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Texas journeyman electrician license

Journeyman license: what TDLR asks for once you're logging hours.7

8,000hours of supervised work
1 YEARbetween renewals

Do you need an apprentice electrician license in Texas?

Yes. You need the Apprentice Electrician license from TDLR before you start work; it covers electrical work under the supervision of a master electrician, journeyman electrician or residential wireman. Apply online to TDLR for $20, with no exam or experience needed. Applicants who apply online and report no criminal convictions are issued a temporary license automatically. The license is good for 1 year; you renew it every year after 4 hours of continuing education.2

How many hours do you need for the journeyman license in Texas?

8,000 hours of supervised work, about 4 years full time.3

Journeyman license
8,000 hrs8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician; you can take the exam at 7,000 hours
Master license
12,000 hrs2 years as a licensed journeyman plus 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician

Keep your own record of hours, employers and pay stubs. TDLR can ask for proof when you apply.

What is the Texas electrician exam like?

You take the state exam once the board approves your hours. The exam is given by PSI. Code book: 2026 National Electrical Code; bring your own soft-bound copy. Open book: you bring your own copy of the code book.1

How much does the journeyman license cost?

TDLR lists these fees.4

FeeAmount
Journeyman application$30
Master application$45
Apprentice renewal$20

How do you renew it?

Renew every year.3 Continuing education: 4 hours of continuing education before each renewal, for every individual license including apprentices. Electrical contractor licenses have no continuing education requirement.5

Does a license from another state count in Texas?

Texas accepts master electrician licenses from Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa (Class A), Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, and journeyman licenses from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming. You must have passed that state's exam and held its license for at least 1 year, with at least 8,000 hours under a master electrician for a journeyman license, or 12,000 hours and 2 years as a journeyman for a master license. The license fee is $30 for journeyman and $45 for master.6

License levels in Texas

Apprentice Electrician (no exam); Journeyman; Master; Journeyman Industrial, Lineman, Sign; Maintenance Electrician; Residential Wireman; Residential Appliance Installer; Electrical Contractor (business).

Ready to apply?

Applications, exam booking and hour forms are on TDLR's site.

TDLR license page

More for electricians in Texas

Sources

  1. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): exam (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): apprentice electrician license (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-28)
  3. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): experience (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-27)
  4. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): fees (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-27)
  5. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): continuing education (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-28)
  6. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): reciprocity (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-28)
  7. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): licensing (tdlr.texas.gov, 2026-10-27)