Texas exempts low voltage and fire alarm circuits from the electrician license, but fire alarm work needs a State Fire Marshal license and a registered company.
Texas draws a line that surprises many installers. Low voltage wiring, fire alarm circuits and fiber are exempt from the state electrician license, yet selling or installing a fire alarm system still takes a state license from a different agency. Burglar alarms sit under a third regulator. If you run a low voltage or security company in Texas, you may need none of these credentials, one of them, or all three, depending on what the crew actually installs.
This guide separates the three lanes, shows the fire alarm license ladder and the company registration that goes with it, and explains why a registered company needs a designated full-time employee on payroll. For the overall state picture, start with the Texas contractor license page.
At a glance
- Low voltage is exempt from the electrician license. Texas Occupations Code 1305.003(a)(12) exempts work on Class 1, 2 or 3 remote control, signaling or power-limited circuits, fire alarm circuits, optical fiber cables and communications circuits (TDLR).
- Fire alarm work has its own license. The Texas State Fire Marshal's Office, part of the Texas Department of Insurance, licenses individuals and registers companies (TDI).
- Exams are 50 questions at 70%. PSI administers them, closed book.
- A company needs a licensed employee. The registration requires a designated full-time employee holding an FAL, APS or RAS license.
- Local rules can override the exemptions. TDLR notes that municipal or regional regulations may change how an exemption applies.
Lane one: the electrician license exemption
Texas regulates electricians under the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act, which the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) enforces. The Act lists who may work without an electrician license. One entry covers people who work on Class 1, 2 or 3 remote control, signaling or power-limited circuits, fire alarm circuits, optical fiber cables, or communications circuits.
That exemption is why a structured cabling crew, a data installer or a sound and security technician usually does not hold a journeyman or master electrician card. It does not make the work unregulated. It only means TDLR's electrician license is not the credential that applies.
Two limits matter in practice. First, the exemption is about the circuit type. Line voltage wiring that feeds a panel, a power supply or a camera head is ordinary electrical work and follows the electrician rules in the Texas electrician license guide. Second, TDLR notes that municipal or regional regulations may override the exemptions, so a city can still ask for its own permit or registration.
Lane two: the fire alarm license
If the system detects or signals a fire, the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office licenses the people who sell, plan, install, certify, service and monitor it. Texas lists six individual licenses.
| License | What it covers | Initial fee | Two year renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent (APS) | Sell, plan, install, certify, service and monitor all fire alarm or detection systems | $120 | $200 |
| Fire Alarm Technician (FAL) | Sell, install, certify, service and monitor all types of systems, with no planning | $120 | $200 |
| Fire Alarm Monitoring Technician (AMT) | Monitor residential or commercial systems only | $120 | $200 |
| Residential Fire Alarm Superintendent (RAS) | Sell, plan, install, certify, service and monitor systems in one and two family dwellings, plus FAL functions | $120 | $200 |
| Residential Fire Alarm Superintendent, Single Station (RAS-SS) | Single station heat or smoke detectors not connected to other systems, in one and two family dwellings | $120 | $200 |
| Residential Fire Alarm Technician (RAL) | Install, service, inspect and certify residential one and two family systems | $50 | $100 |
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
What each license requires
The planning license is the senior one. The APS needs one of three things: an ESA Level III Fire Alarm Designer certification, a NICET Level III Fire Alarm Systems certification, or a Texas Professional Engineer license, plus the Statutes and Rules test. The FAL needs the Statutes and Rules test and the Fire Alarm Technician test, and the technician test can be waived with ESA Level II or NICET Level II. The RAS needs the Statutes and Rules test, the technician test with the same waiver, and the residential test.
The RAL is the entry point. It requires completing a residential technician course from a school the State Fire Marshal's Office approves, and the state lists no exam for it.
Every individual license also requires a fingerprint background check on file with the State Fire Marshal's Office, and the applicant must be employed by a registered company before the license is issued. The TDI page lists no years of experience requirement. Qualification rests on tests, certifications, the RAL course and the background check.
The exams
PSI administers the tests. Each is 50 questions, true or false or multiple choice, closed book, and 70% or better passes. The Statutes and Rules test is code TFM11, the technician test is TFM12, the residential test is TFM13 and the monitoring test is TFM14. A candidate can schedule each test once a week and no more than three times in any 12 month period.
Lane three: burglar and access control alarms
Burglar alarms and electronic access control fall under Chapter 1702 of the Texas Occupations Code, the private security law, not under the fire alarm program. Section 1702.105 defines an alarm systems company as a business that sells, installs, services, monitors or responds to alarm systems or detection devices. It also lets that company sell, install, maintain or service electronic access control devices and mechanical security devices activated by wireless signal, but not rekey devices that operate with a key.
Chapter 1702 has its own company license and individual registrations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety runs that program. The rules differ from the fire alarm program, so confirm the exact credentials with the Department of Public Safety before you quote a combined fire and burglar job. A company that installs both kinds of system should plan for both lanes.
The company registration and the person behind it
A fire alarm company cannot register on tools and trucks alone. The Alarm Certificate of Registration, called the ACR, is required for companies that plan, certify, sell, service, install, monitor or maintain fire detection devices or systems. The company must have a designated full-time employee who holds an FAL, APS or RAS license. An RAL alone does not qualify.
| Registration | Initial fee | Two year renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Main office (ACR) | $500 | $1,000 |
| Each branch office | $150 | $300 |
| Single station only (ACR-SS) | $250 | $500 |
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
The single station registration is narrower: the company submits a letter committing to that scope. Copies, revisions and duplicate licenses carry a $20 fee, and all fees are nonrefundable except for overpayments caused by a mistake of law or fact.
Why this is a qualifier problem
This is the same structure contractors meet in other states. The business holds the registration, and the registration depends on a licensed person who works for the company full time. When a fire alarm company grows into a new office, wins a larger design job or loses its only licensed employee, the registration is what is at risk.
A qualifying agent solves that by qualifying the company. In the W-2 model, the qualifier is a full-time employee of the company who holds the license the registration requires, with real responsibility for the work. It is not a paper arrangement, and a licensed person who is not actually employed by the company does not satisfy a rule that asks for a designated full-time employee. For the general picture, read what a qualifying agent is and the Texas qualifying agent guide. The fire alarm qualifying agent page covers the trade specific side.
Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, who founded The Licensing Company, see the same pattern across states: the owner is a strong installer, the license sits with one employee, and the business has no plan if that person leaves. Putting a second qualified employee in place before it is needed is cheaper than a stalled registration.
A quick decision path
- List every circuit type your crew installs: fire alarm, burglar, access control, structured cabling, line voltage power.
- Confirm that line voltage power work is done by a licensed electrician under TDLR rules.
- For fire alarm work, decide which individual licenses you need and who on payroll holds them.
- File the ACR for the main office, and branch registrations for other locations.
- For burglar and access control work, confirm the Chapter 1702 credentials with the Department of Public Safety.
- Check your city for its own permit rules, since local rules can override the state exemptions.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an electrician license to install low voltage in Texas?
Generally no, for the circuit types the exemption names. Texas Occupations Code 1305.003(a)(12) exempts work on Class 1, 2 or 3 remote control, signaling or power-limited circuits, fire alarm circuits, optical fiber cables and communications circuits. Line voltage work is a different matter, and a city may add its own rules.
Do I need a license to install smoke detectors?
Fire alarm and detection work is licensed by the State Fire Marshal's Office. Single station smoke or heat detectors in one and two family homes have their own RAS-SS license and ACR-SS company registration.
How much does it cost to get licensed or to hire a qualifier?
The state fees are in the tables above. What a qualifier costs depends on the license held, the scope of the registration, the number of locations, and how much oversight your company needs. Pricing is set per company, so see consultation options rather than relying on a number from a blog post.
Can one employee qualify more than one company?
Do not assume so. The ACR asks for a designated full-time employee, and each state program sets its own limits. Confirm the rule with the State Fire Marshal's Office before you plan around one person for several registrations.
Next steps
If you need a licensed employee to anchor a fire alarm registration, or you hold the license and want to understand placement, see how to hire a qualifying agent or browse the state guides.
Sources
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Exemptions to Electrician Licensing, retrieved October 9, 2026
- Texas Department of Insurance, Fire Alarm Registration, License and Test Information, retrieved October 9, 2026
- Texas Occupations Code 1702.105, Alarm Systems Company, retrieved October 9, 2026
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.