Quick answer: First-year Texas electrical apprentices should obtain the required TDLR license before electrical work, unless a legal exemption applies. Expect to assist with materials, basic installations, and tools under supervision. Confirm your supervisor and safety procedures, and keep personal work-hour records.
Next steps: Learn how to get your Texas apprentice license or compare Texas electrician training routes.
Short answer: In Texas, your first year as an electrical apprentice starts with a TDLR apprentice license. It needs no experience and no exam, costs a non-refundable $20 online, and online applicants who report no criminal convictions get a temporary license automatically. You work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman. Your on-the-job hours under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas count toward the 8,000 needed for a journeyman license, and you renew the apprentice license every year with 4 hours of continuing education or enrollment in a department-registered apprenticeship training course.
Starting your first year as a Texas apprentice? The US$19 Texas First-Year Electrical Apprentice Kit gives you printable pages for the first months on the job: a tool-check card, a who-to-ask list with a short stop-and-ask script, emergency-contact and heat-and-rest cards, plus a Tool budget sheet and a Tool inventory sheet (CSV).
Log your Texas Journeyman hours free. A free Tsai Electro account keeps your supervised hours, your online practice scores and your exam date in one place. Start with a five-question check to see which topic to practice next.
Still applying? Many Texas programs choose apprentices with an aptitude test, an interview or both. The Texas Electrical Apprenticeship Entry Kit has 13 Texas programs checked on their own websites, a 7-day start plan, 1,366 math and 288 reading aptitude questions with worked answers, 8 timed simulations, and 20 interview questions with weak and strong answers plus an 8-question mock interview. US$49 launch price through November 30, 2026, instant download.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR. License rules change, so check the current requirements on the TDLR website before you apply, and follow your employer’s and program’s rules on the job.
Year one at a glance
| Item | What applies in Texas |
|---|---|
| License | Electrical apprentice license from TDLR |
| Requirements | No experience, no exam |
| Fee | $20, non-refundable, online application |
| Start | Online applicants who report no criminal convictions get a temporary license automatically |
| Supervision | General supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman |
| License term | One year |
| Renewal | Every year, with 4 hours of continuing education, or instead enrollment in a department-registered electrical apprenticeship training course |
| Hours goal | 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas for the journeyman license, with the option to apply after 7,000 hours to take the exam early |
For the full application walk-through, see our Texas electrician apprentice license page.
How your hours add up
Working 40 hours a week for 50 weeks adds about 2,000 hours in year one. They count toward the journeyman license only when they meet TDLR’s experience and supervision rules. A worked example:
- A full-time week is 40 hours. At 50 working weeks a year: 40 × 50 = 2,000 hours a year.
- Hours needed for the journeyman license: 8,000, under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas. At 2,000 qualifying hours a year that is 4 years.
- TDLR lets you apply after 7,000 qualifying hours to take the exam before you finish the 8,000. At 2,000 a year that point comes at about 3.5 years.
- Check: overtime raises the yearly total and a slow season lowers it. Track your own hours from day one. When you apply, each supervising Master Electrician signs to verify your experience.
If you change employers, see how Texas apprentice hours carry over. For the application at 7,000 hours, see applying for the Texas journeyman license.
What you will do in year one
First-year apprentices usually start by handling material, helping with installations and learning procedures under supervision. The tasks vary by shop, but most include:
- Moving and organizing material, and learning the names of boxes, fittings, conduit and cable.
- Drilling, mounting boxes and pulling cable or wire in rough-in.
- Bending and installing conduit with a journeyman.
- Making up devices in trim-out, under supervision.
- Keeping the work area clean, following safety procedures and asking before you try an unfamiliar task.
The first skills to learn
These skill pages match what year one asks of you. Learn them in roughly this order:
| Order | Skill | Why it comes early |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jobsite safety and OSHA 10 | Ladders, falls, cuts and PPE are the first hazards you meet |
| 2 | Lockout/tagout | Learn how hazardous energy is controlled before you work on or near electrical equipment |
| 3 | Ohm’s law | The base for voltage, current and resistance calculations |
| 4 | Branch circuits | Most first-year wiring is branch circuits |
Pages that cover the rest of year one
For more help planning year one, use these guides on costs, tools, programs and hours:
- First-year costs and first-year money plan
- First-year tools
- Texas apprenticeship programs and application dates
- Apprenticeship hours by state, if you might move
Check yourself
- Do you need an exam for a Texas apprentice license? No. No experience and no exam.
- How often do you renew the apprentice license? Every year.
- After how many hours can you apply to take the journeyman exam early? 7,000 hours, out of the 8,000 needed for the license.
FAQ
How do I get an apprentice electrician license in Texas?
Apply online with TDLR and pay the non-refundable $20 fee. No experience or exam is required. Online applicants who report no criminal convictions get a temporary license automatically.
Who can supervise a Texas electrical apprentice?
An apprentice works under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman. Hours toward the journeyman license must be under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas.
How do I renew a Texas apprentice electrician license?
The license is valid for one year. Renew it each year with 4 hours of continuing education, or instead with enrollment in a department-registered electrical apprenticeship training course.
How many hours do I need to become a journeyman electrician in Texas?
8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas. TDLR lets you apply after 7,000 hours so you can take the exam early.
What should a first-year electrician apprentice do first?
First, obtain your Texas Electrical Apprentice license from TDLR before performing electrical work, unless a legal exemption applies. Ask your employer who will supervise you and what safety training and tools you need. From your first day, record your work hours and save training documents so you can check your records later.
Sources checked October 2026
- TDLR, Apprentice Electrician license: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/apprentice-electrician.htm
- TDLR, Journeyman Electrician license: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/journeyman-electrician.htm
