Independent guide to Texas TDLR licenses. Not affiliated with TDLR or the State of Texas. Data: TDLR public license file, 20 Sep 2026What's new at TDLR
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Control modules and wiring inside an electrical panel

Texas license lookup / Get licensed / Master electrician

How to get a master electrician license in Texas

The master license is the top individual electrical license in Texas and the one an electrical contractor must have on staff. It needs two things at once: two years holding a journeyman license and 12,000 hours under a master.

Reviewed 8 October 2026 against TDLR's application page

At a glance

Journeyman timeAt least 2 years holding a Journeyman Electrician license (journeyman industrial does not count)
Experience12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician
ApplicationBy mail, $45 non-refundable
ExamPSI, open book, 70% to pass
License term1 year

Official TDLR application page Exam guide and pass rates

Step by step

  1. Check both clocks. You need the two years as a journeyman and the 12,000 hours. Time as a journeyman industrial electrician does not count toward the two years.
  2. Collect experience forms. Each supervising master signs an Experience Verification Form. If you held a municipal or regional master license, you may verify your own training for those years.
  3. Mail the application and \$45. To TDLR, PO Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711-2157.
  4. Pass the exam. TDLR approves you to test once it verifies the application.

Why it matters beyond the title

Every electrical contractor in Texas must employ a master electrician, who can be the owner. A master can be the master of record for only one contractor unless they own more than half of that business. So every electrical contractor license in the state depends on a master electrician being attached to it. See how to get an electrical contractor license.

How many people hold this license

The public TDLR license file dated 20 September 2026 shows 18,617 active master electrician licenses, of which 17,929 come up for renewal in the next twelve months.

Where they are: Harris County (1,756), Bexar County (983), Dallas County (931), Tarrant County (860), Williamson County (570).

See the full county breakdown and renewal calendar

After you are licensed

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

How many hours do you need to be a master electrician in Texas?

12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master electrician, plus at least two years holding a journeyman electrician license.

How many people hold this license in Texas?

The public TDLR license file dated 20 September 2026 shows 18,617 active master electrician licenses.

Related licenses

Sources

TDLR: Apply for a Master Electrician license; TDLR: Electrician examinations. 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 a master electrician license in Texas. Retrieved from https://permitpulled.com/get-licensed/master-electrician-license-texas

Figures compiled from the public TDLR license file and published under CC BY 4.0. Attribution required.

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