What to know about the Texas journeyman electrician exam, licensing board, and NEC edition requirements.
Texas licenses electricians statewide through TDLR — there is no city-by-city patchwork. To perform electrical work beyond apprentice level you need the journeyman license, and the path runs through documented on-the-job training under a licensed master electrician.
The rule is 8,000 hours of on-the-job training as a licensed apprentice — but Texas lets you sit for the exam at 7,000 hours, so most candidates test during their final year. There is no state classroom-hours requirement; the hours are the whole story.
The exam is administered by PSI and currently written to the 2023 NEC — with a scheduled move to the 2026 NEC on September 1, 2026, so confirm the edition for your test date. Since March 2025 it is split into two parts: a knowledge section (code rules, theory, definitions) and a calculations section (load calcs, conductor sizing, motor circuits, voltage drop). It is open book — which means the difference between passing and failing is usually lookup speed and calculation fluency, not memorization.
That two-part structure changes how you should study: drill code lookups against a timer for part one, and grind load-calculation and conductor-sizing problems for part two. Our free practice question sets are organized by NEC article for exactly this.
Apply to TDLR by mail — the initial journeyman application (Form ELC-LIC-005-E) and $30 fee cannot be filed online (renewals can). Hold an active apprentice license, have each supervising master electrician sign your Experience Verification Forms, mail the application, then schedule with PSI once TDLR approves you. After passing, the license renews annually with 4 hours of continuing education.
Texas has an actively growing reciprocity program — currently around ten agreement states, with 2025’s HB 11 expanding the list — and licensed journeymen from agreement states can qualify in Texas without re-examination. The list changes; always check TDLR’s current reciprocity page.
Licensing rules change. Verify current requirements, fees, and exam details with TDLR before applying — the sources below are the primary references this guide is built from.
Verify before relying Licensing requirements change. Always confirm current requirements directly with Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) before scheduling your exam or submitting an application.
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