City/County/State Licensing Requirements

In addition to the Business License, (See separate handout), there are licensing requirements and supplementary regulations, new businesses need to be aware of. The Greater Knoxville SCORE Chapter tried to determine what all the requirements are, but believe it would take a large book to contain all the details. This handout is a condensation/abbreviation of the requirements.

Home Occupations

Both the City of Knoxville and Knox County have requirements for home businesses. They are very similar
According to the Knox County Zoning Ordinance, Knox County Department of Code Administration shall approve all home occupations prior to initiation of such activity.

Home businesses need to comply with the following:

• No Person other than family members residing on the premises shall be engaged in such occupation.

• Not more than 25% of the floor area of the dwelling shall be used in conducting the home occupation.

• There shall be no change in the outside appearance of the building.

• No home occupation shall be conducted in any accessory building.

• There shall be no sales other than sales of services or sales of products produced on the premises.

• No traffic shall be generated in greater volumes than would be expected in a residential neighborhood.

• No equipment or process shall be used that increases noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical interference detectable to the normal senses off the lot.

• No equipment or process shall be used which creates visual or audible interference in any radio or television receivers off the premises or causes electrical fluctuations in the line voltage.

Permitted Home Occupations:

• Artist, sculptor, author, craftsperson

• Barber shop and beauty shop, limited to one barber’s or beautician’s station.

• Dressmaker, milliner, seamstress, tailor, interior decorator

• Office of a lawyer, engineer, architect, accountant, broker or manufacturer’s representative

• Teaching, including tutoring, musical instruction or dancing, but limited to one pupil at any given time.

• Computer programming and word processing

• Telephone answering service

• Cooking and preserving

• Any other similar use.

The City of Knoxville prohibits tea rooms, tourist homes, real estate offices, convalescent homes, mortuary establishments, animal hospitals, repair shops and catering services

NOTE: Child Care in a residential home has an additional list of requirements. There is a special SCORE handout on establishing a child day care facility.

For complete details on Knox County requirements go to:

http://www.knoxmpc.org/zoning/countyzn/a49.htm

and for the City of Knoxville requirements go to:

http://knoxmpc.org/zoning/cityzone/a5s12.htm

Obtaining a City of Knoxville sub-contractor’s license

There are 3 ways to obtain this license:

• Take and pass the Experior exam

• Reciprocate your current license based on the Experior exam if you are licensed with a city that has a reciprocal agreement with the City of Knoxville.

• Reciprocate your current license based on a State of Tennessee license.

When taking the Experior Exam:

• You must request an application and three reference letters. Upon submitting, you will be asked to fill out the top portion of the “Exam Registration Form.”

• A fee of $30 is due upon submitting the necessary paperwork.

• After review and approval, the bottom portion of the “Exam Registration Form” will be completed and given to the applicant.

• The applicant then contacts Experior (1-800-888-8421) to pay exam fee(s) and schedule exam date, time and location.

• When the applicant passes the exam, a verification letter from Experior will be needed when the applicant chooses to obtain a City of Knoxville license. The license is renewable each year with an expiration date of December 31st. A licensing fee is due upon obtaining the license and for each renewal.

• When the applicant chooses to become licensed with the City, they will also add the required Bond (with Power of Attorney.) The Bond is need to pull permits. A bond form is available from the Inspection Bureau Office and should be taken to the applicant’s insurance agent.

Call the City of Knoxville Board Office at (865) 215-2988 or the Inspection Bureau’s main number at (865)215-2999 if you wish to request a license application.

Before you will be allowed to purchase permits to install systems or service equipment, you must obtain a City of Knoxville Tax Certification and present a Contractor’s Surety Bond with an original Power of Attorney attached, if applicable. The following licenses are available:

Electrical License - Master Electrician, Residential Electrician, Electrical Maintenance, Electrical Appliance Dealer’s Ltd. and Special Limited State License. The Master Electrician and the Special Limited State License have a fee of $300. All other have a fee of $150. The Bond required is $10,000 for all except the Electrical Maintenance which has no bond requirements and the Electrical Appliance Dealer’s Ltd. which is $5000.

Gas License - Commercial, Residential and Special Limited State License. The fee is $150 and the bond requirement is $10,000 for all three type licenses.

Mechanical License - Commercial, A/C Residential, Refrigeration, Sheet Metal and Special Limited State License. The fee is $150 and the bond requirement is $10,000 for all 5 type licenses.

Plumbing License - Master, Journeyman and Special Limited State License. The fee is $300 and the bonding requirement $10,000 except for the Journeyman license where the fee is $25 and there is no bond requirement.

STATE of Tennessee Regulations

Certain types of professions are regulated at the state and federal level. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance licenses and regulates certain non-medical professions in order to insure a standard level of skills and business practices for the safety of the general public. The following is a list of the professions which are regulated and the telephone number to call to obtain a copy of the license application for each of the regulated professions. This is NOT a comprehensive list. The Department of Health licenses the medical professions and facilities (615-532-3202); Commerce and Insurance licenses securities dealers, their agents (stockbrokers) and investment advisers (Contact: Broker-Dealer Section, Securities Division Department of Commerce and Insurance 615-741-5911)

At the federal level, a number of agencies regulate interstate commercial activities, export licensing, labor and management issues and copyright issues. For export assistance contact: U. S. Department of Commerce, 601 W. Summit Hill Dr. Suite 300, Knoxville, TN 37902 Telephone: (865) 545-4637 E-mail: Knoxville.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov  Web site: www.usatrade.gov/knoxville  Consult your local library or the Lawson McGhee Library Business Resource Center (865) 215-8722 to locate federal digests or resource books pertaining to your particular activity.