Tennessee Electrical Contractor (CE) License: Requirements and How to Apply

Tennessee Electrical Contractor (CE) License: Requirements and How to Apply

In Tennessee, any company that contracts electrical work of $25,000 or more, as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor whose electrical portion reaches that amount, needs a contractor license with the CE (Electrical Contractor) classification from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The CE is accepted statewide, including in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, which do not accept the smaller Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license. Everything below comes from the Board's contractor, exam, fees and renewal pages and Prov's Tennessee bulletin (August 18, 2026).

Who takes the exams

The license is held by the business. The qualifying agent who takes the exams must be an owner, an officer or a full-time employee; one without ownership files a power of attorney. Up to two people may take the exams for a company, and the person who passes Business & Law need not be the one who passes the trade exam.

The two exams

Both are open book, cost $53 each with Prov, and need 73% to pass. No Board approval is needed before you schedule. Scores are typically valid for two years.

Our practice exams cover the CE trade exam. The Business & Law exam is separate, and we do not cover it yet.

See what is on the CE trade exam.

What else the Board requires

1. Financial statement or surety bond. A reviewed financial statement (audited above a $3,000,000 limit) prepared by a licensed CPA, less than 12 months old; or, since July 1, 2026, a contractors' surety bond of at least 50% of the monetary limit you request.
2. Monetary limit. Your limit per project is 10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth; $300,000 in both gives an unlimited limit.
3. Letter of reference from a past client, employer or code official who can speak to your construction experience (not a family member).
4. Insurance: general liability based on your limit, and workers' compensation unless you are exempt.
5. Contractor's affidavit, notarized and signed by the qualifying agent and owners.
6. Business registration: corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships register with the Tennessee Secretary of State, and every contractor needs a local business tax license where it works.
7. Apply online through CORE with the $250 application fee.

The Board may call you for a short interview if the application is incomplete or shows complaints or convictions.

Out-of-state contractors

Tennessee does not let you work on another state's license, but it waives the CE trade exam for electrical contractors actively licensed in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina (commercial only) or West Virginia. It also accepts the NASCLA Electrical Contractor exam in place of the trade exam. Waivers never cover the Business & Law exam.

Renewal

Contractor licenses renew every two years for $200, with a self-prepared balance sheet (a compiled financial statement above a $1.5 million limit), current insurance and proof of active registration. A license renewed up to 12 months late pays a $20 monthly penalty. Tennessee requires no continuing education for the CE classification.

Practice for the exam

Our Tennessee CE practice test is weighted like Prov's CE trade exam outline, and every code question cites the 2017 NEC section you would look up on test day.