Texas Electrical Contractor License Cost & Requirements (2026)
Running an electrical contracting business in Texas takes two TDLR licenses, not one, and most cost guides get the route wrong by fusing them into a single invented credential. The Master Electrician license belongs to a person. The Electrical Contractor license belongs to a business. You need the first to unlock the second, and this page prices the full route: $233 the first time, $155 a year to keep both.
The structure matters because the requirements split along the same line. The exam, the 12,000 hours and the continuing education all attach to the master. The insurance and the master-of-record rule attach to the contractor license. Read the two halves separately and the fee table above stops looking arbitrary.
Texas Electrical Contractor Fee Estimator
Regulatory fee breakdown for Texas Electrical Contractor License
Itemized Fee Schedule
Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR)
All applications and exams must be registered directly with this board.
Fee figures on this page were checked against Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) on October 29, 2026. View the official source
Regulatory & Licensing Requirements Summary
| Official License Classification | Texas Electrical Contractor License |
| Minimum Experience | 6 Years (Journeyman / Field Supervisor) |
| Mandatory State Surety Bond | Not required at state level (Local permits may apply) |
| General Liability Insurance | Licensed trades only: $300,000 per occurrence minimum (electrical contractors $300k/$600k/$300k; ACR Class B $100k/$200k/$100k). No state GL requirement for general contractors. |
| Estimated Application Processing Time | Not published by the board |
| Renewal Cycle & CE Requirement | Every 1 year(s) with 4 hours of Continuing Education |
Warning: Unlicensed Contracting Penalties in Texas
Texas has no state general-contractor license, so there is no single state penalty. In the licensed trades, unlicensed electrical or plumbing work is a Class C misdemeanor, and TDLR or the TSBPE can add administrative penalties of up to $5,000 per violation (each day counts separately) and issue cease-and-desist orders.
Note: In many states, unlicensed contractors also lose the ability to file mechanic's liens or sue for non-payment in civil courts.
Special Statutory Notes for Texas
Two TDLR licenses, one route. Master Electrician first: $45 application, $78 PSI exam (NEC Knowledge and Calculations portions), 12,000 on-the-job hours under a Texas Master Electrician, and a Journeyman Electrician license held at least 2 years. Renews at $45/yr with 4 hours of continuing education. Electrical Contractor: $110 application, no exam, renews at $110/yr.
Must employ a Master Electrician of record and carry general liability insurance of $300,000 per occurrence / $600,000 aggregate / $300,000 products and completed operations, plus workers' compensation coverage or an approved alternative. Neither license requires a surety bond. Keeping both licenses costs $155/yr in renewals.
Texas licenses specific trades at state level through TDLR (electrical, HVAC) and the TSBPE (plumbing). There is no state general contractor license; general contractors register or pull permits at municipal level (e.g., Austin, Dallas, Houston).
The ladder: apprentice, journeyman, master, contractor
TDLR's electrician fees form a ladder, and knowing it exposes most of the wrong numbers published elsewhere: Apprentice $20, Journeyman $30, Master Electrician $45, Electrical Contractor $110. There is no $35 application fee anywhere in the scheme, a figure some sites present as the cost of this license. The journeyman stage requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, though the journeyman exam may be taken once you reach 7,000 hours.
The Master Electrician requires 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician and a Journeyman Electrician license held for at least two years. Its exam, through PSI, has two portions that must each be passed at 70 percent: NEC Knowledge (75 questions, 150 minutes) and Calculations (33 questions, 170 minutes). The Electrical Contractor license then requires no exam at all. Its conditions are a Master Electrician of record and the insurance described below.
Insurance, not a bond, and who owes continuing education
Neither Texas electrician license requires a surety bond. The contractor license instead requires general liability insurance of $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate and $300,000 products and completed operations, plus workers' compensation coverage or one of the approved alternatives under the Labor Code, and the contractor must employ a Master Electrician of record who can be assigned to only one contractor at a time unless they own more than half of the business.
Continuing education splits the same way as everything else on this page. Individual licensees, masters included, complete 4 hours a year covering the National Electrical Code, the Occupations Code chapter and safety rules. The Electrical Contractor license itself requires none: TDLR states plainly that contractors are not required to complete continuing education. Both licenses are annual, and applicants have one year from filing to meet every requirement, exam included.
Mistakes that delay a Texas Electrician application
- Looking for a $35 application fee, or paying one to a filing service. TDLR's ladder is $20 / $30 / $45 / $110; no $35 charge exists.
- Studying for an Electrical Contractor exam. There is none. The only exam in the route is the Master Electrician exam, in two portions.
- Counting 4 years of experience as the master requirement. TDLR counts hours: 12,000 on-the-job hours, plus a journeyman license held for at least two years.
- Budgeting for a surety bond. Neither license has one; the contractor's financial requirement is liability insurance and workers' compensation cover or an approved alternative.
- Renewing only the contractor license. Keeping the route alive costs $155 a year: $110 for the contractor license and $45 for the master license underneath it.
Texas Electrician Licensing FAQ
Does a Texas Electrical Contractor have to pass an exam?
No. The Electrical Contractor license has no exam. The examination sits one rung down the ladder: the Master Electrician exam, two PSI portions (NEC Knowledge and Calculations) that must each be passed at 70 percent. The contractor license is granted on the strength of employing a Master Electrician of record and carrying the required insurance.
How many hours does it take to become a Master Electrician in Texas?
12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician, and you must also have held a Journeyman Electrician license for at least two years. The journeyman license itself requires 8,000 hours, though its exam can be taken at 7,000 hours. Texas publishes hours, not years; at roughly 2,000 working hours a year the master's requirement works out near six years of trade time.
Who has to complete continuing education, the master or the contractor?
The individual. Master Electricians complete 4 hours of approved continuing education every year. The Electrical Contractor license, the business credential, requires none at all; TDLR says so expressly. A master who is also the contractor's master of record renews their individual license with CE and the business license without it.
Can one Master Electrician serve as master of record for two companies?
Generally no. A master of record can be assigned to only one electrical contractor, unless the master owns more than 50 percent of the business. That single-assignment rule is why the master-of-record relationship, not the exam, is usually the binding constraint on opening a second Texas electrical shop.
How much does a Electrical Contractor license cost in Texas?
The filing and licensing fees on the Texas Electrical Contractor schedule total approximately $233. This consists of a $110 application fee, a $78 examination fee, and a $45 initial license fee.
How long does it take to get a Electrical Contractor license in Texas?
Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) does not publish a fixed end-to-end processing time for this license. TDLR does not publish a processing timeframe. Applicants have one year from the date TDLR receives the application to meet all requirements, including passing the exam.
What are the penalties for working as an unlicensed Electrician in Texas?
Texas has no state general-contractor license, so there is no single state penalty. In the licensed trades, unlicensed electrical or plumbing work is a Class C misdemeanor, and TDLR or the TSBPE can add administrative penalties of up to $5,000 per violation (each day counts separately) and issue cease-and-desist orders.
How often do you need to renew a Electrician license in Texas?
Licenses must be renewed every 1 year(s) with a renewal fee of $155. You must also complete 4 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE).