Every electrician working in Texas must be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); there is no exception for “helping out” or working informally, with only a narrow set of statutory exemptions.
The process runs through five distinct license tiers, each with its own hour requirement, application fee, and exam. This guide walks through exactly what TDLR requires at each step, with current fees and forms, so you know precisely what to do next, regardless of where you are in the process.
Texas Electrician Licensing: Quick Facts
- Licensing authority: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
- Governing law: Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1305 (Electrical Safety and Licensing Act)
- Apprentice license: $20 application fee; minimum age 16
- Journeyman license: 8,000 OJT hours + $30 application fee + exam
- Master license: 12,000 OJT hours + 2 years as journeyman + $45 application fee + exam
- Exam administrator: PSI Services LLC (under contract to TDLR)
- Passing score: 70% or better
- License renewal: Annual
- Continuing education (advanced licenses): 4 hours per renewal cycle
Table of Contents
The Five TDLR Electrician License Tiers
TDLR issues five distinct individual and business electrical credentials under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1305 and 16 Tex. Admin. Code Chapter 73:
- Electrical Apprentice: the entry-level license; work only under direct supervision
- Journeyman Electrician: can perform electrical work largely independently, but cannot pull permits or supervise apprentices independently
- Residential Wireman: a more limited license scoped to one- and two-family dwellings
- Master Electrician: the highest individual license, required to qualify for an electrical contracting business
- Electrical Contractor: a business license requiring a qualifying Master Electrician
This guide focuses on the most common path, Apprentice → Journeyman → Master, since it covers the large majority of people searching for how to get licensed in Texas.
Step 1: Get Your Apprentice Electrician License
You must register as an Electrical Apprentice with TDLR before your hours begin counting toward your journeyman requirement. Hours worked before registration do not count. This is the single most important detail to act on early, since it directly affects your timeline later.
Requirements:
- Minimum age 16 (Electrical Sign Apprentices must be at least 18)
- No exam or prior experience required
- Application fee: $20, non-refundable
Where to apply: Submit the Texas Apprentice Electrician License Application directly through TDLR. Once registered, you must work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, or Residential Wireman.
Training program note: Your electrical training, if completed through a formal program, must be recognized by the Texas Workforce Commission or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, registered with the US Department of Labor, or be a competency-based standardized craft training program meeting US DOL standards.
For program options that satisfy this requirement, see our guide to the best electrician schools in Texas.
Step 2: Accumulate Your Hours and Apply for Journeyman
Once registered as an apprentice, you begin accumulating the on-the-job training (OJT) hours required for the Journeyman Electrician license.
Hour requirement: 8,000 hours of OJT under the supervision of a Master Electrician.
The early exam option: TDLR’s own application guidance allows candidates to sit for the journeyman exam once they have completed at least 7,000 of the required 8,000 hours.
If you pass the exam early under this option, you still need to submit documentation of your remaining hours before TDLR will actually issue the license, but it means you do not have to wait until your final hour is logged to get the test out of the way.
Documentation requirements: Your employment history portion of the application must account for the full 8,000 hours, and you need an Experience Verification Form for each employer, signed by your supervising master electrician. TDLR may directly contact your employers or supervising master electricians to verify your reported experience.
Application form: Submit the completed Journeyman Electrician License Application Form (ELC005) with the $30 non-refundable application fee by mail to:
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation PO Box 12157 Austin, TX 78711-2157
Important deadline detail: You must meet all requirements within 12 months of the filing date on your application, or the application will be terminated, and you will need to reapply.
Step 3: Pass the Journeyman Exam (Now a Two-Part Test)
After your application is reviewed and your fee is received, TDLR will notify you by email or mail that you are approved to schedule your exam through PSI Services LLC, the testing administrator under contract to TDLR.
Important update for 2026 applicants: Starting March 11, 2025, the Journeyman Electrician exam changed from a single test into two separate parts, a knowledge portion and a calculations portion. Anyone planning their exam prep should account for this updated structure rather than relying on older study guides describing a single combined exam.
Exam details:
- Administered by PSI Services LLC
- Open book, the National Electrical Code (2023 Edition or current TDLR-adopted edition) may be referenced
- You must bring your own NEC book in soft-bound form; loose-leaf, spiral-bound, or ring-bound copies are not permitted
- Passing score: 70% or better
- Exam fee: $78 (journeyman)
- Valid government-issued photo ID required, matching exactly what TDLR has on file
Once you pass both portions of the exam and your full 8,000 hours are documented and approved, TDLR will issue your Journeyman Electrician license. You can verify your license status anytime through the TDLR License Search tool.
Step 4: Work Toward Your Master Electrician License
The Master Electrician license is the highest individual credential TDLR issues, and it is required if you want to qualify for an electrical contracting business of your own.
Requirements:
- Hold an active Texas Journeyman Electrician license continuously for at least two years
- Document 12,000 hours of OJT supervised directly by a Texas Master Electrician
- Pass the Texas Master Electrician Examination (NEC plus Texas law and rules), 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% passing score
- Submit the Master Electrician application with the $45 non-refundable fee
Important scope note: Hours earned through a TDLR-approved electrical apprenticeship may count toward the 12,000-hour total, but Industrial Journeyman experience does not qualify toward the Master Electrician hour requirement.
If your journeyman experience is in the industrial track specifically, confirm with TDLR directly how your hours apply before assuming they count.
Documentation requirement: Each supervising Master Electrician must complete TDLR Form ELC-LIC-007 directly; forms completed by the applicant themselves are rejected. Mail the completed application, fee, and all supporting documentation to the same TDLR PO Box address used for journeyman applications.
Note on commercial general building credentials: Texas does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for the Master Electrician classification; NASCLA’s commercial general building exam does not satisfy TDLR’s electrician licensing requirement. Confirm any third-party credential’s applicability directly with TDLR before assuming it substitutes for the required exam.
Fees at Every Stage
| License | Application Fee | Exam Fee | Hour Requirement |
| Electrical Apprentice | $20 | None | None (accumulating toward 8,000) |
| Journeyman Electrician | $30 | $78 | 8,000 (early exam at 7,000) |
| Master Electrician | $45 | Set by PSI day-of | 12,000 + 2 years as a journeyman |
Additional costs to budget for: continuing education courses for license renewal (4 hours per cycle, cost varies by TDLR-approved provider), and your own copy of the current NEC code book for exam day.
Common Application Mistakes That Delay Your License
Incomplete employment records. If your hours are not well documented as you go, your application will be delayed at review. Keep a personal log of your hours throughout your apprenticeship rather than trying to reconstruct them when you are ready to apply.
Unreachable supervising master electrician. If your former supervising master has retired, moved, or otherwise become unreachable by the time you apply, contact TDLR directly about alternative verification methods before submitting your application; do not simply wait and hope it resolves itself.
Not disclosing criminal history. TDLR runs background checks as part of every application. A criminal conviction does not automatically disqualify you; TDLR evaluates each case individually based on the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and its relevance to electrical licensing.
However, failing to disclose a conviction on your application can result in denial regardless of the offense itself. If you are concerned about how a past conviction might affect your application, TDLR allows you to request a Criminal History Evaluation Letter before you apply and pay fees, so you can get a sense of where you stand first.
Letting your exam authorization expire. Once TDLR approves you to test, that authorization has an expiration window. Schedule your exam with PSI promptly after receiving approval rather than letting the clock run out.
Reciprocity: Transferring a License Into Texas
TDLR maintains electrician license reciprocity agreements with several states, including Arkansas, Idaho, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. If you hold an out-of-state license and believe you may qualify under reciprocity, contact TDLR directly for the specific requirements and documentation needed, since reciprocity terms vary by state and license type.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get an electrician’s license in Texas?
Application fees alone run $20 for the Apprentice license, $30 for the Journeyman license, and $45 for the Master license, all non-refundable and paid directly to TDLR. On top of those fees, you will pay separately for your journeyman exam and any continuing education courses required at renewal.
How long does it take to get a journeyman electrician license in Texas?
You need 8,000 hours of documented on-the-job training under a master electrician’s supervision, which most full-time apprentices complete in approximately four to five years. TDLR allows you to sit for the exam early once you reach 7,000 hours, which can let you complete the testing portion of the process before your final hours are logged. For a complete breakdown of timeline factors beyond Texas specifically, see our guide on how long it takes to become an electrician.
What is on the Texas journeyman electrician exam?
As of March 11, 2025, the exam consists of two separate parts: a knowledge portion and a calculations portion. The exam is open-book, and you are permitted to reference the current TDLR-adopted edition of the National Electrical Code, which you must bring yourself in soft-bound form. A passing score of 70% or better is required on the exam, administered by PSI Services LLC under contract to TDLR.
Can a felon get an electrician license in Texas?
Yes, what matters significantly is honest disclosure. TDLR evaluates criminal history on a case-by-case basis, considering the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and its relevance to electrical work. If you are concerned about a past conviction, TDLR allows you to request a Criminal History Evaluation Letter before submitting your full application and fees.
Can I become a master electrician right after becoming a journeyman?
No. TDLR requires you to hold an active Journeyman Electrician license continuously for at least two years before you are eligible to apply for the Master Electrician license, in addition to documenting 12,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician.
Your Next Step
Getting licensed in Texas follows a clear, sequential process: apprentice registration, 8,000 documented hours, the journeyman exam, and (if you choose to go further) two more years and 12,000 hours toward your master license. The paperwork is detailed, but it is not mysterious, and TDLR publishes every form and requirement directly on its own site.
If you have not yet started training and need to choose between apprenticeship and trade school, read our guide on electrician apprenticeship vs trade School: Which Wins? And for the complete national picture of how training, licensing, and career progression all fit together, read our guide on how to become an electrician in the US. If you want to compare Texas salaries with other states, use our guide and calculator at the electrician salary by state calculator.