How to get a plumbing license in Tennessee: the official requirements
The Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.
In Tennessee, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) license, issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors to individuals who pass the LLP trade exam. It is needed where the municipality uses the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections and covers projects below a per-project cost limit. Local governments may accept the LLP or have their own plumber licensing, so check with yours first; an LLP holder is not a contractor. Experience and training: At least one year of plumbing experience, proved with a copy of a local plumbing license or a notarized verification with a list of your experience. The Board checks experience references. Licensing exam: The LLP trade exam; you attach a copy of your score (or evidence of a plumber exam passed with a Tennessee local government) to the application. Exam information is on the PSI Exams website. How to apply: Complete the Initial Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Application online at core.tn.gov, with photo ID, your Social Security number, your exam score and proof of experience.
Tennessee plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Tennessee |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) license, issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors to individuals who pass the LLP trade exam. It is needed where the municipality uses the state Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections and covers projects below a per-project cost limit. Local governments may accept the LLP or have their own plumber licensing, so check with yours first; an LLP holder is not a contractor. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. |
| Experience and training | At least one year of plumbing experience, proved with a copy of a local plumbing license or a notarized verification with a list of your experience. The Board checks experience references. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. |
| Licensing exam | The LLP trade exam; you attach a copy of your score (or evidence of a plumber exam passed with a Tennessee local government) to the application. Exam information is on the PSI Exams website. |
| How to apply | Complete the Initial Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Application online at core.tn.gov, with photo ID, your Social Security number, your exam score and proof of experience. |
| Background check | Applicants with a felony conviction must disclose all convictions and provide a background investigation report from the TBI; the Board may deny a license based on any conviction or a failure to disclose. |
| State fees | Initial application: $75 (the Board's application form describes this as a two-year license fee, of which $50 is non-refundable). Renewal: $50. |
| License term | Two years: the license fee is for a two-year license, and renewal can be done online. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. |
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 plumbing 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 your local government whether it accepts the LLP or has its own plumber licensing.
- Build at least one year of plumbing experience and document it (a local plumbing license or a notarized experience verification).
- Pass the LLP trade exam (exam information is on the PSI Exams website).
- Complete the Initial Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) Application online at core.tn.gov and pay the $75 fee.
- Renew the license every two years (renewal is $50 and can be done online).
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salary in TennesseeWhat plumbers earn.
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Open →InterviewPlumber interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
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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 plumbing 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, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) License Application [6/18], official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Tennessee LLP (Limited Licensed Plumber) Renewal Notice, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.