Short answer: A Texas electrician apprentice license needs no experience and no exam. Apply online at TDLR and pay the $20 fee. If you report no criminal convictions, a temporary license is issued automatically, and the license lasts one year. You work under a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, or Residential Wireman. Hours under a Texas Master count toward the Journeyman license.
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In detail: A Texas Electrical Apprentice license needs no experience and no exam. You apply online to TDLR with a $20 non-refundable fee. If you apply online and report no criminal convictions, a temporary license is issued automatically. The license lasts one year and is renewed every year. As an apprentice you work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman. Your hours under a Texas Master Electrician are what later qualify you for the Journeyman exam (7,000 hours) and license (8,000 hours).
Last checked October 1, 2026 against the TDLR apprentice, Journeyman and continuing education pages.
Requirements at a glance
| Item | Texas Electrical Apprentice |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 16, per TDLR Electricians at a Glance. Under 18, you learn under direct supervision. |
| Experience needed | None |
| Exam | None |
| How to apply | Online application to TDLR |
| Fee | $20, non-refundable |
| Temporary license | Issued automatically if you apply online and report no criminal convictions |
| License term | 1 year, renewed annually (online) |
| Supervision | General supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman |
| Continuing education | TDLR’s FAQ points apprentices to the electrician continuing education rules (4 hours of approved courses) |
With certain allowed exemptions, anyone doing electrical work in Texas must be licensed, so get the apprentice license before you start work.
Apply step by step
- Check that you are 16 or older. TDLR’s Electricians at a Glance fact sheet sets the minimum age at 16, and apprentices under 18 learn under the direct supervision of a licensed Electrical Contractor, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman.
- Answer the criminal history question honestly. With any conviction other than a minor traffic violation, or a deferred adjudication, fill out TDLR’s Criminal History Questionnaire. The review can take one to six weeks, and you can ask TDLR for a Criminal History Evaluation Letter before you apply.
- Apply online. Go to TDLR online applications, choose the electrical apprentice license and pay the $20 fee. With no convictions, your temporary license is issued automatically.
- Save your number and look yourself up. Write the license number down for job and program applications, and find yourself on the TDLR License Search once it is issued.
- Then start work. TDLR’s electrician FAQ says there is no grace period: hold the license before you do electrical work.
Starting out? Use the first-week checklist, find a program in all 68 TDLR-registered apprenticeship programs, and compare union, IEC, ABC and direct-hire routes.
The hours that count toward Journeyman
Not every hour counts the same. TDLR’s Journeyman requirement is on-the-job training under the supervision of a Texas-licensed Master Electrician:
- 7,000 hours lets you apply and take the Journeyman exam early.
- 8,000 hours is required before the Journeyman license is issued.
- Each supervising Master Electrician signs an Experience Verification Form when you apply.
See when your hours reach 7,000 and 8,000 in the license timeline.
169,534 Texas apprentices hold a current license: see the statistics (TDLR data, September 2026).
Keep your own log from day one: dates, employer, supervising master’s name and license number, and hours. Supervisors change jobs and become hard to reach. TDLR suggests contacting the electrical contractor the master worked under, or using the TDLR license search to find them.
Log your hours the way TDLR’s Form ELC017 asks for them, field by field.
Renewing and continuing education
Apprentice licenses expire after one year and can be renewed online. TDLR requires 4 hours of approved continuing education before each renewal, covering the NEC, Texas electrician law, the Texas electrician rules and electrical safety (NFPA 70E). Apprentices have one alternative: being enrolled in a TDLR-registered electrical apprenticeship training course also satisfies the renewal requirement. The course provider reports your hours, and you can check them on TDLR’s continuing education course lookup. Details: Texas electrician continuing education.
Renewal is $20 online, and TDLR sends a reminder about 60 days before your license expires. A late renewal costs $30 up to 90 days late and $40 from 91 days to 3 years. After 3 years expired you apply again as a new applicant (TDLR renewal page).
From apprentice to Journeyman: the ladder
| Stage | Main requirement | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Apprentice | None, $20 online | None |
| Journeyman Electrician | 7,000 hours to test, 8,000 to license, $30 application | Two parts on the 2026 NEC, 70% each |
| Master Electrician | Journeyman for 2 years and 12,000 hours | Two parts, 70% each |
| Electrical Contractor | A Master Electrician of record plus insurance | No separate exam listed |
Next steps: the TDLR Journeyman application, the Texas Journeyman exam, the Texas Master exam and the electrical contractor license. For the wider picture, read how to become an electrician in Texas.
Start studying before you reach 7,000 hours
TDLR’s May 2026 staff report shows candidates from apprenticeship programs passed the early Journeyman exam 83.54% of the time on the first attempt, against 23.71% for their repeat attempts. Preparing while you build hours pays off. Try the free Texas Journeyman practice: 20 questions, no sign-up.
Next step on the Texas ladder
You are here: Apprentice license. Next: Journeyman application. Your hours under a Texas Master Electrician count toward it.
Also useful: Residential Wireman license · All Texas electrician exams
Free first: try 20 Texas Journeyman questions, no sign-up.
Texas license ladder
Exam prep
FAQ
How much does a Texas electrician apprentice license cost?
$20, non-refundable, with an online application to TDLR. No experience or exam is required.
How long does it take to get a Texas apprentice electrician license?
If you apply online and report no criminal convictions, TDLR issues a temporary license automatically. With a criminal history, the review takes from one to six weeks.
Do Texas electrician apprentices need continuing education?
TDLR’s FAQ points apprentices, along with journeymen, masters, linemen and wiremen, to the electrician continuing education page, which requires 4 hours of approved courses. Confirm your renewal requirement on TDLR.
How many hours does a Texas apprentice need to become a journeyman?
8,000 hours under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician for the license. You can apply and take the exam at 7,000 hours.
Who can supervise a Texas electrical apprentice?
A Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman, under general supervision. Hours toward the Journeyman license must be under a Texas Master Electrician’s supervision.
Can I apply for a Texas apprentice electrician license online?
Yes. You apply online to TDLR with a $20 non-refundable fee. If you apply online and report no criminal convictions, TDLR issues a temporary license automatically. The license lasts one year and is renewed every year. Source: TDLR apprentice electrician license page.
How old do you have to be to get a Texas apprentice electrician license?
16. TDLR’s Electricians at a Glance fact sheet sets the minimum age at 16, and apprentices under 18 learn under the direct supervision of a licensed Electrical Contractor, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman.
Practice on the 2026 NEC
20 free practice questions on the 2026 NEC, no sign-up.
Start 20 free questions All Texas electrician exams in one placeSources
- TDLR: Apply for a New Electrical Apprentice License, read October 1, 2026
- TDLR: Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License, read October 1, 2026
- TDLR: Continuing Education for Electricians and TDLR electrician FAQ, read October 1, 2026
- TDLR: Electrician Continuing Education, read October 2, 2026
- TDLR staff reports, May 12, 2026, read October 1, 2026
- TDLR Active License Search: look up a Texas electrician license, read October 3, 2026
- Texas Open Data Portal: TDLR All Licenses dataset, read October 3, 2026
- TDLR Electricians at a Glance, December 2025, read October 3, 2026
- TDLR: Renew an Apprentice Electrician License, read October 3, 2026
- TDLR Criminal History Questionnaire, read October 3, 2026
