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How to Search TDLR Penalties and Disciplinary Actions
A license can be active and still carry a fine or a sanction. TDLR publishes those orders in a separate search from the license database, and it only reaches back a limited time. Here is how to use it and what it will not show you.
8 October 2026
The short answer
Use TDLR's Search for Penalties and Administrative Orders. Enter a license number, or a last name or company name, and narrow by program if the name is common. The search covers orders from the current fiscal year and the two before it, which today means orders issued since 1 September 2024.
What is in it
TDLR describes the records as orders issued by the Commission or the Executive Director assessing a sanction, an administrative penalty or both, for violations of the laws and rules of its programs. That spans every program TDLR runs, from barbers and electricians to tow companies, elevator owners and boiler operators.
What it does not contain: complaints that were dismissed or are still being investigated, and anything older than the window. A clean result is a clean result for roughly the last three fiscal years, not for a career.
How to search well
| Field | How it matches | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| License # | Contains | The most precise option. Get the number from the license search first. |
| Last name / First name | Begins with | Enter the last name and only the first letters of the first name, to catch nicknames and middle names. |
| Company name | Begins with | Leading words like "The" or a DBA can hide a match. Try both the legal name and the trading name. |
| License program type | From a list | Use it to cut down results for common names. |
| City / County / Zip | List, or exact zip | Useful to scan an area, for example every towing order in one county. |
At least one field is required, and TDLR recommends combining several for faster results.
Orders older than the window
For anything before 1 September 2024, TDLR asks for a written request to its records center. It is handled as a public information request under the agency's open records policy. Give the person's or company's name, the license number and the approximate period.
Other places a sanction shows up
- Tow companies and storage facilities. The tow company search shows a status such as Enforcement Hold, which flags a problem even before you find the order. See how to check a tow company.
- Penalty schedules. TDLR publishes the standard penalties for some programs, for example towing and vehicle storage facilities, so you can see what a given violation usually costs.
- Paying a penalty. License holders with an assessed penalty can pay it through TDLR's online penalty payment page.
Reporting a problem
To report unlicensed work or a violation, use TDLR's complaint form, email enforcement@tdlr.texas.gov or call (800) 803-9202. If the complaint ends in an order, that order is what later appears in this search.
Related
- Every TDLR search, and which one you need
- What happens when a Texas license expires
- TDLR links directory
Questions
Does an active TDLR license mean no violations?
No. Penalties are recorded separately from license status. A license holder can be fined and keep an active license.
How far back does the TDLR penalties search go?
The current fiscal year and the two before it. Texas fiscal years start on 1 September. Older orders are available on written request.
Are dismissed complaints shown?
No. The search lists orders that assessed a sanction or penalty, not complaints.
Sources
TDLR Administrative Orders search; TDLR search and verify page; TDLR complaints and enforcement.
Reviewed 8 October 2026. Written by an independent site; not legal advice and not an official TDLR publication.
Cite this page
PermitPulled (2026). How to Search TDLR Penalties and Disciplinary Actions. Retrieved from https://permitpulled.com/blog/tdlr-penalties-and-disciplinary-actions-search
Figures compiled from the public TDLR license file and published under CC BY 4.0. Attribution required.
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