Short answer: In Texas you can apply for the Journeyman exam once Texas Master Electricians can verify at least 7,000 hours of your on-the-job training. Mail TDLR’s application with the $30 fee and one Experience Verification Form (ELC017) per supervising Master. The license still needs 8,000 approved hours and a passed exam.
Your exam can arrive before your last 1,000 hours do. The Texas Journeyman Practice Pack has 1,000 practice questions and 10 timed two-part mocks that follow the published PSI exam lengths (59 + 26 questions). All questions are independent practice material. Each mock is scored by part against the 70% line, so you see which part needs work before you book. US$39, one payment.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR or PSI. This page summarizes TDLR’s public pages and forms as we checked them in October 2026. Forms and fees change, so download the current version from TDLR before you mail anything.
What the 7,000-hour rule says
TDLR’s Journeyman page says you need at least 7,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Master Electrician licensed in Texas to apply. Applying at 7,000 hours lets you take the exam before you reach the full 8,000 hours required for the license (TDLR Journeyman application page).
The application form (ELC-LIC-005, revised March 2026) calls this the early examination option. Three details on the form matter most (TDLR application form):
- You attach at least 7,000 hours and check the early exam box.
- After TDLR approves the 7,000 hours, you can test once PSI notifies you.
- TDLR’s application form requires all requirements, including the remaining hours, to be met within 12 months of filing, while its exam page counts one year from the date TDLR receives the application. Either way, the application is terminated if the requirements are not met. Confirm the deadline recorded for your application with TDLR.
| Gate | What TDLR needs | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 7,000 approved hours | Application, $30 fee, one ELC017 per supervising Master | Approval to schedule the PSI exam |
| 8,000 approved hours | Additional ELC017 forms for the remaining hours | One of the two license conditions |
| Passed exam | 70% or better on each part | The other license condition |
| 12-month application deadline | All licensing requirements | The application form refers to the filing date, while TDLR’s exam page refers to the date TDLR receives the application. Confirm your recorded deadline directly with TDLR. |
How TDLR counts your hours
Only supervised hours count, and a Master signs for them. Your apprentice license lets you work under the general supervision of a Master, a Journeyman or a Residential Wireman (TDLR apprentice page). The Journeyman application asks for hours under a Texas Master, signed by each supervising Master. If your day-to-day lead is a journeyman, find out which Master the work was done under.
One form per supervisor. TDLR says each supervisor should complete a new Experience Verification Form, and that TDLR may contact supervisors to check the experience. The application instructions also accept a letter on company letterhead signed by the supervising Master.
What the ELC017 asks for (TDLR form ELC017), in our own summary:
- The supervisor’s name, phone, company, license type, license number and license dates
- The start and end dates of the period they supervised you, and the hours you worked in that period
- Whether they supervised your work, and whether you held a valid license during those dates
- The type of work (installed, maintained or extended a wiring system, or service entrance conductors) and the setting (residential, commercial, industrial, exempt, other)
- A description of the work, and the supervisor’s signature
Hours that do not count. TDLR’s FAQ says hours spent completing a career and technology education (CTE) program cannot be credited toward on-the-job training for another electrician license (TDLR electrician FAQ).
Worked example: three employers, one application
An apprentice has worked for three electrical contractors, each with its own supervising Master:
| Employer | Dates | Hours on the signed form |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor 1 | Jan 2023 to Jun 2024 | 2,880 |
| Contractor 2 | Jul 2024 to Dec 2025 | 2,960 |
| Contractor 3 | Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 | 1,360 |
- Total: 2,880 + 2,960 + 1,360 = 7,200 hours. That meets the 7,000-hour threshold for requesting early examination, provided TDLR approves the verified experience and the application.
- Forms: obtain separate experience verification from each of the three supervising Masters. Make sure each form includes the required supervisor information and supporting license verification before submitting the application.
- Hours still needed for the license: 8,000 − 7,200 = 800 hours.
- At 40 hours a week, 800 ÷ 40 = 20 weeks. That fits well inside the 12 months the application stays open.
A quick check on each period: 18 months is about 78 weeks, and 78 × 40 = 3,120 hours, so 2,880 and 2,960 are possible full-time totals. Nine months is about 39 weeks, or 1,560 hours at 40 a week, so 1,360 also fits. If a signed total looks higher than the calendar allows, expect questions. This check shows only that a total is plausible. It does not predict whether TDLR will accept your hours.
Step by step
- Add up your hours by supervisor and by company from your own records: pay stubs, timesheets or a personal log.
- Look up each Master on the TDLR license search so the license number and dates on the form are right.
- Ask each supervising Master to complete and sign a new ELC017. If you cannot reach one, TDLR suggests contacting the electrical contractor the Master worked under.
- Fill in the application. Give your apprentice license number, check the early exam box, and check the apprenticeship box if you are or were enrolled in a Texas apprenticeship training program.
- Mail it with the $30 non-refundable fee to TDLR, PO Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711-2157. TDLR says initial applications go by mail. Keep copies; documents are not returned.
- After approval, schedule with PSI. The current linked PSI Candidate Information Bulletin lists a $78 Journeyman examination fee for both parts and a $78 retake fee. Check the bulletin again before scheduling, because exam fees and policies may change (PSI Candidate Information Bulletin).
- Submit verification of your remaining hours and complete all other licensing requirements within the deadline TDLR assigns to your application. The application form says 12 months from the filing date, while TDLR’s exam information page says one year from the date TDLR receives the application. Confirm your exact deadline with TDLR. Do not assume the countdown begins when PSI approves your exam scheduling.
The exam you are applying for
| Part | Items | Time | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 59 (3 not scored) | 130 minutes | 70% |
| Calculations | 26 (2 not scored) | 110 minutes | 70% |
Source: the PSI bulletin above, which carries the Handbook and permanent-tab wording, and the TDLR exam page. Since September 1, 2026, the exam is referenced to the 2026 NEC. It is open book: bring your own soft-bound 2026 NEC. Spiral-bound, loose-leaf and ring-bound copies are not allowed, nor is the NEC Handbook, and only publisher-made permanent tabs are allowed (TDLR exam page).
TDLR’s fiscal year 2025 statistics show how hard the two parts are: 24.46% of Journeyman NEC attempts and 20.56% of Journeyman Calculations attempts passed (TDLR FY2025 exam statistics). Applying early helps only if you are ready when PSI’s notice arrives.
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A printed NEC reference for exam preparation
NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC) 2026, softbound. After TDLR approves your application, the exam is open book with the 2026 NEC. TDLR’s exam page says any soft-bound edition may be used and loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies are not allowed.
Where applications get stuck
- A supervisor you cannot reach. Ask the contractor, then use the license search for contact details.
- Hours under a journeyman lead only. The form is signed by the supervising Master. Know who that is on every job.
- Gaps in your apprentice license. The ELC017 asks whether you held a valid license during the dates. Renew on time.
- Totals that don’t match the calendar. Keep your own weekly log so the numbers on each form are easy to defend.
- Studying after the notice. Twelve months goes fast. Start before you mail the application.
FAQ
Can I take the Texas Journeyman exam before I have 8,000 hours?
Yes. Under the early exam option you submit at least 7,000 supervised hours. Once TDLR approves them and PSI notifies you, you can test. The license is issued only after 8,000 approved hours and a passed exam.
Do all my hours have to come from one employer?
No. Each supervising Master completes a separate Experience Verification Form for the period and hours they supervised, and you send them all with the application.
What if my old Master no longer works there?
TDLR suggests contacting the electrical contractor the Master worked under and asking them to have the Master contact you. The TDLR license search can also help you find contact details.
How long do I have after I apply?
TDLR’s application form says 12 months from filing, and its exam page says one year from the date TDLR receives the application. Either way, all requirements, including the remaining verified hours and passing the exam, must be met or the application will be terminated. Confirm the deadline recorded for your application directly with TDLR.
Sources checked October 2026
- TDLR Journeyman application page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/journeyman-electrician.htm
- TDLR application form ELC-LIC-005 (rev Mar 2026): https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/forms/elc-lic-005-journeyman-electrician-license-application.pdf
- TDLR Experience Verification Form ELC017: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/forms/ELC017%20Electrician%20Experience%20Verification%20Form.pdf
- TDLR apprentice page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/apprentice-electrician.htm
- TDLR electrician FAQ: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecfaq.htm
- TDLR exam page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecexam.htm
- TDLR FY2025 exam statistics: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecExamStats2025.htm
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for TDLR (updated 9/15/2026): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1682
- TDLR license search: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch/
