Short answer: TDLR gives you 1 year from the date it received your application to meet every requirement, including passing the exam. The application form says all requirements must be met within 12 months of the filing date or the application will be terminated. For your own tracking, use the date TDLR received your application and confirm it against your application record. Use the date TDLR received your application to track the deadline. If you applied early with at least 7,000 hours, you have one year from the date of the application to submit the additional hours. The license is not issued until all 8,000 hours are approved and you pass the exam.
Your year has to fit both your hours and the exam. The Practice Pack prepares you for both exam parts while you manage your hours and deadline. It includes 10 timed two-part mock exams, scores by part and topic, and 299 step-by-step calculation solutions. 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.
What has to fit inside the year
| Requirement | What TDLR and PSI say | How it uses your year |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Form ELC-LIC-005, mailed with a $30 non-refundable fee | The clock starts when TDLR receives it |
| Approval | TDLR verifies the application, then PSI sends scheduling information | Waiting for approval comes out of the same year |
| Hours | 8,000 hours under a Texas-licensed master electrician; early exam option with at least 7,000 | With the early exam option you have one year from the date of the application to submit the additional hours |
| Exam | Two parts, NEC Knowledge and Calculations, 70% to pass each | Pass the required exam portions within the period |
| Retakes | Unlimited, $78 if you fail one or both portions | Every retake must also fit inside the year |
The year starts when TDLR receives your application, not when PSI emails you, so time in the mail and in review already counts. See the application status page.
Work backward from your end date
- Find your start date. Use the date TDLR received your application. If you are not sure of it, call TDLR at (800) 803-9202 in state or (512) 463-6599 and ask. Keep your copy of the application, all attachments and your check or money order record.
- Count the hours you still need. Subtract your approved hours from 8,000, then divide by the hours you expect to work each week. That estimates the weeks you need on the job; it does not include time for verification or paperwork.
- Collect signatures as you go. Each Texas-licensed master electrician who supervised you completes and signs an Experience Verification Form, or a letter on company letterhead. Prepare separate documentation for each supervising master electrician. Getting a form signed when you leave a job is easier than chasing a former supervisor later. If you cannot reach a former supervisor, contact the electrical contractor they worked under and ask that the master electrician contact you. The TDLR license search can help find them.
- Plan the first exam attempt early. Retakes are unlimited, but each one costs $78 and each one has to land before the year ends. Leave enough time after your first attempt to review your results, study weak areas and schedule a retake if needed. Exam details are on the exam format page.
- Protect your booked dates. PSI must receive a cancel or reschedule at least 2 days before the exam, by Saturday for a Monday exam, by web or phone only. A late cancel, no show, late arrival or the wrong ID forfeits the fee.
Why the first attempt should not be the last week
A retake costs money and uses more of your remaining eligibility period. A plan that only has room for one attempt has no room for a bad day.
Use your practice results to find your weaker part, then schedule your first attempt with enough time to respond to the result before your eligibility period ends.
Check your deadline
One-year deadline planner
Enter the months since TDLR received your application, your remaining hours, your average weekly hours and the number of exam attempts you want to budget for. This is a rough planning estimate, so check your actual end date against your application record. The example assumes 3 months used, 1,000 hours left, 40 hours a week and 2 attempts.
- Months since TDLR received your application
- Additional approved hours needed to reach 8,000
- Hours you work per week
- Exam attempts to plan for
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What happens if I miss the Texas journeyman one-year deadline?
The application form says that if you do not meet all requirements within 12 months of the filing date, the application will be terminated. The $30 application fee is non-refundable. Call TDLR to ask what to file next.
Does the one year start when I get approved to take the exam?
No. TDLR counts 1 year from the date it received your application. The time TDLR spends verifying your application and the time it takes PSI to send scheduling information come out of that same year.
Can I take the exam before I reach 8,000 hours?
Yes, with the early exam option. You check that box and attach at least 7,000 hours, and after those hours are approved you may test once PSI notifies you. The license is not issued until all 8,000 hours are approved and you pass the exam.
