Texas Master Electrician License Requirements
For the standard Texas master electrician license route, you need all three: 12,000 qualifying hours, a Journeyman Electrician license held for at least two years, and a passing score on the master exam. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) issues the license, and the first application goes in by mail. (TDLR master electrician application page; current application, instructions 11–13)
| Requirement | What TDLR needs to see | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 12,000 qualifying hours | Signed experience verification, including any approved program credit described below | TDLR's standard-route page specifies Texas-licensed master supervision |
| Journeyman Electrician license, held 2+ years | Your journeyman license number and original issue date on the application | Journeyman Industrial Electrician experience can't be used for this license |
| Application and $45 fee | TDLR's current paper application, mailed with the non-refundable fee | There's no online option for a first-time master application |
| Master exam | Pass both parts, NEC Knowledge and Calculations, at 70% each, after TDLR approves you | For test dates from September 1, 2026, questions follow the 2026 NEC |
Sources: TDLR master electrician application page · PSI Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin
Quick check. Answer these three questions:
- Have you held a Journeyman Electrician license for two years or more?
- Can you document 12,000 qualifying hours through supervisor verification and any applicable TDLR-approved program credit?
- Are you ready to pass both parts of the exam within the application deadline?
Three yeses mean it's time to assemble the application packet; TDLR still decides whether your records qualify. A "no" on 1 or 2 means you haven't established the standard qualifications. Texas has no early-exam option for master applicants. Question 3 matters because the application terminates if you haven't finished every requirement within a year of filing; see the one-year clock below. (Current TDLR application)
Licensed as a master in another state? Texas has a separate reciprocity route for seven states.
What counts toward the 12,000 hours
The 12,000 hours are your total supervised on-the-job training. They are not 12,000 new hours after you became a journeyman. TDLR's application asks for your full employment history under master electricians. And a rule effective July 1, 2026 credits an approved accelerated journeyman program toward both the journeyman application and "any subsequent applications for a master electrician license." (Current TDLR application, instruction 11; 16 TAC §73.112(l)(3), adopted in 51 TexReg 4177)
In practice, the hours you logged as an apprentice under a master go toward the 12,000. That includes the 8,000 you used for your journeyman license. TDLR still makes the final call on which hours it accepts.
| Your situation | Counts toward the 12,000? |
|---|---|
| Apprentice hours worked under a Texas master electrician | Yes. They're part of your total supervised training. |
| Hours worked as a licensed journeyman under a master | Yes |
| Graduate of a TDLR-approved accelerated journeyman electrician education program (JEEP) | Graduates are credited with 4,000 hours, and TDLR carries that credit to a later master application (16 TAC §73.112(l)(3)). A student who doesn't finish normally gets no program credit, unless the executive director orders otherwise. Properly supervised electrical work in the program's optional cooperative education component is excluded from that no-credit rule (§73.112(l)(2)). |
| Experience under a Journeyman Industrial Electrician license | No. TDLR says it can't be used to qualify for a master license (TDLR). |
| Hours without a master electrician's general supervision | No. On-site supervision by a journeyman or residential wireman is different: an apprentice can work under that on-site supervision while the master retains general oversight. (16 TAC §73.10(7), (8), (11), (13) and (18)) |
| Hours supervised by a master licensed in another state | TDLR's application page calls for a Texas-licensed master. Ask TDLR before counting these hours. |
| Years you held a Texas city or regional master license | You may verify your own on-the-job training for those years (TDLR). |
| Military service, training or education | Submit the records through TDLR's applicable military pathway. Its forms distinguish military-experience applications, license transfers and license recognition; TDLR determines what applies to your records. (TDLR military forms and options) |
Not all school credit transfers. The separate career and technology education credit for a Residential Wireman license does not carry over to another electrician license. That is not the JEEP credit described above. (TDLR electrician FAQ, 10.2)
No early exam for masters
On the hours-based journeyman route, applicants can test after 7,000 of their 8,000 hours. That rule covers journeyman applicants only (16 TAC §73.21(b)). TDLR's master application instructions say you need the 12,000 hours before you take the exam. Your records, including any approved program credit, must establish the full requirement (current TDLR application, instruction 11; 16 TAC §73.112(l)).
Which requirement will you hit last?
Which requirement comes last depends on your verified hours and your journeyman license date. Here's the math at an assumed pace of 2,000 verified hours a year. That's a planning figure, not a TDLR rule.
- Full-time example: You got your journeyman license on March 1, 2025, with 8,400 verified hours. At 2,000 hours a year, you'd have about 12,400 hours by March 1, 2027. That's also your two-year date, so you could apply then.
- Part-time example: Same license date and hours, but you average 1,200 verified hours a year. By March 1, 2027, you'd have about 10,800 hours. You'd still need 1,200 more, roughly another year at that pace.
For standard-route planning, your earliest application date is the later of the two: the two-year anniversary of your journeyman license or the day your verified hours reach 12,000. This assumes your journeyman license stayed active the whole time. If it ever lapsed, ask TDLR how that period is treated before you file.
Getting your experience verified
Each master electrician who supervised you completes and signs the experience-verification form in the current application (PDF, last page). Document each employer and supervision period. The master records the dates they supervised you, the hours, a description of your work, and the business you worked under. They can only verify hours they know about. (Current TDLR application, experience-verification page)
Make the forms match your employment history. TDLR's current application asks for your full employment history and verification for each employer (instructions 11 and 13). Check that every employer, date range and hour total agrees before you mail anything. A mismatch leaves TDLR with conflicting records to review.
Supervisors have 30 days. When you or TDLR ask a licensee to verify your training, the rule gives them 30 calendar days to provide it (§73.26(b), published text; June 26 adoption without changes). Ask early, especially if you've changed employers.
Can't reach an old supervisor? TDLR suggests contacting the electrical contractor that master worked under and asking them to pass your request along. You can also look up the master's contact information with the TDLR license search. TDLR may contact supervisors itself to confirm hours. (TDLR) Never sign for someone else or invent a verification. False application information can lead to denial, revocation or an administrative penalty (current TDLR application, applicant statement).
How to apply
- Get the current forms. Open TDLR's current Master Electrician application (PDF). If a link has moved, TDLR's electrician forms page lists the current version. TDLR says first-time applications must be on paper.
- Fill in your journeyman details: license number, issuing authority, original issue date, expiration date and how long you've held it.
- Collect a signed Experience Verification Form from each supervising master for the employer and supervision periods supporting your 12,000 hours. Include any applicable approved program-credit records.
- Answer the background questions. If you've been convicted of, or placed on deferred adjudication for, anything other than a minor traffic offense, attach a Criminal History Questionnaire for each offense. If an occupational license, certification or registration has ever been suspended, revoked or denied, attach a Disciplinary Action Questionnaire for each action. This question does not include your driver license. (Current TDLR application, instructions 9–10)
- Include the $45 non-refundable fee as a check or money order. Don't send cash.
- Mail the packet to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, PO Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711-2157. Keep a complete copy. TDLR doesn't return documents.
Application packet checklist
This checklist organizes TDLR's instructions. TDLR reviews your documents and decides your eligibility. (Current application)
Worried about your criminal history? You can ask TDLR to review it before you apply and pay the non-refundable fee. Use the Criminal History Evaluation Letter process: submit its request form, a questionnaire for each offense and the $10 evaluation fee. TDLR says it issues the letter within 90 days of receiving a complete request. The recommendation is not a binding licensing decision.
After you apply
- TDLR reviews your application, experience and fee.
- If you're approved, TDLR notifies you by email or mail that you can take the exam. Make sure your contact information is correct.
- You schedule both parts of the exam with PSI, online or at (833) 333-4741. Your name has to match TDLR's records exactly.
- PSI sends your results to TDLR. You don't send them yourself.
- Once you pass and have met every requirement, TDLR issues the license.
Sources: TDLR electrician exam information · TDLR master electrician application page
The one-year clock. The current application says you must meet all requirements within 12 months of filing, or it will be terminated. For a mailed document, 16 TAC §73.10(6) defines filing by its U.S. Postal Service postmark; TDLR's exam page describes the window as one year from receipt. Plan from the earlier filing date, not approval or your first test, and ask TDLR to confirm the deadline on your eligibility record if those dates differ. So don't mail the application until you're close to exam-ready.
The master exam
PSI delivers the Texas master electrician exam for TDLR. It has two separately scored multiple-choice parts, and you must pass both. (PSI Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin, Master Electrician section)
| Part | Questions | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 75, including 5 unscored | 150 minutes | 70% |
| Calculations | 33, including 3 unscored | 170 minutes | 70% |
- Code edition: For test dates from September 1, 2026, questions are referenced to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC).
- Open book: Bring your own soft-bound NEC. You can highlight, underline and add notes before test day. Only permanent tabs made or supplied by the NEC publisher are allowed; homemade tabs aren't. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies aren't allowed, and neither is the NEC Handbook. You can't mark your book during the exam.
- Calculator: Silent, battery-powered and non-programmable, with no paper tape and no alphabet keyboard.
- Time doesn't carry over. Finishing one part early doesn't add minutes to the other.
- Assumptions: Treat conductors as copper unless the question says otherwise. Don't apply code exceptions or optional calculation methods unless the question tells you to.
- Retakes: You can retest as many times as you need during your eligibility period. Each retake costs $78, whether you're retaking one part or both.
Source: PSI Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin, cover notice, security procedures, examination reference materials and Master Electrician outline. The 70% passing score and unlimited retakes also appear on TDLR's exam page.
Before test day: Arrive 30 minutes early and bring the identification required by TDLR and PSI. TDLR specifies a current government-issued ID with your photograph, date of birth and signature; your name must match its records. Arrange any testing accommodation with PSI before scheduling. (TDLR exam instructions; PSI bulletin, reporting and identification requirements)
What each part covers
These are PSI's published scored-item counts. They show how the questions are spread across topics. They don't show how hard a topic is or how long to study it.
| Subject area | NEC Knowledge (70 scored) | Calculations (30 scored) |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions, theory and plans (Calculations: calculations and theory) | 7 | 2 |
| Services, service equipment and separately derived systems | 11 | 8 |
| Feeders | 4 | 3 |
| Branch circuits and conductors | 11 | 4 |
| Wiring methods and materials | 7 | 2 |
| Equipment and devices | 8 | 2 |
| Motors and generators | 7 | 6 |
| Control devices and disconnecting means | 3 | 1 |
| Special occupancies, equipment and conditions | 8 | 1 |
| Renewable energy technologies | 4 | 1 |
Source: PSI Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin, Master Electrician content outlines. Labels are shortened from PSI's subject headings. In renewable energy, PSI names photovoltaic systems and EV charging for NEC Knowledge, and EV charging for Calculations.
Services and motors together account for 14 of the 30 scored Calculations items, almost half. Because each part is scored on its own, a strong code score can't make up for weak math.
The 2026 NEC moved things. Load calculations moved from Article 220 to Article 120, and the dwelling emergency disconnect rule moved from 230.85 into 230.70. Tabs and notes built for the 2023 edition can send you to the wrong place. Our master electrician exam prep guide has original practice questions and a 10-week study plan. It is a multi-jurisdiction study resource, not a full-length Texas exam. (Minnesota DLI 2026 NEC FAQ, item 10; City of Denison, 2026 NEC significant changes, p. 1)
How many people pass?
In TDLR's fiscal year 2025, 19.08% of Master Calculations attempts passed (753 of 3,946). For Master NEC, 22.21% passed (771 of 3,472). (TDLR FY2025 electrician exam statistics)
Those figures use TDLR's total reported exam results, not a separately published first-time-candidate pass rate. The page lists no-shows separately; they are not in either denominator. They come from before the exam switched to the 2026 NEC. They describe a past group of test-takers, not your own chances.
What it costs
| Fee | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Master electrician license application | $45, non-refundable | TDLR |
| Master exam, both parts | $78 | PSI |
| Application plus first exam attempt | $123 | ($45 + $78) |
| Retake, one or both parts | $78 each attempt | PSI |
| Annual license renewal, on time | $45 | TDLR |
Sources: TDLR master electrician application page · TDLR master renewal · PSI Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin, Master Electrician section
The $123 covers the application and one exam registration only. It doesn't include your NEC book, retakes, travel, postage or the optional $10 criminal-history evaluation. If you miss your appointment, arrive late or cancel less than two days ahead, PSI keeps the exam fee (PSI bulletin).
Licensed in another state?
Texas has master electrician reciprocity agreements with seven states. Reciprocity lets you skip the Texas exam if you meet every other requirement. It isn't permission to start working in Texas before TDLR issues your license. (TDLR out-of-state applicants)
For every state on the list, TDLR requires that you:
- passed that state's statewide examination,
- hold an active reciprocal license that you have held for at least one year,
- have at least 12,000 hours under the supervision of a master electrician, and
- have held a journeyman license for the time shown below.
| State | License TDLR accepts | Journeyman license held |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State-issued license (TDLR asks for a copy of the Class A license) | 1 year |
| Arkansas | Master electrician | 2 years |
| Iowa | Class A master electrician only; Class B doesn't qualify | 1 year |
| Louisiana | State contractor's license; you must be a Louisiana resident | 2 years |
| Nebraska | State-issued license | 1 year |
| North Carolina | Master electrician or unlimited electrical contractor | 2 years |
| Ohio | State-issued license | 1 year |
Source: TDLR out-of-state applicants, master electrician sections
To apply, mail the Master Electrician by Reciprocity application (PDF) with the $45 fee, a copy of your license, and proof of how long you've held a journeyman license. TDLR also asks for a letter of good standing from your state's licensing authority showing that you passed its statewide exam. TDLR says to send everything in one envelope. Complete the reciprocity form's background and disciplinary questions and include any questionnaires it requires.
Licensed in a state that isn't listed? This published reciprocity route isn't available to you. Check the standard route above, with experience verification and the Texas exam, and ask TDLR how your out-of-state records will be evaluated. Separate military pathways may apply to eligible service members, veterans or spouses.
After you pass
What a master license lets you do
A Texas master electrician may perform all electrical work, including master sign electrician work. You may supervise other electricians, verify on-the-job training for other license applicants, and serve as master of record for an electrical sign contractor. (TDLR master license guidance; 16 TAC §73.10, license and supervision definitions; TDLR electrical sign contractor requirements)
You need a separate license to contract
Your master license is an individual license. To run a business that contracts for electrical work, the business needs its own Electrical Contractor license. You must be, or employ, a licensed master electrician to get one. (TDLR electrical contractor license)
A master can be assigned to only one electrical contractor, unless the master owns more than 50% of that business. The contractor application carries its own requirements: a $110 fee and general liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. For workers' compensation, TDLR lists coverage, a certificate of authority to self-insure, or an election not to carry coverage; a contractor electing no coverage must also file the required notice with the Texas Department of Insurance. (TDLR electrical contractor license, Insurance Requirements)
Keeping your license current
- Renew every year. Your license is valid for one year from the date it's issued, and ordinary on-time renewal is online (TDLR master renewal).
- Complete 4 hours of continuing education from a TDLR-registered provider each license term. The hours must cover the NEC, Texas electrician law and rules, and NFPA 70E electrical safety. You can't get credit for repeating the same course. Keep each certificate for a year after completing the course. If you hold more than one electrician license, 4 hours total covers all of them, provided the course falls within each license's term. (TDLR continuing education for electricians)
- Don't let it lapse. You can't do licensed electrical work on an expired license. TDLR lists performing or offering electrical work with an expired license as a violation (Electricians Penalties and Sanctions, Unlicensed Activity).
| When you renew | Master renewal fee |
|---|---|
| On time | $45 |
| Up to 90 days late | $67.50 (1.5 times the fee) |
| More than 90 days, up to 18 months late | $90 (2 times the fee) |
| More than 18 months, less than 3 years late | Only with the executive director's approval, at $90 |
| 3 years or more late | Not eligible for ordinary renewal; use TDLR's new-license instructions |
Source: TDLR master renewal, Expired Licenses. These are the standard renewal fees; $67.50 and $90 are 1.5 and 2 times the $45 fee. For a license more than 18 months but less than 3 years expired, TDLR directs you to mail the required application pages and a request for executive-director approval.
TDLR has a separate military expired-license pathway for eligible applicants with licenses expired up to five years. The ordinary-renewal table does not decide eligibility for that route.
Other situations
Your city stopped issuing master licenses. If you held a master license from a Texas city or region for the preceding year, and that program stops issuing or renewing licenses, you can get the state license without the exam. You must apply within 90 days of the program ending. The current application requires the supplemental form for this route. (Current application, item 11B; 16 TAC §73.21(d)) This is a narrow exception, not a blanket grandfather rule for old city licenses.
Military service members, veterans and spouses. Attach TDLR's military supplemental application and see TDLR's military information page. Its forms and pathway instructions distinguish military-experience applications, out-of-state license transfers, recognition of an out-of-state license, and expired-license applications. The requirements depend on the pathway; do not assume either that every exam is waived or that every applicant must take the Texas exam.
No Social Security number. U.S. citizenship isn't required for a TDLR license. TDLR asks for a Social Security number on applications. If you don't have one, or you are adding or correcting one, TDLR instructs you to complete its Social Security Number Status Certification form and provide proof of lawful presence. Otherwise, send lawful-presence documents only if TDLR specifically asks, and send copies, never originals. (TDLR lawful presence verification)
Master sign electrician is a different license. It requires 12,000 hours under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician or Master Sign Electrician and a separate master sign exam (TDLR master sign application requirements). It doesn't qualify you as a master electrician.
Sources and how we checked
By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Last verified September 30, 2026: the TDLR application forms and licensing, exam, reciprocity, renewal, continuing-education, military, background-evaluation and documentation guidance cited here; the relevant 2026 Texas Register rule text and adoption notice; the PSI Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin; and TDLR's fiscal year 2025 exam statistics.
Primary sources:
- TDLR: Apply for a New Master Electrician License
- TDLR: Current Master Electrician application, including experience verification (PDF)
- TDLR: Electrician forms and publications
- TDLR: Electrician exam information
- PSI: Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin
- TDLR: Transfer your out-of-state electrician license to Texas
- TDLR: Master Electrician by Reciprocity application (PDF)
- TDLR: Apply for a New Electrical Contractor License
- TDLR: Renew a Master Electrician License
- TDLR: Continuing education for electricians
- TDLR: Criminal History Evaluation Letter
- TDLR: Verification of lawful presence
- TDLR: Military forms and licensing pathways
- TDLR: Fiscal year 2025 electrician exam statistics
- Texas Register, June 26, 2026: adopted electrician rules, effective July 1, 2026
- Texas Register, April 10, 2026: §73.26 text subsequently adopted without changes
The code-location examples also use the Minnesota DLI 2026 NEC FAQ, item 10 and City of Denison 2026 NEC significant changes, page 1. Those references explain NEC changes, not Texas application eligibility.
We built this page from those published sources. We didn't contact TDLR or PSI, and it isn't a professional legal review. AI tools assisted with research and drafting; see our editorial standards. This page explains the published requirements. TDLR decides every individual application.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, PSI, or the National Fire Protection Association. Exam, license and code names are used to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners.