Apply for a New Residential Appliance Installation Contractor License
Residential Appliance Installation Contractors are licensed to engage in the business of residential appliance installation including pool-related electrical installation and maintenance.
Residential Appliance Installer of Record
You must employ a licensed Residential Appliance Installer to apply for an Residential Appliance Installation Contractor license. The Residential Appliance Installer may also be the business owner.
A Residential Appliance Installer’s license may only be assigned to a single Residential Appliance Installation Contractor, unless the Residential Appliance Installer owns more than 50 percent of the residential appliance installation contracting business.
Changing Your Residential Appliance Installer of Record
When your Residential Appliance Installer of record leaves employment with your business, you must notify the department and designate a new Residential Appliance Installer of record within thirty business days from the date of separation.
You may submit this notification by mail on an Electrical Contractor Notice of Change and Duplicate License Request (PDF).
Insurance Requirements
Liability Insurance Coverage
Electrical contractors must maintain the required limits of business liability insurance:
- Minimum $300,000 per occurrence (combined for property damage and bodily injury);
- Minimum $600,000 aggregate (total amount the policy will pay for property damage and bodily injury coverage); and
- Minimum $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operation
Use the Electrical Contractor Certificate of Insurance Form (PDF) to provide proof of liability insurance coverage. This form should be included with your completed application materials.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
You must provide one of the following with your completed application materials:
- Proof of having obtained workers' compensation insurance, or
- A certificate of authority to self-insure, or
- A statement that you have elected not to obtain workers' compensation insurance pursuant to Subchapter A, Chapter 406, Labor Code.
- If you elect to not provide workers' compensation insurance, you must file an online notice of no coverage with the Texas Department of Insurance. This online notice called Employer E-File replaces the Notice of No Coverage or Termination of Coverage form (DWC-005).
- For more information, contact Division of Workers’ Compensation at Coverage.Verification@tdi.texas.gov or by calling (512) 804-4345 or faxing (512) 804-4346 during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday CST.
Application and Fee
Submit a completed Residential Appliance Installation Contractor License Application (PDF) with the non-refundable $110 application fee to:
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
PO Box 12157
Austin TX, 78711-2157
Electrical contractor licenses are valid for one year from the date of issuance and must be renewed annually. Renewals may be completed online.
Applicants with Criminal Convictions
If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (other than a minor traffic violation) or pleaded guilty or no contest (resulting in a deferred adjudication) to any in-state, out-of-state or federal criminal offense, you must provide a completed Criminal History Questionnaire (PDF) along with your application materials.
The department will conduct a criminal history background check on all persons who apply for or renew a license. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.
Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.
Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.