# How to Get an Apprentice Electrician License in Texas (2026): $20, No Exam

> Source: PermitPulled, https://permitpulled.com/get-licensed/apprentice-electrician-license-texas
> Compiled from the public TDLR license file. Published under CC BY 4.0; attribution to PermitPulled required.
> For an individual license record, use the official TDLR search: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch/

[Texas license lookup](</>) / [Get licensed](</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](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/apprentice-electrician.htm>)

## Step by step

  1. **Apply online.** Complete the application in TDLR's online system and pay the $20 fee.
  2. **Get your temporary license.** If you apply online and report no criminal convictions, a temporary license is issued automatically.
  3. **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.
  4. **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](</get-licensed/residential-wireman-license-texas>)| 4,000 (or an approved CTE program)  
[Journeyman electrician](</get-licensed/journeyman-electrician-license-texas>)| 8,000 (exam from 7,000)  
[Maintenance electrician](</get-licensed/maintenance-electrician-license-texas>)| 8,000  
[Master electrician](</get-licensed/master-electrician-license-texas>)| 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](</trade/apprentice-electrician>)

## 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](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecce.htm>)
  * [Full renewal guide for this trade](</guides/electrician-license-renewal-texas>)

## 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](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/crimHistoryEval.htm>).
  * **Lawful presence.** TDLR may ask for proof of lawful presence in the United States. Send documents only if it asks. [What TDLR accepts](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/lawful-presence.htm>).
  * **Military.** Service members, veterans and spouses may qualify for [fee waivers and other provisions](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/military/>).

## 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](</get-licensed/journeyman-electrician-license-texas>)
  * [How to get a residential wireman license in Texas](</get-licensed/residential-wireman-license-texas>)
  * [How to get a master electrician license in Texas](</get-licensed/master-electrician-license-texas>)
  * [All license guides](</get-licensed>)

## Sources

[TDLR: Apply for an Apprentice Electrician license](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/apprentice-electrician.htm>); [TDLR: Electrician continuing education](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecce.htm>). License counts compiled from the public [TDLR license file](<https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/licensesearch/licfile.asp>) 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](<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/>). Attribution required.