How to get an electrician license in Tennessee: the official requirements
The Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.
In Tennessee, the state electrical license for individual electricians is issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license, issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors to individuals who pass the LLE trade exam. It covers projects below a per-project cost limit and is needed where the municipality uses the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections; some local governments run their own journeyman/master licensing instead, so check with the local government first. Experience and training: No experience and no preapproval are needed to take the LLE exam. Licensing exam: The LLE trade exam from PSI Exams Services, LLC; you need it to get the license, and you attach your exam score to the application. The Board notes the LLE exam is not comparable to a local journeyman/master exam. How to apply: Complete the Initial Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) Application online at core.tn.gov (or by mail), attaching your exam score, a copy of a government-issued photo ID and proof of US citizenship or qualified alien status.
Tennessee electrician license requirements
| Requirement | Tennessee |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license, issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors to individuals who pass the LLE trade exam. It covers projects below a per-project cost limit and is needed where the municipality uses the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections; some local governments run their own journeyman/master licensing instead, so check with the local government first. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. |
| Experience and training | No experience and no preapproval are needed to take the LLE exam. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. |
| Licensing exam | The LLE trade exam from PSI Exams Services, LLC; you need it to get the license, and you attach your exam score to the application. The Board notes the LLE exam is not comparable to a local journeyman/master exam. |
| How to apply | Complete the Initial Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) Application online at core.tn.gov (or by mail), attaching your exam score, a copy of a government-issued photo ID and proof of US citizenship or qualified alien status. |
| Background check | Applicants with a felony conviction must disclose all convictions; the application then goes to full Board review, and a license may be denied for any felony conviction. |
| State fees | Initial LLE application: $50, non-refundable. Renewal: $50. Reinstatement after more than three months expired: $80. PSI exam fees are separate. |
| License term | Two years; the LLE license expires every two years on the last day of the month of issuance. |
| Continuing education | No continuing education requirements apply to the LLE license. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the electrical license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Tennessee
- Check with the local government where you will work whether it accepts the LLE license or has its own licensing.
- Take and pass the LLE trade exam from PSI Exams Services (no experience or preapproval needed to test).
- Apply online at core.tn.gov with the Initial Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) Application and the $50 fee.
- Attach your exam score, a photo ID and proof of US citizenship or qualified alien status.
- Renew every two years.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become an electricianThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayElectrician salary in TennesseeWhat electricians earn.
Open →CareerElectrician career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →ResumeElectrician resumeHow to present your hours and licenses.
Open →InterviewElectrician interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the electrical license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, sign, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) License Application & Information (Rev. Jun, 2025), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.