Tennessee Low Voltage License Requirements

Tennessee does not use a CE-C classification for communications or low-voltage work: CE-C is underground electrical conduit installation. For sound, intercom, fire-detection, signal, burglar-alarm, and security systems up to 70 volts, the contractor classification is CE-D; CE-J or full CE is required for the listed alarm and security work with conduit and wiring above 70 volts. A Tennessee contractor license is generally required before contracting on a project costing $25,000 or more. Alarm-system work follows a separate Alarm Systems Contractors Board program, although a qualifying CE, CMC, or CMC-C contractor may be eligible to file a statutory exclusion in narrow circumstances. Local permit and inspection authorities remain controlling for project approvals.

Regulatory Body

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance — Board for Licensing Contractors and Alarm Systems Contractors Board (TDCI BLC / ASCB) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 62-6 and 62-32; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0680-01 and 0090. The Board for Licensing Contractors assigns contractor classifications and monetary limits. The Alarm Systems Contractors Board licenses alarm companies, qualifying agents, and certain employees.

Official portal: https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/classification-outline.html

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The reviewed contractor and alarm-board materials do not state a Tennessee residency requirement. Local business, permit, and inspection requirements still apply.

Good moral character

Alarm qualifying agents and registered employees must meet the Board's character and criminal-history requirements.

Background investigation

Alarm qualifying agents and registered employees complete the current IdentoGO background-check process. The Alarm Board identifies ORI TN90140Z for these applications.

Experience and Education

The cited source set does not publish a fixed year-based experience threshold for this credential. The controlling requirement is CE-D does not require a trade examination, but new contractor applicants must pass Tennessee Business and Law and satisfy the Board's financial, insurance, and application requirements. A CE-J classification requires the applicable electrical trade exam. An Alarm Systems Contractor company must employ a licensed Designated Qualifying Agent (DQA); the DQA needs a qualifying post-high-school degree, or national field certification plus three years of relevant alarm-industry experience, and must pass the Board examination..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Contractor financial statement and insurance evidence
Business and Law examination result and trade-exam result when the classification requires one
Alarm company application and DQA application
DQA education or national-certification and experience documentation
Alarm employee registration and fingerprint receipt, when required

Education substitution

For an Alarm Board DQA, a qualifying post-high-school degree is one published education-and-experience path. The alternative is a current national field certification plus three years of relevant experience.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Tennessee's current contractor examination provider is Prov (effective July 1, 2026); the Alarm Board uses PSI for qualifying-agent examinations.. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Tennessee Business and Law examination for a new contractor license — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Electrical trade examination for CE-J or full CE, when applicable — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Alarm Systems Contractor qualifying-agent examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: Verify the current exam charge with Prov or PSI when scheduling; CE-D itself is listed as a no-trade-exam classification.

Retake policy: Use the current Prov or PSI candidate bulletin. The reviewed Board pages do not support a universal waiting-period claim.

Insurance and Bonds

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

For a contractor license, required liability limits depend on the assigned monetary limit: $100,000 minimum; $500,000 for limits from $500,000 to $1,500,000; and $1,000,000 above $1,500,001. Alarm companies submit insurance meeting Tenn. Code Ann. §62-32-315.

Workers' compensation

A contractor applicant must submit workers' compensation coverage or the applicable exemption documentation. Confirm employer obligations separately.

Additional financial requirements

A new contractor applicant provides a CPA-reviewed statement for a limit up to $3 million or an audited statement above that; the Board bases the limit on working capital and net worth.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$250
Initial license	$250
Renewal (every 2 years)	$200

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Tennessee low voltage.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Tennessee CE-D/CE-J contractor classification or Alarm Systems Contractor credential, as applicable must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $200. Contractor renewal is $200 for two years. Keep the assigned monetary limit, financial information, insurance, and business status current.

Continuing education: The reviewed contractor materials do not state a fixed statewide continuing-education requirement for CE-D. Follow the credential-specific renewal notice; Alarm Board company, DQA, and employee renewals have separate schedules and fees.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Tennessee Low Voltage License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Tennessee grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Contractor trade-exam waivers apply only to participating contractor-license classifications, not LLE or alarm credentials. The Alarm Board says it has no reciprocal agreements with other states.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Low Voltage license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Low Voltage Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Tennessee's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Alabama Low Voltage License Requirements — Alabama Electrical Contractor license and AESBL electronic-security license, as applicable
Arkansas Low Voltage License Requirements — Arkansas Class E Alarm Systems Company License
Georgia Low Voltage License Requirements — Georgia Low-Voltage Contractor License — LV-A, LV-G, LV-T, and LV-U
Kentucky Low Voltage License Requirements — Kentucky Low-Voltage Installer Certification
Mississippi Low Voltage License Requirements — Mississippi Low-Voltage Contractor and Electronic Protection Licensing Requirements
Missouri Low Voltage License Requirements — Missouri Local Low-Voltage and Electrical Contractor Requirements
North Carolina Low Voltage License Requirements — North Carolina Special Restricted Fire Alarm/Low-Voltage Electrical Contractor (SP-FA/LV)
Virginia Low Voltage License Requirements — Virginia Electronic/Communication and Fire Alarm Contractor Specialty

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Classify the work and voltage. Use CE-D for the listed systems up to 70 volts; use CE-J or full CE for the listed alarm/security work above 70 volts. CE-F and CE-G cover telephone lines/ducts and cable TV, respectively.
Determine whether the $25,000 contractor threshold applies. Before bidding or negotiating a project at $25,000 or more, obtain the proper Tennessee contractor license and monetary limit. Do not split a project to avoid the threshold.
Apply for the contractor classification. Submit the initial contractor application, financial statement, insurance, Business and Law result, and trade result if required. The initial contractor application fee is $250.
Use the Alarm Board route when the scope is alarm contracting. An alarm company needs a company license and a management-role DQA in the same classifications—Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm, Monitoring, and/or CCTV. Initial company licensing is $500 plus $50 per classification.
Register required alarm employees. Register employees with access to alarm records, diagrams, plans, or other sensitive information within 30 days of employment. Complete background checks and pay the $100 employee fee.
Evaluate any contractor exclusion carefully. A valid CE, CMC, or CMC-C contractor deriving less than 50% of gross annual revenue from alarm work may file an exclusion affidavit. An LLE does not qualify for that exclusion.
Obtain local permits and inspections. The LLE is accepted only by participating local issuing agents for qualifying work under $25,000. Every jurisdiction can impose permit, inspection, and local-business requirements.

Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to TDCI BLC / ASCB:

Correct CE-D, CE-J, CE-F, CE-G, or full CE classification
Contractor monetary-limit and $25,000 threshold check
Contractor application, CPA financial statement, and insurance
Business and Law examination plus trade examination when required
Alarm company and DQA applications for alarm contracting
Alarm employee registrations and background checks where required
Local permits, inspections, and business licensing

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Tennessee Low Voltage applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Using CE-C for communications work

CE-C is underground conduit, not the low-voltage communications/alarm category.

Assuming CE-D is an alarm-company license

Alarm work can require the separate Alarm Board company/DQA program unless a properly filed statutory exclusion applies.

Treating LLE as statewide acceptance

Local issuing agents decide whether to accept an LLE for eligible work below $25,000.

Ignoring the voltage distinction

The Board distinguishes CE-D systems up to 70 volts from CE-J work above 70 volts.

Skipping local approvals

State credentials do not replace local permits, inspections, or business requirements.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

Tennessee contractor classification outline — Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Current CE-D, CE-J, CE-F, and CE-G scopes and trade-exam status.
Tennessee Alarm Systems Contractor licensing guide — Alarm Systems Contractors Board. Company, DQA, employee, classification, fingerprint, and fee requirements.
Local permit authority requirements — Project jurisdiction. Required because Tennessee permit and inspection requirements vary by issuing agent and municipality.

Other Tennessee Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Tennessee licensing guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CE-C Tennessee's low-voltage classification?

No. CE-C is underground electrical conduit installation. CE-D covers the listed sound, intercom, fire-detection, signal, burglar-alarm, and security systems up to 70 volts.

When is CE-J required?

CE-J or full CE is required for the listed fire-detection, signal, burglar-alarm, and security work with conduit and wiring above 70 volts.

Does an alarm company need a separate credential?

Usually, alarm contracting uses the Alarm Systems Contractors Board company/DQA program. A limited statutory exclusion may be available to an eligible CE, CMC, or CMC-C contractor that files the exclusion affidavit; an LLE cannot use it.

Can I use an LLE for all smaller Tennessee projects?

No. The LLE is for qualifying work below $25,000 and is accepted only by participating local issuing agents. Check the local permit authority before relying on it.

Does Tennessee have statewide alarm reciprocity?

No. The Alarm Systems Contractors Board says Tennessee has no reciprocal agreements with other states.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

Report a correction to this guide

Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.