The TDLR path from apprentice to journeyman to master: hours, PSI exam fees, the 2026 NEC, application steps, state fees and renewal.
You get a Texas electrician license through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by logging supervised hours under a Texas master electrician, passing the matching PSI exam, and filing the right application with its state fee. The standard individual path runs apprentice to journeyman at 8,000 hours, then journeyman to master at 12,000 more hours, while a separate electrical contractor license covers the business. For the business side, see our Texas contractor license guide and our overview of contractor licensing.
At a glance
- Who issues it: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
- Journeyman: 8,000 hours under a Texas master electrician, exam-eligible at 7,000; $30 application, $78 PSI exam
- Master: 12,000 hours under a Texas master and 2 years holding a journeyman license; $45 application, $78 PSI exam
- Exam: PSI, 70% required on each portion, referenced to the National Electrical Code, 2026 Edition since September 1, 2026
- Business: Electrical contractor license, $110 application, needs a designated master and liability insurance
This guide separates the individual electrician path from the business license using TDLR and PSI sources retrieved October 5, 2026.
Who Needs an Electrical License in Texas
Texas licenses electrical work by scope, not by a dollar threshold on the job. Anyone who performs or offers to perform nonexempt electrical work for pay must hold the matching TDLR license, and that work must run through a licensed electrical contractor. The credential you need depends on the role you play on the job, not the size of the contract.
Working under a master's supervision calls for a journeyman or one of the specialty journeyman licenses. Running the field work independently and taking responsibility for a company's licensed scope calls for a master license. A business that contracts electrical work needs its own electrical contractor license on top of the individual credentials its workers hold.
License Types TDLR Issues
The TDLR electrician program lists these individual license categories:
- Apprentice Electrician and Apprentice Electrical Sign
- Journeyman Electrician, Journeyman Industrial Electrician, Journeyman Lineman, and Journeyman Sign Electrician
- Maintenance Electrician
- Master Electrician and Master Sign Electrician
- Residential Wireman and Residential Appliance Installer
On the business side, TDLR issues the Electrical Contractor, Electrical Sign Contractor, and Residential Appliance Installation Contractor licenses. Choose the category that matches the actual work; a specialty credential is not interchangeable with the general journeyman or master license just because both involve electrical work.
Experience Requirements: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master
An apprentice registration has no experience or exam requirement, so it is the entry point for logging hours under a master electrician. The apprentice application carries a $20 fee and the registration is valid for one year.
The journeyman application sets the standard at 8,000 hours of supervised experience under a master electrician licensed in Texas, with exam eligibility opening at 7,000 hours. Early exam eligibility only moves the testing step earlier; it does not reduce the 8,000-hour requirement for the license itself. The state application fee is $30.
The master application requires 12,000 hours of experience under a Texas master electrician and at least two years holding a journeyman license. Both conditions apply together; neither substitutes for the other. The state application fee is $45.
Texas Electrician Exams and Fees
PSI delivers every TDLR electrician exam, and each one requires a 70% passing score. As of September 1, 2026, the exams reference the National Electrical Code, 2026 Edition, replacing the 2023 Edition used before that date. Candidates bring their own soft-bound NEC book; loose-leaf, spiral-bound, and ring-bound copies are not allowed in the exam room.
| Exam | Portions | Passing Score | PSI Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | Knowledge and calculations | 70% each portion | $78 |
| Master Electrician | Knowledge and calculations | 70% each portion | $78 |
| Maintenance Electrician | Single portion | 70% | $64 |
| Residential Wireman | Single portion | 70% | $64 |
| Journeyman Lineman | Single portion | 70% | $61 |
The journeyman exam's knowledge portion runs 130 minutes and the calculations portion runs 110 minutes, per the PSI candidate bulletin linked from TDLR's own exam page. A retake costs the same fee as the original exam. PSI runs test sites across the state, including Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, so scheduling near a specific city does not require special arrangements.
The Application Process, Step by Step
- Register as an apprentice electrician with TDLR if you have no prior license, paying the $20 fee; no experience or exam is required to start.
- Log your on-the-job hours under a Texas master electrician and keep your own record alongside the employer's.
- At 7,000 hours, apply for the journeyman license, pay the $30 state fee, and schedule the PSI exam once TDLR approves your eligibility.
- Pass both portions of the journeyman exam with a 70% score on each, and complete the full 8,000 hours before the license issues.
- To reach master, hold the journeyman license for two years while logging 12,000 hours under a Texas master electrician.
- Apply for the master license, pay the $45 state fee, and pass both portions of the master exam.
- If you are starting a company, file the electrical contractor application separately with its $110 fee, a designated master, and the required insurance.
Testing, application review, and the documented hours are separate parts of this route, so a completion date cannot be built from the hour count alone.
Want the Application Done for You?
Filing a TDLR application correctly the first time means assembling experience verification forms, choosing the right license category, and getting the paperwork in front of the board without a rejection that costs weeks. License Application Processing from The Licensing Company handles that filing for a flat $999 per state application, paid up front.
That covers an eligibility audit before anything is filed, a document checklist with help gathering the pieces, every state form prepared and reviewed line by line, submission the way TDLR requires, and answers to the board's paperwork questions with resubmission until the board decides. State fees, PSI exam fees, background checks, and fingerprinting are paid directly to the state, not to The Licensing Company. The service does not guarantee approval and does not promise a timeline; only the board decides, and you still take any required exam yourself. Call 615-219-2110 to talk through your situation.
Starting an Electrical Contracting Business
A Texas electrical contractor must designate a master electrician who is an owner or employee of the business. TDLR generally limits a master to one contractor affiliation, with an exception for a master who owns more than 50 percent of the business. If the designated master leaves, the contractor must notify TDLR and name a replacement within 30 business days.
The electrical contractor application sets the $110 fee and the liability insurance minimums below. A master owner still needs the separate contractor license for the company; holding a master license does not by itself authorize the business to contract.
| Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Per occurrence | $300,000 |
| General aggregate | $600,000 |
| Products and completed operations | $300,000 |
Owners weighing how to hire a qualifying agent should start with these responsibilities and the business's intended electrical work before naming a master for the company.
State Fees at a Glance
| Application | Experience Required | State Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Electrician | None | $20 |
| Journeyman Electrician | 8,000 hours under a TX master | $30 |
| Master Electrician | 12,000 hours; 2 years as journeyman | $45 |
| Electrical Contractor | Designated master and insurance | $110 |
These are the state application charges only. PSI exam fees are separate and listed in the exam table above.
How Long Does It Take
TDLR does not publish a fixed processing timeline for electrician applications, so a specific week count should not be treated as a guarantee. The real driver of timeline is hours: 8,000 hours of supervised work, logged at a normal full-time pace, takes roughly four years before a journeyman license can issue, though exam eligibility opens earlier at 7,000 hours. Application review, exam scheduling with PSI, and the condition of your experience verification paperwork all affect how quickly the license itself follows.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Electrician licenses are valid for one year and must be renewed annually. Most individual licenses require 4 hours of continuing education covering the NEC, Texas electrician law, and electrical safety; apprentices can instead stay enrolled in a TDLR-registered apprenticeship training course. Contractors and residential appliance installers are not required to complete continuing education.
| License | Renewal Fee | CE Required |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $20 | Apprenticeship enrollment |
| Journeyman | $30 | 4 hours |
| Master | $45 | 4 hours |
| Electrical Contractor | $110 | None |
A company's renewal payment does not renew the designated master's personal license, and the master completing continuing education does not renew the business license. Track both records separately using the journeyman renewal, master renewal, and contractor renewal pages.
The JEEP Accelerated Pathway
TDLR's Journeyman Electrician Education Program (JEEP) is an accelerated licensure pathway for graduates of an approved accelerated journeyman electrician education program, adopted to address a shortage of journeymen in the state. The TDLR rule adoption notice sets the pathway effective July 1, 2026, amending 16 TAC Chapter 73 and adding new section 73.112.
Eligibility depends on completing an approved program, not on general trade school attendance, and TDLR's notice does not publish a single universal hour-credit figure for every participant. Anyone considering the JEEP route should confirm their specific program's approval status and credit directly with TDLR before counting on it to shorten the standard 8,000-hour requirement.
Can't Qualify on Your Own Hours Yet? A Qualifying Agent Can Bridge the Gap
If you want to start or run an electrical contracting company before you hold your own master license, a qualifying agent can fill that designated-master role for the business while you build your own hours and credential. What is a qualifying agent? explains the role: a qualifying agent qualifies the company as an owner or a full-time W-2 employee who supervises the work, not a name listed on paper with no supervision behind it.
This keeps the business legally able to contract today without forcing a choice between starting the company and finishing your own licensing path. See how to hire a qualifying agent for what the arrangement requires on both sides.
Texas Electrician Reciprocity
TDLR recognizes master electrician licenses from Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Ohio, though the Louisiana route requires Louisiana residency. Journeyman reciprocity extends to Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming, with no residency condition.
Both routes require proof of passing the original state's exam, at least one year of active licensure there, and a letter of good standing, on top of hour requirements matching the Texas license. See the TDLR out-of-state applicant page for the current agreement conditions before relying on a listed state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take the journeyman exam at 7,000 hours?
Yes. Exam eligibility opens at 7,000 hours, but the license itself still requires the full 8,000 qualifying hours. Early testing moves the exam step earlier; it does not shorten the hour requirement.
How long does it take to become a master electrician in Texas?
A master license requires 12,000 hours under a Texas master electrician and at least two years holding a journeyman license first. Combined with the 8,000 hours needed to reach journeyman, the full apprentice-to-master path typically spans several years of full-time supervised work.
What is the TDLR JEEP program?
JEEP is an accelerated journeyman licensure pathway for graduates of a TDLR-approved accelerated education program, effective July 1, 2026. Eligibility and any hour credit depend on the specific approved program, not a blanket rule for every apprentice.
Can a journeyman run an independent electrical business?
No. A journeyman license authorizes work under a master's supervision, and nonexempt electrical services must run through a licensed electrical contractor. The business itself needs the contractor license, a designated master, and the required insurance.
What does the Texas electrician exam cost?
The journeyman and master exams cost $78 each through PSI, covering both exam portions. Specialty exams such as maintenance electrician, residential wireman, and the sign licenses cost $64, and the journeyman lineman exam costs $61.
Which NEC edition does the exam use?
Since September 1, 2026, TDLR electrician exams reference the National Electrical Code, 2026 Edition. Before that date, exams referenced the 2023 Edition.
Sources
All sources below were retrieved October 5, 2026.
- TDLR apprentice electrician application.
- TDLR journeyman application.
- TDLR master application.
- TDLR electrical contractor application.
- TDLR examination information.
- PSI electrician candidate information bulletin.
- TDLR continuing education.
- TDLR electrician program and license categories.
- TDLR JEEP rule adoption notice.
- Journeyman renewal.
- Master renewal.
- Electrical contractor renewal.
- TDLR out-of-state applicants.
Ready to File Your Texas Electrician Application?
Licensed contractor Jeremiah Jaskulski and contractor exam prep instructor Marshall Schofield lead The Licensing Company. Call 615-219-2110 to talk through your path to a Texas electrician license or a qualifying agent for your electrical business, or ask about License Application Processing if you would rather have the paperwork handled for you. Bring your current license status, hours logged, and the credential you are working toward so the conversation addresses your specific situation.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.