Can I bring my own NEC codebook to the TDLR Journeyman exam?

Yes. Texas TDLR requires you to bring your own soft-bound printed copy of the NEC 2023. Tabs and highlights you add before the session are typically allowed, with permanent publisher tabs specifically permitted. Sticky notes, loose pages, and loose-leaf, spiral, or ring-bound books are not. Verify the current rule on the PSI candidate bulletin before scheduling because tab and highlight policy has shifted across years.

Can I bring an electronic codebook?

No personal electronic reference is allowed. Texas candidates use a printed NEC under the current administrator rules. DIR candidates use the references provided at the test center. Phones, smartwatches, tablets, and personal electronic material stay out of the testing room.

What kind of tabs are allowed?

On the Texas TDLR exam, bound or attached tabs you put in your own codebook are typically allowed. Color-coded chapter and article tabs work fine. What's NOT allowed: sticky notes, loose paper inserts, taped-in formula sheets, or anything that wasn't bound into the book at purchase. The fail-safe rule: if it came pre-bound when you bought the book or you attached it permanently, it's allowed. If it's removable or loose, it's flagged.

What about highlighting in the codebook?

On Texas TDLR exams, highlighting in your own codebook is typically allowed. Margin notes are usually fine but proctor discretion applies — extensive notes that look like answer keys may be flagged. Brief annotations and formula reminders are typically OK. California's provided-reference rule means your personal highlights are not part of the exam setup.

ICP question · exam day rules

Can I Bring My Codebook to the Electrician Exam?

Q: Can I bring my own codebook to the California General Electrician exam?

No. The current California Electrical Certification Candidate Information Bulletin says references are provided in the testing center and candidates may not bring or use their own reference materials. For General Electrician, the provided references include NEC 2023, NFPA 70E 2024, and the CAL/OSHA Pocket Guide updated 2022.

Short answer: yes for Texas TDLR with restrictions. No for California General Electrician: the current bulletin says references are provided at the test center and candidates may not bring or use their own reference materials.

Last reviewed June 2026

Texas TDLR Journeyman exam

Texas TDLR exams require you to bring your own soft-bound printed copy of the NEC 2023. PSI administers the exam at test centers across Texas, and that book is your reference across both timed parts. The PSI bulletin lists the standard NEC 2023 as the reference, not a separate Texas amendments document.

What's typically allowed

Your own soft-bound copy of NEC 2023 (printed, not loose pages)
Permanent index tabs manufactured or provided by the NEC publisher
Tabs you put in yourself, attached permanently before the session
Highlighting and margin notes (brief annotations, formula reminders)
A non-programmable scientific calculator with fresh batteries

What's NOT allowed

Sticky notes inside the codebook
Loose paper inserts (printed formula sheets, study notes)
Three-ring binders or any unbound reference
Programmable, graphing, or internet-capable calculators
Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, tablets — all in the locker
A second codebook (one reference allowed)
Margin notes that look like answer keys (problem-and-solution pairs may be flagged at proctor discretion)

California General Electrician exam (DIR)

California is different. The current Electrical Certification Candidate Information Bulletin says references are provided in the testing center and candidates may not bring or use their own reference materials. For the General Electrician exam, the provided references include NEC 2023, NFPA 70E 2024, and the CAL/OSHA Pocket Guide updated 2022.

What this means for prep

Train index navigation, not just tab navigation. The NEC index can find any rule by keyword — that's the skill the exam tests.
Drill index keyword recall: see a field clue, pick the keyword, find the article, target 30 seconds.
Practice without relying on personal tabs. If you've trained only with your own marked-up book, provided references can slow you down.
JourneymanIQ's California content includes index keyword drills specifically for the provided-reference setup.

For more on index navigation training, see our codebook tabbing guide and the California-specific codebook speed playbook.

What to bring on exam day (both states)

Government photo ID matching your application name exactly. Hyphen mismatches turn people away.
Scheduling confirmation printed or screenshotted before you arrive. Phones go in lockers, so don’t rely on showing your screen.
Codebook (TDLR only) — your printed bound NEC 2023. California: use the references provided at the test center.
Calculator — Texas candidates should confirm the current administrator calculator rule. California's current bulletin says an online calculator is available in the exam.
Water and snack for the locker. Glucose at hour 3 matters.

For the full TDLR exam-day walkthrough, see the TDLR exam day checklist.

Train the way your state tests

JourneymanIQ keeps Texas codebook prep and California provided-reference prep separate, so you do not train for the wrong room.

Predict my score →Tabbing guide →

Can I Bring My Codebook to the Electrician Exam?

Texas TDLR Journeyman exam

What's typically allowed

What's NOT allowed

California General Electrician exam (DIR)

What this means for prep

What to bring on exam day (both states)

Train the way your state tests

Codebook tabbing guide

TDLR exam day checklist

Wave-pass exam strategy

California codebook speed