Electrician License in Texas: TDLR Hours, Exams and Fees

Who licenses electricians in Texas?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which goes by TDLR, runs the program under Chapter 1305 of the Occupations Code and the rules in Title 16, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 73. Unless an exemption applies, anyone who does electrical work in Texas needs a license. TDLR defines that work broadly: installing, maintaining or extending a wiring system and the equipment tied to it, in, on or attached to a building or property, plus service entrance conductors.

Licensed individuals also have to do that work through a licensed electrical contractor. Solar counts. TDLR treats installing photovoltaic panels as electrical work, and a company that sells a turnkey solar system including installation needs an electrical contractor license. The state issues separate licenses for sign, industrial, lineman, maintenance and residential work, so pick the track that matches what you plan to build.

From apprentice to journeyman

Most people start with an apprentice electrician license and work under supervision. If you are under 18, TDLR requires direct supervision by a licensed electrical contractor, journeyman electrician or residential wireman. To earn a journeyman license you need 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed master electrician. You can apply and sit the exam once you have 7,000 hours. The license is not issued until you reach the full 8,000.

Every master who supervised you signs an Experience Verification Form for the hours they oversaw, and TDLR may call them to check. Keep a list of your masters and contractors as you go. Chasing down a signature from a shop you left five years ago is a real headache. The first journeyman application goes in by mail with a $30 nonrefundable fee.

The exam

Once TDLR approves your application, you schedule the exam with its testing vendor, PSI, which has sites in cities including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso and Lubbock. The exam is open book. Bring your own soft-bound National Electrical Code. TDLR's exam page names the 2026 edition, and spiral-bound or loose-leaf copies are not allowed in the room.

Since March 11, 2025, the journeyman exam has had two parts: a knowledge section and a calculations section. You need 70 percent to pass. You can retake it as many times as you need, but you may owe a new exam fee each time. PSI publishes the exam fees in its candidate bulletin.

Master electrician and contractor

To apply for a master electrician license, you must have held a journeyman electrician license for at least two years and logged 12,000 hours under a Texas master. Journeyman industrial experience does not count toward it. The application fee is $45, and you take another PSI exam.

An electrical contractor license belongs to the business. It needs a master electrician of record, who can be the owner. Contractors carry liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. They must also show workers' comp coverage or a filed notice that they don't carry it. The application fee is $110.

Pay

Electrician, Texas (25th to 75th percentile)

$48,300–73,600

Electrician, Texas median

$60,600

Apprentice or trainee, Texas (25th to 75th percentile)

$38,200–50,500

Electrician, US (25th to 75th percentile)

$51,200–86,900

USD a year, before tax. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025, moved to 2026 with a wage index; Texas figures are modeled estimates. License level, region, union status and overtime move pay most. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.

What you need

Apprentice licenseYou need a license to do electrical work in Texas, including as an apprentice. It renews every year for $20, with 4 hours of CE or enrollment in a TDLR-registered apprenticeship training program.
Journeyman experience8,000 hours under a Texas-licensed master electrician, verified on signed forms. You can apply and test at 7,000 hours.
Master experienceTwo years holding a journeyman electrician license and 12,000 supervised hours. Journeyman industrial experience does not count.
ExamOpen-book PSI exam with your own soft-bound NEC. You need 70 percent to pass.
FeesApplication fees are $30 for journeyman, $45 for master and $110 for an electrical contractor. Exam fees are paid separately to PSI.
Criminal historyTDLR runs a background check at application and renewal and reviews convictions case by case. You can ask for a pre-application evaluation letter.
Contractor insuranceLiability coverage of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate, plus proof of workers' comp or a filed notice of no coverage.

How to get there

Year 0Get an apprentice licenseGet licensed with TDLR and work under a master electrician. Track every hour and every supervisor.
Years 1-4Log on-the-job hours8,000 hours is roughly four years of full-time work. Renew every year and complete 4 hours of CE or stay enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program.
Year 4Apply for journeymanMail the application with signed experience forms and the $30 fee once you reach 7,000 hours.
Year 4Pass the journeyman examTwo-part PSI exam (knowledge and calculations), open book, 70 percent to pass. The license is issued once you reach 8,000 hours.
Year 6 or laterEarn the master licenseHold the journeyman license for two years, reach 12,000 hours, apply with the $45 fee and pass the master exam.
Any time after masterOpen a contracting businessName a master of record, buy the required insurance and file the $110 contractor application.

Open now on ElectricalRoles.com

ElectricianAmerican Electric Power · Metropolis, Illinois

Station Electrician B - CertifiedAmerican Electric Power · Lawton, Oklahoma

P&C Electrician C-AAmerican Electric Power · Shreveport, Louisiana

Electrician (WIL ABATE RW)EMCOR Group · Wilmington, North Carolina

ElectricianEMCOR Group · Akron, Ohio

Electrician - Milwaukee (We are offering a $10K sign-on bonus)Molson Coors · Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all →

Questions people ask

How many hours do you need for a Texas journeyman electrician license?

TDLR requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed master electrician. You can apply and take the exam at 7,000 hours. The license is issued once you reach the full 8,000.

How often do Texas electrician licenses renew?

Every electrician license is valid for one year and renews online. Apprentices, journeymen and masters complete 4 hours of continuing education each cycle. Contractors and residential appliance installers are exempt. The coursework covers the NEC, Texas electrician law, the TDLR rules and NFPA 70E.

What happens if my license expires?

For a journeyman, renewing after expiration costs more than the standard $30 fee. Past 18 months you renew by mail with a request to the executive director. After three years expired, you have to apply again as a new applicant.

Which states have reciprocity with Texas?

For journeyman electrician: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming. For master: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa (Class A), Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. You must have passed that state's exam, held the license for at least a year and logged at least 8,000 hours (journeyman) or 12,000 hours (master).

Is the Texas electrician exam open book?

Yes. You bring your own soft-bound National Electrical Code to the PSI test center. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies are not allowed.

Do I need a license to install solar panels in Texas?

Yes. TDLR treats solar panel installation as electrical work, so it must be done by licensed electricians working through a licensed electrical contractor. A company selling a turnkey solar system that includes installation needs an electrical contractor license.

How do you get an electrician license in Texas?