Texas license lookup / Articles / Boiler certificates
How to Check a Texas Boiler Certificate of Operation
A boiler certificate of operation belongs to the boiler, not to a person, so the TDLR license search will never find one. It lives in a separate system, the Boiler Data Search. This is how to use it, and what to do when the record is not what you expected.
8 October 2026
The short answer
Open the TDLR Boiler Data Search and enter the boiler number if you have it. If you do not, search by location name, city or county. The result shows the boiler, its inspection organization and when its certificate expires. The paper certificate itself must be posted on or near the boiler.
Why the license search shows nothing
Texas regulates boilers under the Texas Boiler Act, chapter 755 of the Health and Safety Code. Every boiler that is not exempt must be registered with TDLR and hold a current certificate of operation. TDLR's own program summary puts the count at more than 53,500 registered boilers, with 51,580 certificates of operation issued in fiscal year 2025.
None of those boilers appear in the license search, because the license search holds people and businesses: the boiler inspector and the inspection agency. That is why typing a building name into the license search returns nothing, and why so many people conclude the record does not exist. It does. It is one system over.
How to search, field by field
The Boiler Data Search accepts any combination of these fields. Leaving everything empty lists all active boilers, which is rarely what you want.
| Field | How it matches | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler # | Starts with, numbers only | You can read the number on the boiler. Drop the "TX" prefix. |
| National Board # | Starts with | You have the manufacturer's National Board number from the nameplate. |
| Location name / Owner name | Starts with | You know the building or company, not the boiler. Try the shortest distinctive part of the name. |
| Location city / county | Exact match, from a list | You want every boiler at a site or in an area. |
| Inspection Org | From a list | You want every boiler a given agency inspects. |
| Expiration date | yyyymmdd | You are checking what expires on a given date. |
| Include inactive boilers | Checkbox | The boiler was taken out of service or replaced and you need its history. |
Because names match on "starts with", Saint Mary will not find St. Mary's Hospital. If a name search fails, switch to city or county and scan the list.
What the TX number on the boiler means
A boiler that has been inspected in Texas at least once carries a state number made of "TX" followed by six digits, on a red sticker or stamped into a metal plate. If you can find it, it is the fastest way into the search. If a boiler in service has no TX number at all, that is worth raising with the owner or with TDLR, because it suggests it has never been through a Texas inspection.
How long a certificate lasts
Certificates run from one to three years. Depending on the boiler and the code it was built to, certificate inspections fall every 12, 24 or 36 months. The inspector decides whether an internal inspection, an external one or both are needed on each visit.
The owner or operator is responsible for keeping the certificate current and for keeping it posted on or near the boiler. TDLR advises contacting the inspector at least a month before the certificate expires, because late inspections carry daily late fees that step up the longer the boiler goes past its date.
When the certificate does not arrive
TDLR does not print a certificate until every fee on the boiler is paid. If the inspection happened and nothing came, TDLR's own checklist is:
- Check for unpaid invoices in TDLR's boiler portal, tdlr.joportal.com. You need to register and sign in to see invoices and certificates for your locations.
- Check for an open violation. If the inspector cited something, the correction has to be verified by the inspector, who then updates TDLR's records.
- If neither applies, contact the boiler program at boilers@tdlr.texas.gov.
A replacement copy of a current certificate can be printed free from the same portal.
New boilers
A newly installed boiler needs a Boiler Installation Report filed within 30 days of installation, and it should not be fired or operated until it passes its initial inspection or TDLR approves a temporary operating permit. The forms are on TDLR's boiler forms page.
Related
- Who can inspect a boiler in Texas
- Every TDLR search, and which one you need
- Boiler inspector licenses in Texas, by county
- TDLR links directory
Questions
Is a boiler certificate of operation public?
The boiler record, its inspection organization and its expiration date are searchable by anyone in the Boiler Data Search. Invoices and printable certificates sit behind a sign-in in TDLR's boiler portal.
Who do I contact to renew a certificate?
The inspection organization shown on the boiler's record. If the boiler is insured, that is usually the insurer's inspection agency. If it is uninsured, TDLR inspects it.
Are all boilers covered?
No. The Boiler Act has exemptions, and the 89th Legislature added one for certain boilers in medical equipment and autoclaves. Check the rules in 16 TAC chapter 65 for a specific case.
Sources
TDLR Boiler Data Search; TDLR boiler program FAQ; Boilers at a glance (TDLR, PDF); boiler laws and rules.
Reviewed 8 October 2026. Written by an independent site; not an official TDLR publication. Fees and procedures change: confirm with TDLR before acting.
Cite this page
PermitPulled (2026). How to Check a Texas Boiler Certificate of Operation. Retrieved from https://permitpulled.com/blog/texas-boiler-certificate-of-operation-lookup
Figures compiled from the public TDLR license file and published under CC BY 4.0. Attribution required.
Next in boilersWho Can Inspect a Boiler in Texas? AIAs, Authorized Inspectors and TDLRInsured boilers go to the insurer's inspector, uninsured ones to the state. How to find out which applies to yours, with the numbers from the license file.