How to Become an Electrician in Texas

Becoming an electrician in Texas is a ladder of licenses issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). You start as an apprentice, earn hours on the job, pass an exam for journeyman, and later qualify for master. A master can then serve as the master of record for an electrical contractor business. This guide walks the whole path and links to a detailed guide for each step.

Key facts

• Anyone who does electrical work in Texas must be licensed, apart from some exemptions TDLR lists (TDLR apprentice apply page).
• Apprentice: no exam, no experience, $20 fee, apply online (TDLR, as of November 2026).
• Journeyman: 8,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician; you may test at 7,000 hours (TDLR).
• Master: journeyman license held 2 years plus 12,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician (TDLR).
• Exams are open book on the 2026 NEC, given by PSI, with a 70% pass mark on each portion (PSI bulletin; TDLR exam page).
• Every license lasts one year and renews every year (TDLR apply and renew pages).

The path at a glance

Hours and fees below are as of November 2026, from TDLR’s apply pages and the PSI bulletin updated 9/15/2026. The exam fee is paid to PSI. The application fee is paid to TDLR.

License	Experience	Exam	Application fee	Exam fee
Apprentice Electrician	None	None	$20	None
Residential Wireman	4,000 h under a Master or Residential Wireman, or an approved CTE program	One exam, 80 scored questions	$20	$64
Journeyman Electrician	8,000 h under a Master (test at 7,000 h)	Two portions: NEC Knowledge and Calculations	$30	$78
Master Electrician	Journeyman for 2 years plus 12,000 h under a Master	Two portions: NEC Knowledge and Calculations	$45	$78
Electrical Contractor	Must be or employ a Master of record	No exam	$110	None

Step 1: Register as an apprentice

You need an apprentice license before you do electrical work as a learner. An apprentice works under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman. You apply online. If you report no criminal convictions, TDLR issues a temporary license automatically. Renewal each year needs 4 hours of continuing education, or enrollment in a TDLR-registered apprenticeship training program. Details are in the apprentice guide.

Step 2: Log your hours

Your hours are the core of every later application. For the journeyman license, TDLR wants 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician. Each master who supervised you signs an Experience Verification Form. Keep a record of who you worked under, where and when. It is much easier to collect signatures as you go than years later.

If you want to wire homes only, the Residential Wireman license is a shorter step at 4,000 hours. It covers single-family and multifamily dwellings up to four stories.

Step 3: Pass the journeyman exam

Once TDLR approves your application, you schedule with PSI. The journeyman exam has two portions, and you must pass each one with 70%:

• NEC Knowledge: 59 questions (56 scored), 130 minutes.
• Calculations: 26 questions (24 scored), 110 minutes.

Both are open book with your own soft-bound 2026 NEC, under strict rules on tabs and markings. The calculations portion is where most people fail. In FY2025, TDLR reports a 20.56% pass rate for Journeyman Calculations (TDLR exam statistics; see our pass rates page). Practice with our journeyman practice test, code lookup drills and worked calculation topics. The full exam breakdown is in the journeyman exam guide.

Step 4: Work toward master

To apply for master, you must have held the journeyman license for at least two years and show 12,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician. Journeyman Industrial experience does not count. The master exam also has two portions: NEC Knowledge (75 questions, 150 minutes) and Calculations (33 questions, 170 minutes). See the master requirements guide and the master practice test.

Step 5: Contractor, if you want your own business

An electrical contracting business needs its own TDLR license. There is no exam. The business must employ a Master Electrician of record, or the owner must hold the master license. It also needs liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate and $300,000 for products and completed operations, as of November 2026 (TDLR contractor page). See the contractor guide.

Keeping your license

Every license renews yearly. Most individual licenses need 4 hours of continuing education per license term covering the NEC, Texas electrician law, TDLR rules and NFPA 70E safety. Contractors and Residential Appliance Installers do not need CE. Read the CE guide.

Other routes and proposed changes

TDLR also issues limited licenses such as Journeyman Industrial, Maintenance, Sign and Lineman. See other TDLR electrical licenses. If you hold a license in another state, read the reciprocity guide.

TDLR has proposed a Journeyman Electrician Education Program pathway. Under the proposal, graduates of approved programs would generally get credit for 3,000 of the 8,000 hours and could test on graduation. As of 2026-11-09 we found no adoption notice in TDLR’s electricians news feed, so treat it as proposed only.

TexasElectricianExam is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with TDLR, PSI or NFPA. Confirm current rules with TDLR before you apply.