From zero experience to running your own electrical business in Texas, one skill at a time.
The four Texas electrician licenses on this career path
1. Apprentice Electrician
No experience and no exam. Apply online with TDLR and pay a US$20 fee, then renew every year. You work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman, and you start building on-the-job training hours toward the Journeyman license.
2. Journeyman Electrician
8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician for the license. You can apply from 7,000 hours with the experience verification form and test once TDLR approves your application. The exam is open book in two parts: NEC Knowledge, 59 questions (56 scored) in 130 minutes, and Calculations, 26 questions (24 scored) in 110 minutes. You need 70% on each part, and unused time does not carry over.
3. Master Electrician
Hold a Journeyman license for at least 2 years and reach 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician, then pass the Master exam. A Master can serve as the Master Electrician of Record for a contracting business.
4. Electrical Contractor
Have a Master Electrician of Record (the owner can be that Master), carry liability insurance of US$300,000 per occurrence and US$600,000 aggregate, and carry workers’ compensation coverage or file an election not to carry it.
License requirements checked against the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) on October 16, 2026. Exam format from the PSI candidate bulletin for the 2026 NEC (from September 1, 2026). Your progress on this page is saved in this browser only.
How can I turn a career map into one useful next action?
Start with your current situation, choose a skill or application task and write down what evidence would show you completed it. Use the Texas career map to explore the route, then choose a manageable action rather than trying to work on every stage at once.
Source: Current site offer
A study routine to try
- Choose your current starting point.
- Select one topic to understand or one document to prepare.
- Write down the evidence you will keep and a date to review it.
Sources
Review the current product and access terms
FAQ
Does a completed learning task establish a license?
Keep learning records separate from licensing requirements and official approvals.
What should I do after exploring the map?
Choose one concrete next action and compare any paid resource with that task.
