Short answer: Texas licenses Maintenance Electricians to do electrical maintenance work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician. You need 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Master or Maintenance Electrician, a $20 mailed application and a passing score on a 60-item exam. Some in-house maintenance work is exempt from state licensing.
Starting from zero and considering electrical maintenance? First check whether the jobs you’re interested in require a Texas license and what supervised experience the license requires. If you are already working toward the Maintenance Electrician license, use the TDLR requirements and the PSI exam outline on this page. If you’re still choosing an electrical apprenticeship route, the Texas Electrical Apprenticeship Entry Kit may help with general math, reading and interview preparation. It covers 13 Texas programs checked on their own websites, with 1,366 math and 288 reading practice questions and 8 timed aptitude simulations. Launch price US$49 through November 30, 2026.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR or PSI. Requirements below come from TDLR’s public pages, the PSI bulletin and the Texas Occupations Code as we checked them in October 2026. Whether an exemption fits a specific job is a question for TDLR, not for us.
What the license is
TDLR’s Maintenance Electrician page says Maintenance Electricians are licensed to perform electrical maintenance work while working under the general supervision of a Master Electrician (TDLR Maintenance Electrician page). Typical settings are plants, hospitals, schools, campuses and large buildings, where the job is keeping existing systems running.
Requirements, step by step
- 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Master Electrician or a Maintenance Electrician licensed in Texas. The same requirement is in the law, Texas Occupations Code section 1305.158 (statute text).
- Experience forms. Each supervisor signs a separate Experience Verification Form.
- Mailed application with a $20 non-refundable fee.
- The exam, once TDLR approves you. You then have one year from the date TDLR received your application to pass (TDLR exam page).
- Annual renewal with 4 hours of continuing education and a $20 renewal fee (TDLR Maintenance Electrician renewal page).
The exam
| Item | Maintenance Electrician |
|---|---|
| Scored items | 60 |
| Time | 180 minutes |
| Non-scored items | 5 more, with 20 more minutes |
| Pass mark | 70% (42 of 60) |
| Fee | $64 |
| Code book | Your own soft-bound 2026 NEC |
From the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (updated September 15, 2026). The largest areas are Branch Circuits and Conductors (10 items), Electrical Equipment and Devices (10), Wiring Methods (9), Services (8) and Special Occupancies (8). In TDLR’s fiscal year 2025 statistics, 8 of 18 Maintenance attempts passed, 44.44% (TDLR FY2025 exam statistics). That is a small number of candidates, so treat the rate with care.
The in-house exemption
TDLR’s exemptions page says a maintenance person or electrician who does not do electrical work for the public and does not install electrical equipment in new construction is not required by the state to be licensed as an electrician, citing Occupations Code section 1305.003(a)(8) (TDLR exemptions page). The same page notes that municipal or regional rules may override the state exemptions, under section 1305.201.
What that means in practice:
- An employer may still require a license as a hiring standard, even where the state exemption applies.
- The exemption is about state licensing. It does not change safety training, NFPA 70E programs or what your employer allows you to do.
- If you plan to move between employers, or to do work for the public later, the license travels with you; an exemption does not.
Maintenance Electrician or Journeyman?
| Maintenance Electrician | Journeyman Electrician | |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Electrical maintenance, under a Master’s general supervision | Electrical work generally, under a Master’s general supervision |
| Hours | 8,000 under a Master or Maintenance Electrician | 8,000 under a Master; may test at 7,000 |
| Application fee | $20 | $30 |
| Exam | One part: 60 items, 180 minutes, $64 | Two parts: 59 + 26 items, $78 |
Journeyman details are from the TDLR Journeyman page and the PSI bulletin. One planning point: hours supervised only by a Maintenance Electrician count for the maintenance license, but TDLR’s Journeyman page asks for hours under a Master, so check before you count them toward Journeyman.
How long 8,000 hours takes
- At 40 hours a week: 8,000 ÷ 40 = 200 weeks.
- At about 50 working weeks a year: 200 ÷ 50 = 4 years.
Check: 200 × 40 = 8,000.
Already working in maintenance? Check your supervised hours first. They must be under a Master Electrician or a Texas-licensed Maintenance Electrician, and each supervisor signs a separate Experience Verification Form. Then compare your work with the PSI exam areas above before you apply.
Looking for an in-plant or maintenance job? Add yourself to our free candidate list. Joining does not promise a job offer.
FAQ
How do you become a maintenance electrician in Texas?
Complete 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician or Maintenance Electrician, mail the application with the $20 fee and experience forms, and pass the Maintenance Electrician exam: 60 items in 180 minutes with 70% to pass.
Does a maintenance electrician need a license in Texas?
TDLR issues a Maintenance Electrician license. TDLR’s exemptions page also says a maintenance person who does not work for the public and does not install equipment in new construction is not required by the state to be licensed. Employers and cities may still require one.
What can a Texas maintenance electrician do?
Electrical maintenance work, under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, according to TDLR’s license page.
How much does the Texas maintenance electrician exam cost?
The PSI bulletin lists a $64 exam fee. TDLR’s application fee is $20, and the license renews yearly for $20 with 4 hours of continuing education.
Sources checked October 2026
- TDLR Maintenance Electrician application page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/maintenance.htm
- TDLR Maintenance Electrician renewal page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/renew/individuals/maintenance.htm
- TDLR exemptions page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/exemptions.htm
- Texas Occupations Code section 1305.158, Maintenance Electrician: https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._occ._code_section_1305.158
- TDLR exam page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecexam.htm
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for TDLR (updated 9/15/2026): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1682
- TDLR FY2025 exam statistics: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecExamStats2025.htm
- TDLR Journeyman application page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/journeyman-electrician.htm
