Texas license lookup / Get licensed / Apprentice electrician
How to get an apprentice electrician license in Texas
Every licensed electrician in Texas starts here. The apprentice license needs no experience and no exam, costs $20, and if your record is clean it can be issued as a temporary license the moment you apply online.
Reviewed 8 October 2026 against TDLR's application page
At a glance
| Experience | None |
|---|---|
| Exam | None |
| Application fee | $20, online |
| Supervision | General supervision of a master electrician, journeyman electrician or residential wireman |
| License term | 1 year, renewed annually |
Official TDLR application page
Step by step
- Apply online. Complete the application in TDLR's online system and pay the $20 fee.
- Get your temporary license. If you apply online and report no criminal convictions, a temporary license is issued automatically.
- Start logging hours. Work under a master, journeyman or residential wireman. Those hours are what later qualify you for the journeyman (8,000 hours) or residential wireman (4,000 hours) exams.
- Renew every year. Renewal needs 4 hours of continuing education, or enrollment in a department-registered apprenticeship training program.
Where this license leads
| Next license | Supervised hours |
|---|---|
| Residential wireman | 4,000 (or an approved CTE program) |
| Journeyman electrician | 8,000 (exam from 7,000) |
| Maintenance electrician | 8,000 |
| Master electrician | 12,000, plus 2 years as a journeyman |
Keep a record of every supervisor as you go. Each one will have to sign an experience verification form years later, and tracking down a supervisor from five jobs ago is the most common delay in electrician applications.
How many people hold this license
The public TDLR license file dated 20 September 2026 shows 169,007 active apprentice electrician licenses, of which 167,565 come up for renewal in the next twelve months.
Where they are: Harris County (29,396), Dallas County (21,860), Hidalgo County (12,034), Tarrant County (9,350), Bexar County (8,538).
See the full county breakdown and renewal calendar
After you are licensed
- Renewal: every year, judging by the expiration dates in the license file.
- Continuing education: 4 hours a year, or enrollment in a registered apprenticeship training program. TDLR CE rules
- Full renewal guide for this trade
Before you apply
- Criminal history. TDLR runs a background check on every applicant. With any conviction other than a minor traffic offence, or a guilty or no-contest plea with deferred adjudication, include the Criminal History Questionnaire. Reviews take one to six weeks. You can ask TDLR in advance whether a conviction would bar you, through a criminal history evaluation letter.
- Lawful presence. TDLR may ask for proof of lawful presence in the United States. Send documents only if it asks. What TDLR accepts.
- Military. Service members, veterans and spouses may qualify for fee waivers and other provisions.
Questions
Do you need experience to become an apprentice electrician in Texas?
No. There is no experience or exam requirement for the apprentice license.
How much is an apprentice electrician license in Texas?
$20, paid with the online application.
How many people hold this license in Texas?
The public TDLR license file dated 20 September 2026 shows 169,007 active apprentice electrician licenses.
Related licenses
- How to get a journeyman electrician license in Texas
- How to get a residential wireman license in Texas
- How to get a master electrician license in Texas
- All license guides
Sources
TDLR: Apply for an Apprentice Electrician license; TDLR: Electrician continuing education. License counts compiled from the public TDLR license file dated 20 September 2026.
Reviewed 8 October 2026. Written by an independent site; not an official TDLR publication and not legal advice. Fees and requirements change: confirm them on the TDLR page before you apply.
Cite this page
PermitPulled (2026). How to get an apprentice electrician license in Texas. Retrieved from https://permitpulled.com/get-licensed/apprentice-electrician-license-texas
Figures compiled from the public TDLR license file and published under CC BY 4.0. Attribution required.