Texas Journeyman Electrician License Requirements (TDLR)
Before the exam there's the paperwork: the hours, the application, the fees, and after you pass, keeping the license active. Here's the whole path in plain terms, with the current numbers, sourced from TDLR.
Last reviewed June 2026
| Experience required | 8,000 hours under a master electrician (test early at 7,000) |
| Application fee (TDLR) | $30, non-refundable (form ELC005, by mail) |
| Exam fee (PSI) | $78 for both parts ($78 to retake a failed part) |
| Passing score | 70% on each of the two parts |
| License term | 1 year, renewed annually online ($30) |
| Continuing education | 4 hours per year (NEC, NFPA 70E, TX law/rules) |
1. The experience: 8,000 hours
To be licensed as a Texas Journeyman Electrician you need 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a licensed master electrician. Most people get there by registering as an electrical apprentice and logging hours on the job. The hours that count toward journeyman licensure are the ones supervised by a master, and each supervising master signs off on your experience.
You don't have to wait for the full 8,000 to test. Once you have at least 7,000 documented hours, you can apply to take the exam early. You can pass it at 7,000, but TDLR won't issue the license until your full 8,000 hours are verified. One catch worth knowing: you generally have to meet all the requirements within 12 months of filing, or the application is terminated and you start over.
2. The application and fees
You apply to TDLR by mail using the Journeyman Electrician License Application (form ELC005) with a $30 non-refundable application fee. TDLR verifies your application and experience, and once you're approved, you contact PSI, TDLR's testing contractor, to schedule the exam and pay the $78 exam fee. The application goes to TDLR; the exam fee goes to PSI. They're two separate steps.
3. The exam
The exam is open book on the 2023 NEC, and you bring your own bound code book (no loose-leaf, spiral-bound, or ring-bound copies). Since March 11, 2025 it's two separately-scored parts: an NEC Knowledge portion (59 items, 130 minutes) and a Calculations portion (26 items, 110 minutes). You need 70% on each part, graded separately, so a strong score on one can't carry a weak score on the other. If you fail one part, you retake just that part for the $78 fee again. There's a full breakdown on the exam format page.
4. Keeping the license
The license is good for one year. You renew online for a $30 fee, and each cycle you need 4 hours of continuing education from a TDLR-registered provider, covering the NEC, safety (NFPA 70E), and Texas law and rules. If all 4 of those hours are NEC-only, you have to add at least 1 hour of law/rules or safety. Use a registered provider or the hours won't count.
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