Which Boilers Are Exempt in Texas? The Boiler Act Exemptions

Not covered by the Boiler Act at all

Section 755.022(a) of the Health and Safety Code says the Texas Boiler Act does not apply to:

• Boilers owned or operated by the federal government.
• Pressure vessels and process steam generators, except the steam collection or liberation drums of process steam generators, which are covered.
• Hobby miniature boilers, if all three conditions are met: manually fired and used only as a hobby on locomotives, boats, tractors or stationary engines for exhibition, recreation, education or history, not commercially; an inside diameter of 12 inches or less, or a grate area of two square feet or less; and fitted with an adequate safety valve, a water level indicator and a pressure gauge.
• Boilers designed to operate only at atmospheric pressure, with two independent means of preventing pressure from building up.
• Steam cookers.
• Espresso machines.

In 2025 the 89th Legislature added an exemption from registration and inspection for certain boilers in medical equipment and autoclaves, according to TDLR's program summary.

Small residential heating boilers

Under section 755.022(b), a heating boiler used to heat a building that is exclusively residential, with accommodation for no more than four families, is exempt from the sections on inspection, inspection agency reports, the certificate of operation and fees.

So a boiler heating a house or a fourplex does not need the periodic certificate inspection or a certificate of operation. A boiler heating a five-unit apartment building, or any building with commercial use, does.

That exemption is narrower than it sounds: it covers specific sections of the Act, not the whole of it, and it applies to heating boilers only. A hot water supply boiler or a process boiler in the same building is a different case.

If you are unsure

• Look for a TX number on the boiler, a red sticker or stamped plate with "TX" and six digits. If it has one, it has been registered and inspected in Texas, and it shows up in the Boiler Data Search.
• Ask TDLR's boiler program at boilers@tdlr.texas.gov before you decide a boiler is exempt. Operating an unregistered boiler that should have been registered is a Class C violation, with a first-offence range of $2,000 to $4,000.

Questions

Do residential boilers need to be inspected in Texas?

Not if they are heating boilers in a building used only as a residence for four families or fewer. Those are exempt from inspection, the certificate of operation and fees.

Are espresso machines and steam cookers regulated as boilers in Texas?

No. Both are expressly excluded from the Texas Boiler Act.

Are pressure vessels regulated by TDLR's boiler program?

No, pressure vessels are excluded, except the steam collection or liberation drums of process steam generators.

Related

• How often boilers are inspected
• How to check a certificate of operation
• Boiler fees and late fees

Sources

Texas Health and Safety Code §755.022; Boilers at a glance (TDLR, PDF); TDLR boiler penalties and sanctions.

Reviewed 9 October 2026. Written by an independent site; not legal advice and not an official TDLR publication. Exemptions are applied case by case: confirm with TDLR.