Short answer: TDLR requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed master electrician for the journeyman license. You may apply with at least 7,000 hours by checking the early exam option on the application, and you can test once those 7,000 hours are approved and PSI notifies you. The license is not issued until all 8,000 hours are approved and you pass the exam, and you have one year from the application date to send the extra hours.
If you plan to test before you reach 8,000 hours, the Practice Pack gives you timed practice for both parts of the Texas journeyman exam. It has 1,000 original questions, 10 full timed two-part mocks (59 questions in 130 minutes plus 26 in 110 minutes, scored at 70%), 299 step-by-step calculation solutions, and a score by part and by topic with a line showing which part you would fail. US$39, one payment.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR or PSI. Rules and fees can change, so confirm on the TDLR and PSI pages linked below.
7,000 hours vs 8,000 hours at a glance
| Approved hours | What it lets you do |
|---|---|
| Under 7,000 | Keep logging hours under a master electrician. You cannot use the early exam option until you have at least 7,000 hours to submit for approval. |
| At least 7,000 | Apply with the early exam option checked. Once the 7,000 hours are approved and PSI notifies you, you can schedule the exam. |
| 8,000 approved and exam passed | You have met the hours and exam requirements for the journeyman license. |
| After the license | The license is valid 1 year and is renewed online every year. |
For this license route, your qualifying hours are documented under the supervision of a Texas-licensed master electrician. How to fill out and sign that form is covered on the next page in this section.
How the early exam option works, step by step
- Gather documentation for at least 7,000 qualifying hours before you apply for the early exam option.
- Fill out the Journeyman Electrician License Application (ELC-LIC-005). Choose Route A and check the early exam option box.
- Mail the application, the forms and the $30 non-refundable fee to TDLR, PO Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711-2157. Keep a copy of everything, and do not send cash.
- TDLR reviews your application and verifies your eligibility. If approved, you receive PSI scheduling instructions by email or, if you have no email on file, by postcard.
- Schedule and take the exam. It has two parts, NEC Knowledge and Calculations, and you need 70% on each.
- Keep working and send the forms for your remaining hours within one year of the application date.
- The license is not issued until all 8,000 hours are approved and you have passed.
The one-year clock is the real limit
TDLR gives you 1 year from the date it received your application to meet all requirements, including passing the exam. The application form says it plainly: meet all requirements within 12 months of the filing date, or the application will be terminated. That means the remaining hours have to be worked, sent in and approved, and the exam passed, all inside that year.
| Hours you work per week | Weeks to log 1,000 more hours |
|---|---|
| 40 | 25 |
| 30 | 34 |
| 20 | 50 |
| 15 | 67, longer than a year |
Testing early also leaves room for retakes. Retakes are unlimited, with a $78 PSI fee each time. TDLR’s FY2025 statistics show 24.46% of Journeyman NEC attempts and 20.56% of Journeyman Calculations attempts passed. Those figures count attempts, including retakes, not people, but they show why it pays to start the exam side early.
Weeks to 7,000 and 8,000 hours calculator
Weeks to 7,000 and 8,000 hours
Enter the hours you have worked under a Texas-licensed master electrician and the hours you work in a typical week. Count only hours a supervisor can sign for on the Experience Verification Form.
- Hours logged so far
- Hours you work per week
[ETOS_ACCOUNT_CARD]
Create your free account and track this step on your skill tree
Can I take the Texas journeyman exam before 8,000 hours?
Yes. You may apply with at least 7,000 hours by checking the early exam option on the application and attaching forms for those hours. After the 7,000 hours are approved, you may test once PSI notifies you.
Do I get my journeyman license as soon as I pass at 7,000 hours?
No. The license is not issued until all 8,000 hours are approved and you have passed the exam. You must meet all requirements, including having your remaining hours approved and passing the exam, within one year of the application date.
What happens if I do not reach 8,000 hours within a year?
The application form says you must meet all requirements within 12 months of the filing date, or the application will be terminated. Use the calculator before you apply early, and ask TDLR if your situation is unusual.
