Which 4 hours of CE count?
Texas Journeyman and Master Electricians need 4 hours of continuing education before each license renewal. The coursework must address the National Electrical Code, Texas electrician law and rules, and NFPA 70E electrical safety, and come from a TDLR-registered provider. Contractors and residential appliance installers are exempt from CE.
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Apprentice electricians and apprentice sign electricians can instead be enrolled in a TDLR-registered electrical apprenticeship training course, so check your license type before you pay for CE. Find a provider through TDLR before you pay, and use its completed-course look up afterward to check that your hours were recorded.
What the 4 hours must cover
TDLR says the required coursework must address:
- The National Electrical Code: the edition adopted under Occupations Code §1305.101, or the current NFPA-approved version
- Texas Electrician Law (Occupations Code Chapter 1305)
- Texas Electrician Administrative Rules (16 TAC Chapter 73)
- Electrical safety as defined in NFPA 70E
TDLR’s CE page lists which license types need CE and which are exempt, such as contractors and residential appliance installers. Check your own license type there; the previous step in the career tree helps you sort out CE versus an apprentice course. TDLR also says to keep a copy of each course completion certificate for one year, and if your hours have not been reported, to contact the provider first.
Check the dates before choosing a course
Your CE must fall within the term of the license you are renewing. Start with that license period, then compare it with the course completion date. A certificate from an earlier license term is not a substitute for CE in the period being renewed.
TDLR does not award credit for taking the same course more than once, and it does not accept partial completion. If you stop partway through, ask the provider about finishing the course later. Keep the course number beside the title in your notes so you can spot a repeat before enrolling.
Four hours on the NEC alone do not satisfy the whole subject requirement. TDLR says a person in that situation must take an additional approved course in law, rules, or NFPA 70E safety, lasting at least one hour. Check the subject coverage before treating a four-hour total as renewal-ready.
Holding both a Master and a Journeyman license does not mean taking two separate four-hour sets. TDLR requires a total of four hours for multiple license types, with the courses taken during the period of the license being renewed. Put the relevant license periods next to your completion date before deciding which renewal the record supports.
Two course pages to check
Use TDLR’s provider search to verify the provider, and confirm that the specific course is approved before enrolling. The links below go to the course sellers without commission parameters.
- Classes4Contractors: Texas 4 hours Electrical Continuing Education (2026-2027)
- JADE Learning on HeatSpring: 4-Hour Renewal Package for Texas Electricians
Free tool: CE check before renewal
Pick your situation, then enter your hours and tick what you have confirmed. Nothing is saved.
Work through the checks in order: first the dates and course, then the subjects, and finally the reporting record. Tick a box when you have the relevant record in front of you. Completing the course and seeing the hours in the look up are separate checks; a certificate alone does not tell you what the look up currently shows. If you are using the apprentice enrollment alternative, select that situation before reading the result. Keep your enrollment question separate from a missing CE-hours report when you contact the program or provider.
Keep the certificate and check the reported hours
After the course, keep your completion certificate for one year from the completion date. The provider is responsible for reporting your CE hours. Save the certificate where you can find it again, rather than relying on a browser tab or a payment receipt.
Check the hours in TDLR's completed-course look up. If they are missing, contact the provider first to make sure they are reported. TDLR also says to check with the provider if your completion certificate has not arrived within 15 days of the course ending.
When you follow up, have the course title and completion date at hand. Ask about the missing certificate or the missing hours, depending on what you found. Keep the reply with your course record so the next check starts with the provider's answer.
Check courses and hours with TDLR
These are TDLR's own pages. Use them before you pay for a course and again after you finish.
TDLR course provider search
Start here to find a course provider.
TDLR Continuing Education Courses Look Up
Check the hours recorded for you.
TDLR Electricians continuing education page
Who needs CE, the 4 required topics and the registered provider rule.
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