Tennessee Master Electrician License: Local Requirements by City

Tennessee Has No Statewide Master Electrician License

If you search for a "Tennessee master electrician license," you won't find one — because the state doesn't issue one. Unlike most states that have a progressive statewide credential ladder (apprentice → journeyman → master), Tennessee delegates individual electrician licensing entirely to local municipal boards.

The state government issues two state-level credentials: the Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) for projects under $25,000 and the Electrical Contractor (CE) license for larger projects. The LLE is an individual permit, while the CE is a business license; neither is equivalent to a personal master electrician designation.

To earn a journeyman or master electrician title in Tennessee, you go through a local municipal board. Each city sets its own experience thresholds, age minimums, exam formats, and renewal cycles. They're genuinely independent programs — passing the master exam in Nashville doesn't automatically qualify you in Memphis.

Nashville Master Electrician Requirements

Davidson County's Metropolitan Board of Electrical Examiners runs one of the more rigorous programs in the state.

Master Electrician: Requires a minimum of six years of total trade experience — three years as an apprentice or helper, plus three years working as a journeyman. An electrical engineering degree from an accredited institution may substitute for up to four years of field experience at the Board's discretion.

Journeyman Electrician: Requires completion of a registered electrical construction apprenticeship program, or regular employment as a journeyman working under the direct supervision of a licensed master electrician or contractor.

Nashville's exams are administered locally with a 70% passing score requirement. The city has adopted the 2020 NEC with local Davidson County amendments. One critical fact: Davidson County does not recognize the state LLE permit. All electrical work within the county requires a local trade license and municipal permits, regardless of project value.

Memphis Master Electrician Requirements

The Memphis and Shelby County Electrical Code Board has its own distinct requirements with age minimums not found in other Tennessee cities.

Master Electrician: Must be at least 24 years old with at least four years of active experience specifically as a licensed journeyman electrician. The master exam is a five-hour test with 100 questions.

Journeyman Electrician: Must be at least 20 years old with a minimum of three years of practical electrical experience. The journeyman exam runs four hours with 80 questions.

Memphis and Shelby County operate under the 2020 NEC with local amendments. Like Nashville, the state LLE is not recognized within Shelby County.

Knoxville's Classification System

Knoxville takes a different approach entirely. Instead of issuing journeyman and master designations, the Knoxville Board of Electrical Examiners uses a four-tier class system:

• Class 1 (Electrical Contractor): 5 years of experience. Allows securing permits and offering services to the public.
• Class 2 (Electrical Residential Contractor): 4 years of experience. Limited strictly to residential properties.
• Class 3 (Electrical Maintenance): 4 years of experience. Restricted to properties owned or leased by the employing business.
• Class 4 (Electrical Appliance Dealer): 2 years of experience. Limited to appliance-related circuits and switches.

All Knoxville electrical licenses expire annually and must be renewed to maintain permit privileges. The city has adopted the 2020 NEC with local amendments.

Chattanooga Requirements

The Chattanooga Electrical Board licenses several categories of electrical professionals:

Class I Electrical Contractor and Plant Master: At least three years of active experience as a journeyman or plant electrician. The Class I Contractor license costs $400 for a two-year period.

Journeyman Electrician and Plant Electrician: Three years (6,000 hours) of documented experience working under a licensed contractor. The journeyman license is $55 for two years.

A valid Class I Contractor license in Chattanooga allows the holder to obtain a journeyman or residential license without additional trade exams. Applications and renewals are processed through the Chattanooga OpenGov portal. The city operates under the 2017 NEC with local amendments — notably behind other Tennessee cities that have adopted the 2020 edition.

Crossing City Lines

One of the most frustrating realities of Tennessee's local licensing system: your journeyman or master credential from one city doesn't automatically transfer to another. Many local jurisdictions don't offer automatic reciprocal card swaps.

If you hold a Nashville journeyman card and want to work in Memphis, you may need to contact the Shelby County board, verify whether they recognize Davidson County credentials, and potentially sit for their own local exam. The exception is state CE license holders — a valid state contractor license generally allows you to register locally and obtain permits without retaking local trade exams.

The Tennessee Electrician License Guide provides a detailed comparison of requirements across all major Tennessee municipalities, including the specific experience documentation each board accepts and the procedures for registering credentials across jurisdictions.

See more Tennessee guides →