Tennessee Contractor License Requirements
A statewide license triggered by a $25,000 project threshold, with a separate lower-tier license for smaller residential remodeling in specific counties.
License Requirement
Licensing body: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Ch. 6) — tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors.html
Tennessee requires a contractor license for prime contracts of $25,000 or more (subcontracts in electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing also trigger at $25,000; masonry subcontracts trigger at $100,000). A separate Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license covers residential remodeling jobs between $3,000 and $24,999, but only in 9 specific Tennessee counties — not statewide. Classifications include Residential (BC-A), Commercial (BC-B), Industrial (BC-C), Electrical (CE), Mechanical/Plumbing/HVAC (CMC, CMC-A, CMC-C), Fire Sprinkler (CMC-D), and Masonry (LMC).
Exam
A Business & Law exam is required of all applicants, plus a trade exam per classification. The testing vendor is transitioning from PSI to "Prov" effective July 1, 2026, per the Board's own site.
Bonding
The main contractor license has no bond by default — applicants submit a CPA-prepared financial statement instead, though starting July 1, 2026 an optional surety bond (at least 50% of the requested monetary limit) can substitute for that. The separate HIC license requires a $10,000 surety bond.
Continuing Education
BC-A (Residential) contractors: 8 continuing-education hours per 2-year renewal cycle, $200 renewal fee. The HIC license renews annually for a $200 fee with no CE requirement found.
Experience Requirements
Monetary limit is calculated as 10x the lesser of working capital or net worth, via a CPA-reviewed financial statement (audited above a $3 million limit). The HIC license requires "experience with remodeling work," though exact years weren't specified in the materials reviewed.
Reciprocity
Trade-exam waivers confirmed for applicants from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia. The NASCLA National Commercial exam is also accepted.
Licensing requirements change and vary by locality within a state. Always verify current requirements with your state's contractor licensing board before applying. This page is an independent informational reference — it is not legal advice, and ContractorLicense.org is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any state licensing board.
Research note: High confidence on thresholds, bonding structure, the exam-vendor transition, CE hours, and renewal cycle — all sourced directly from tn.gov. The exact HIC experience-years requirement is unconfirmed.
Still Not Sure What Tennessee Requires?
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