and county code departments. Larger jurisdictions inspect their own electrical work and license their own electricians. The board’s LLE application packet lists 28 of them, including Nashville, Memphis and Shelby County, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.

Because no single state electrician card exists, the same person may hold several credentials over a career: a city apprentice registration, a city journeyman license, and later a state contractor license for the business. The University of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service keeps a directory of local code enforcement officials that is the quickest way to find the right office for a given town.

Tennessee electrical license types

Here is how the main credentials fit together. The state issues the first two; the rest are local.

• Electrical contractor license (CE classification). Required before you bid, offer, or contract for electrical work of $25,000 or more, according to the board’s contractor license page. It applies to prime contractors and to electrical subcontractors when the electrical portion is $25,000 or more, including materials, equipment, and labor. It is accepted statewide.
• Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE). A state license for electrical work under $25,000 per project. According to the board’s LLE page, it is required only where the Division of Fire Prevention handles permits or inspections, and it is issued to people who pass the LLE trade exam.
• Local journeyman licenses. Cities and counties issue these through their own programs. Requirements, exams, and fees vary by location.
• Local master electrician and electrical contractor licenses. Also local. In Nashville, for example, a separate Metro board examines master electricians.
• Apprentice registrations. There is no state apprentice license. Some cities, including Nashville, register apprentices locally.

One detail surprises many newcomers: the board says plainly that the LLE exam is not comparable to a journeyman or master exam. The LLE is a limited state license for small jobs in certain counties, not a statewide journeyman card.

Getting started: working as an apprentice in Tennessee

Most Tennessee electricians start the same way electricians everywhere do, by working under licensed electricians while taking classes. The state does not license apprentices, but the route you choose still matters for the local license you will apply for later:

• Registered apprenticeship. Tennessee’s registered apprenticeship programs are overseen through ApprenticeshipTN, the state’s apprenticeship office. Registered programs combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction and end with a completion certificate.
• City apprentice registration. Metro Nashville’s apprentice electrician application defines a beginning electrician as someone enrolled in an apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or a nationally accredited program of at least 8,000 hours of documented practical experience and 600 hours of classroom or shop instruction, working under a master or journeyman. The application carries a $25 license fee.
• Working for a contractor. You can also learn on the job with an electrical contractor and take classes separately. If you go this way, keep detailed records of your hours and employers, because local journeyman applications ask you to document your experience.

Plan on about four years to finish an apprenticeship in Tennessee. Nearly every program described below runs four years with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. For comparisons with other states, see our guide to how long it takes to become an electrician.

Tennessee electrical apprenticeship programs

You can train through a union program, an open-shop program, or a technical college. Program names and schedules differ, but they lead to the same kind of local journeyman license.

Union (IBEW and NECA) programs

Eight inside locals of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) cover Tennessee, according to the IBEW Tennessee jurisdiction map posted by Local 760 (revised February 2018). Each runs or supports a joint program with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA):

• IBEW Local 429 (Nashville and Middle Tennessee). Its program is the Nashville Electrical JATC, a four-year inside wireman apprenticeship with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. Applicants must be at least 18 at selection, have a high school diploma or GED, and have passed one credit of algebra.
• IBEW Local 474 (Memphis and southwest Tennessee). The local received its apprenticeship charter in 1947 and opened its first dedicated training facility, with 10 classrooms and six labs, according to an IBEW report on the new center.
• IBEW Local 760 (Knoxville and East Tennessee). Local 760 links to the Electrical Training Alliance of Knoxville, which runs four years of classes (at least 180 hours a year, two nights a week from September to May) and requires at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training to reach journeyman. Its qualifications include being 18 and a diploma or GED with one full credit of algebra.
• IBEW Local 175 (Chattanooga and southeast Tennessee). The Chattanooga Electrical JATC offers a four-year journeyman wireman apprenticeship with 8,000 on-the-job hours. Applications for the class selected in spring 2027 are due November 30, 2026.
• IBEW Local 270 (Oak Ridge area). Its apprenticeship is the Oak Ridge Electrical JATC.
• IBEW Local 558 (southern Middle Tennessee, including Lawrenceburg and Pulaski). Based in North Alabama, it describes itself as serving North Alabama and southern Tennessee.
• IBEW Locals 934 and 1925 (the Tri-Cities area and northwest Tennessee). Contact details for both are in the IBEW local union directory.

Open-shop programs

• ABC Greater Tennessee Construction Trades Academy. The Associated Builders and Contractors chapter runs a four-year electrical program with 8,000 on-the-job hours and four years of school two nights a week. Applicants need a diploma or GED, a valid driver’s license, and to be 18 or older. For the 2026–2027 year, applications were due August 14, and classes run from the week of September 14 through the week of March 22, 2027.
• IEC Middle Tennessee. The Independent Electrical Contractors chapter for Middle Tennessee formed in 2019 and graduated its first apprentice class on June 14, 2023.

Technical colleges

The Tennessee Board of Regents runs 22 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) focused on workforce training, and many offer electrical or industrial electricity programs. Find the campus nearest you on the board’s list of institutions, then ask whether the program’s hours count toward the local license you plan to apply for.

The Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license

The LLE is the only electrician license the state itself issues to individuals. It fits a specific situation: electrical work under $25,000 in an area where the state fire marshal’s office handles permits and inspections. The board’s LLE application packet sets out the rules:

• Where it works: about 65 counties with state permit issuing agents. It is not accepted in the 28 jurisdictions that run their own programs.
• What it covers: projects under $25,000, including materials and labor. Projects cannot be split into phases to get under the limit.
• What it does not allow: an LLE may not use the term “contractor” or advertise as an electrical contractor.
• Who qualifies: anyone who passes the LLE trade exam. Preapproval and experience are not required to sit for it.
• Permits: the licensee performing the work must get the permit, not the property owner.
• Reciprocity: none. There are no out-of-state exam waiver agreements for the LLE.

The LLE exam

Prov took over the board’s exams on July 1, 2026, according to the board’s exam information page. The Prov Tennessee Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin (dated August 18, 2026) gives the details:

• Format: 40 questions in 2 hours, open book.
• Topics: general knowledge, installation requirements, services, feeders and branch circuits, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, conductors and cables, raceways and boxes, hazardous locations, low-voltage and signaling systems, and lighting and general-use equipment.
• Cost: $53 per attempt, paid to Prov when you register.
• Passing score: 73 percent. Results arrive by email when you finish, and candidates who fail get a report showing weak areas.
• Books: through January 1, 2027, candidates may also use reference books approved by the previous vendor, PSI.

Register on the Prov scheduling site. Because every Tennessee exam is open book, speed at finding things in your references matters. Our free NEC practice test is one way to build that speed. After you pass, apply online with your score, a photo ID, and the $50 fee.

LLE fees and renewal

The board’s fee schedule and renewal page cover the costs after the exam:

• Initial license: $50.
• Renewal: $50 every two years. The license expires on the last day of the month it was issued.
• Late renewal: $10 a month for up to three months. After three months, you must reinstate with a new application for $80.
• Continuing education: none required by the state for the LLE.

Local journeyman and master licenses: city by city

In cities and counties that run their own programs, the local license lets you work as a journeyman or master. The board’s LLE packet names 28 jurisdictions that do not accept the LLE: Athens, Bartlett, Bristol, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Collegedale, Collierville, Cookeville, East Ridge, Elizabethton, Franklin, Hamilton County, Humboldt, Jackson, Kingsport, Knoxville, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Maryville, Memphis and Shelby County, Morristown, Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge, Signal Mountain, Soddy Daisy, and Watauga. In those places, you need the local license or a state contractor license with the CE classification.

Nashville (Metro Nashville and Davidson County)

Metro Nashville’s Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Examiners and Appeals Board examines applicants for the master electrician certificate and other trade licenses. Metro’s electrical examination application covers the master electrician, journeyman electrician, equipment installer, and low-voltage installer classifications:

• Process: The Chief Electrical Inspector reviews your application, then Metro sends instructions to schedule the exam with Prov.
• Master electrician: requires six years of experience.
• Passing grade: 70 percent. If you fail, you can apply to retest after a 30-day wait.
• Documentation: written evidence of your experience, plus a letter about your general character from someone other than yourself, such as a supplier, past customer, or client.
• Pulling permits: to pull electrical permits as a contractor, Metro’s state trades registration form requires a state license with the CE, CE-B, or CE-H classification, a $40,000 Metro permit bond, and a $300,000 general liability certificate. Metro’s trades permits page has permit applications.

The Metro application forms are dated 2022, so confirm current requirements with the Department of Codes and Building Safety before you apply.

Chattanooga and Hamilton County

• Chattanooga: the city’s journeyman electrical license requires three years or 6,000 documented hours of electrical experience with an electrical contractor. The fee is $55; you apply through the city’s online portal, and the license expires every two years in even-numbered years.
• Hamilton County (outside the city): the county’s license application lists a Class IV electrical journeyman license for $15 ($10 for a holder of a state license) and a Class I electrical contractor license for $105, plus a $5 records fee for each license type.

Memphis, Knoxville, and other cities

Memphis and Shelby County, Knoxville, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Franklin, and Jackson all appear on the state’s list of jurisdictions that run their own licensing, so each sets its own journeyman and master requirements, exams, and fees. Their requirements change often enough that the safest step is to call the local codes office before you start counting hours. Find each one in the MTAS directory of code enforcement officials.

Becoming a licensed electrical contractor (CE)

The state contractor license with the CE classification is the credential needed to run an electrical business on larger jobs. The state issues it to a company (or an individual doing business), with a qualifying agent who passes the exams. The board’s contractor license page lays out the steps:

1. Pass two exams with Prov. The Tennessee Business and Law exam has 50 questions in 2.5 hours, and the CE electrical trade exam has 100 questions in 5 hours. Each costs $53; both are open book, and scores are typically valid for two years. The qualifying agent may be an owner, full-time employee, or officer.
2. Prove your finances. Submit a financial statement reviewed by a licensed CPA (for limits of $3,000,000 or less) or audited (above $3,000,000), less than 12 months old. Since July 1, 2026, you can use a surety bond of at least 50 percent of the requested limit instead.
3. Gather references and insurance. Include a letter of reference from a past client, employer, or code official; general liability insurance based on your monetary limit; workers’ compensation coverage (or an exemption); and a notarized contractor’s affidavit.
4. Register the business. Corporations and LLCs need proof of registration with the Secretary of State, and you need a business tax license for each city or county where you work.
5. Apply and pay $250. Apply online through the state’s licensing portal. The board may ask you to interview at a meeting, usually with a board member from the electrical field.

A few rules shape what the license lets you do:

• Monetary limit. Each license carries a per-project limit, generally 10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth. A $150,000 limit needs $15,000 in both, and an unlimited license needs $300,000 in both.
• Local exams for CE holders. The board’s Rule 0680-01-.16 says the CE classification shows the licensee passed the board’s exam, and it refers to a state law (T.C.A. § 62-6-111(i)(2)(C)) that limits local governments from requiring CE licensees to pass a separate local test. How each city or county applies this can differ, so confirm with your local codes office before you rely on it. Local permit, registration, and business license rules still apply.
• Experience. The rule does not set a fixed number of years. The board considers whether the applicant has adequate experience in the requested classification, along with an established place of business and equipment.
• Alarm systems. The board’s rule notes that alarm system work also needs a separate license from the Tennessee Alarm Systems Contractors Board.

Which electrical code does Tennessee use?

The State Fire Marshal’s Office adopts the statewide electrical code. Its currently adopted codes page lists the 2017 edition of the National Electrical Code, with two state amendments. State inspectors enforce that code in counties that use the state program.

• Local codes can be newer. Cities with their own inspection programs may adopt a later edition. Metro Nashville’s adopted codes list shows the 2023 National Electrical Code.
• Local codes cannot be weaker. Under Rule 0780-02-01-.17, no local government may enforce electrical standards less stringent than the state’s.
• Exams follow their own references. The Prov bulletin lists the code edition each state exam is based on, so check it before you buy books.

Permits and inspections in Tennessee

Every electrical job needs a permit and inspection, no matter the size. The fire marshal’s electrical installation rules explain how that works outside the big cities:

• Who issues permits: the power distributor, the local building official, the Commissioner, or an issuing agent the Commissioner authorizes. Issuing agents may charge up to $5 to issue a permit, in addition to inspection fees.
• Issuing agents: utilities, electric cooperatives, supply houses, and local offices under contract with the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The LLE packet lists them by county.
• Local inspection programs: the Commissioner may authorize a local government to inspect with its own deputy inspectors, which is how the larger cities run their programs.
• Homeowners: a homeowner may get a permit to do electrical work only on their own residence. Commercial work requires a license.

Tennessee electrician reciprocity

Tennessee has no reciprocity for individual electricians at the state level, because it has no state journeyman license to reciprocate. It does offer trade exam waivers for contractors. According to the board’s contractor page, if you hold an active license in one of these states, you may skip the Tennessee trade exam:

• Electrical classifications: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina (commercial licenses only), and West Virginia.
• National exam: Tennessee also accepts the NASCLA commercial exam.
• What is not waived: you still apply for a Tennessee license, which still requires the Business and Law exam for new licensees, and the waivers do not apply to the LLE.

The board is clear: you cannot operate in Tennessee with a license from another state. Local journeyman and master licenses are handled by each city or county, so ask the local office whether it recognizes your experience or license from elsewhere.

Renewal and continuing education

Tennessee’s state electrical licenses have lighter continuing education requirements than many states. The board’s renewal page covers the details:

• Contractor (CE): renewal is $200, and renewal opens in the state’s online system 90 days before expiration. You submit a financial statement (a CPA compilation above $1.5 million, a self-prepared balance sheet below that), proof of liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and proof of good standing with the Secretary of State. The grace period is 12 months at $20 a month.
• Continuing education: the state requires 8 hours only for residential building contractors. It requires none for the CE classification or the LLE.
• Local licenses: each city sets its own renewal cycle. Chattanooga journeyman licenses, for example, expire every two years in even-numbered years.

How much do electricians make in Tennessee?

Tennessee electricians earn close to the national figures, with a lower cost of living in much of the state. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ state Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (select Tennessee) show these figures for electricians as of May 2025:

• Median annual wage: $61,090 ($29.37 an hour).
• Mean annual wage: $63,540 ($30.55 an hour).
• Lowest-paid 10 percent: $39,600 or less.
• Highest-paid 10 percent: $92,160 or more.
• Employment: about 17,070 electricians statewide.

For comparison, the national median for electricians was $63,190 in May 2025, with the top 10 percent earning more than $108,510, according to BLS national data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9 percent employment growth for electricians nationally from 2024 to 2034.

Apprentices earn less while they train. Each program sets its own wage steps, usually rising each year as you complete classes and hours, so ask for the program’s wage scale when you apply.

Tennessee electrical licensing at a glance

The main Tennessee credentials side by side. State licenses come from the Board for Licensing Contractors; local ones from each city or county.

Credential	Who issues it	What it covers	Main requirement	Fees	Where to apply
Electrical contractor (CE)	State board	Contracts of $25,000 or more, statewide	Business and Law + CE trade exams, financial statement or bond, insurance	$250 application, $200 renewal, $53 per exam	Board contractor page
Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE)	State board	Projects under $25,000 in about 65 counties using state permits	Pass the LLE trade exam	$50 initial, $50 renewal, $53 exam	Board LLE page
Nashville master electrician	Metro Nashville	Master electrician in Davidson County	Six years of experience + Metro exam	Confirm with Metro	Metro examiners board
Chattanooga journeyman	City of Chattanooga	Journeyman work in the city	3 years or 6,000 hours with a contractor	$55	Chattanooga application
Hamilton County journeyman (Class IV)	Hamilton County	Journeyman work in the county	County application	$15 ($10 with a state license)	County application
Apprentice	No state license; some cities register	Work under a licensed electrician	Enrollment in a program (Nashville: 8,000 hours + 600 classroom)	Nashville: $25	ApprenticeshipTN

All state exams are given by Prov and require 73% to pass. Local fees and rules change, so confirm with the office before you apply.

Step-by-step checklist: becoming an electrician in Tennessee

The full path, from your first job to running your own business. Start by finding your local codes office in the MTAS directory.

1. Find out who licenses electricians where you will work. Check whether your city or county is on the board’s list of jurisdictions that run their own licensing.
2. Finish high school or an equivalent. Most programs require a diploma or GED and one credit of algebra.
3. Get into an apprenticeship or get hired by a contractor. Apply to a union JATC, an ABC or IEC program, or a contractor, and register as an apprentice if your city requires it.
4. Log your hours and classes. Most programs run four years with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. Keep your own records and employer letters.
5. Get the license that fits your area. If your city has its own program, apply for the local journeyman license. In a county that uses state permits, consider the LLE for jobs under $25,000.
6. Pass your exam. State exams go through Prov at $53 each, with a 73 percent passing score; local exams follow the city’s process.
7. Keep your license current. Renew the LLE every two years and follow your city’s renewal cycle for a local license.
8. Go further if you want to. Earn a local master license, and to bid on jobs of $25,000 or more, get the state contractor license with the CE classification.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

Becoming an electrician in Tennessee starts with a local question: who issues permits where you work? In the big cities, you train through an apprenticeship and earn the city’s journeyman and master licenses. In counties that use the state fire marshal’s permits, the state LLE covers jobs under $25,000. Anyone contracting for electrical work of $25,000 or more needs the state contractor license with the CE classification. For current forms, fees, and exam details, start with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors and your local codes office. Godspeed!

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Licensing requirements, fees, exam details, and code editions change, and they differ by city, county, and license type. Confirm current requirements with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, your local codes department, and your apprenticeship program before making decisions about training or employment.