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If you want to perform electrical services in the state of Tennessee, you must obtain a license from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, or more specifically, the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. You can opt to become an electrical contractor or a limited licensed electrician. 

How do these licenses differ in terms of the work you can perform and the requirements for licensure?

Electrical Contractor

As a licensed electrical contractor, you may perform a range of activities for residential, commercial, and industrial clients, including:

• Electrical work and wiring for buildings and structures
• Low-voltage work
• Electrical temperature controls
• Fire detection systems
• Signal burglar alarms
• Roadway lighting, attenuators, and signalization

A contractor license with a commercial electrician (CE) classification is required to accept contracts over $25,000. To obtain this license, you must submit an application that includes the following documents:

• Completed, signed, and notarized application package
• Letter of reference proving work/trade experience
• CPA/PA-prepared financial statements
• Proof of general liability insurance
• Proof of workers’ compensation insurance

You will also be required to pass two exams. The first is the CE – Electrical Contractor exam, an open-book test that consists of 100 questions on the following topics:

• General knowledge and electrical installation requirements
• Building code requirements
• Services, feeders, and branch circuits
• Overcurrent protection
• Grounding and bonding
• Conductors and cables
• Raceways and boxes
• Hazardous locations, special occupancies, and special equipment
• Low voltage, alarms, signaling signs, and communications
• Lighting, signs, and general use equipment
• OSHA and NFPA 70E safety
• Motors, transformers, and generators

You have 260 minutes to complete this test, and you must answer a minimum of 73 questions correctly to pass. 

Alternatively, you may opt to take the NASCLA Electrical Contractor exam, which is accepted as a substitute for the state trade exam by 15 state licensing boards.

Either way, you’ll also have to pass the Business Law exam, an open-book test featuring 50 questions that cover topics like:

• Licensing requirements
• Estimating and bidding
• Business organization and financial management
• Tax laws
• Labor laws
• Project management and lien law
• Contracts
• Risk management
• Environmental and safety

This test is 140 minutes long, and you must answer at least 37 questions correctly to pass.

Limited Licensed Electrician

With a license for limited electrical work, you may accept jobs up to a threshold of $25,000. However, you should know that LLE licenses are not valid in counties that have their own codes office for inspections, licensing, and testing.

You don’t have to take the Business Law exam to become a limited licensed electrician. You will still have to pass a trade exam, though. The LLE, or Limited Licensed Electrician exam, is an open-book test that consists of 40 questions on the following topics:

• General knowledge and electrical installation requirements
• Services, feeders, and branch circuits
• Overcurrent protection
• Grounding and bonding
• Conductors and cables
• Raceways and boxes
• Hazardous locations, special occupancies, and special equipment
• Low voltage, alarms, signaling systems, and communications
• Lighting, signs, and general use equipment

You’ll have 130 minutes to complete the exam, and you must answer 40 or more questions correctly to pass. If you wish to work in a county that doesn’t accept LLE licenses, you may take the NASCLA Electrician exam to obtain a journeyman or master license.

Sign Up for Our Exam Prep Program Today

Are you looking for a state-approved exam prep program to help you pass your Electrical Contractor or Limited Licensed Electrician exams in Tennessee? Contact RocketCert today to get started.