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Apply for a New Electrical Contractor License

Electrical contractors are licensed to engage in the business of designing, installing, erecting, repairing, or altering electrical wires or conductors to be used for light, heat, power, or signaling purposes.

This includes the installation or repair of ducts, raceways, or conduits for the reception or protection of wires or conductors and the installation or repair of any electrical machinery, apparatus, or system used for electrical light, heat, power, or signaling.


Master Electrician of Record

You must employ a licensed Master Electrician to apply for an Electrical Contractor license. The Master Electrician may also be the business owner.

A Master Electrician may only be assigned to a single Electrical Contractor, unless the Master Electrician owns more than 50 percent of the electrical contracting business.

Changing Your Master Electrician of Record

When your Master Electrician of record leaves employment with your business, you must notify the department and designate a new Master Electrician 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:

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:


Application and Fee

Submit a completed Electrical Contractor or Electrical Sign 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

Electrician 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, including fingerprinting, 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.