TDLR Apprentice Electrician License Renewal (+ Journeyman)

A Texas apprentice electrician license lasts exactly one year. Keeping it costs $20 and four hours of continuing education — and if you're enrolled in a registered apprenticeship training program, the four hours drop off entirely. That last part is easy to miss. Here's the whole renewal, apprentice and journeyman, straight from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

The renewal, in one table

TDLR says it sends a reminder email or postcard about 60 days before your license expires — but renewing on time is your responsibility, not theirs. If you've moved or changed your email since you got licensed, update your contact information with TDLR now; the reminder goes to whatever is on file. On-time renewals are done through TDLR's online renewal application.

The CE exemption apprentices miss

TDLR's rule for apprentices is an either/or: complete four hours of continuing education, or be enrolled in a department-registered electrical apprenticeship training course. If you're enrolled, the program is your renewal credit.

This is one of the places where union vs open shop actually shows up on paper — and it cuts both ways:

• If you're in a structured classroom program — a union JATC or an open-shop program — you may not need to buy a CE course at all. "May," because what counts is whether your specific program is registered with TDLR and whether your enrollment is on record. TDLR publishes a list of registered apprenticeship training programs; look yours up by name, and ask your training coordinator to confirm you're enrolled before your renewal date. Union or open shop, don't assume.
• If you're working for a contractor without a classroom program — a legitimate way into the trade — you need the four hours every year, from a TDLR-registered provider, on your own time and often your own money. Course prices are set by providers, not by TDLR, so compare before you buy.

Neither route is "the right one." Our union vs non-union breakdown covers the pay, dues and pension trade-offs; this is one more line item to know about.

What the four hours have to cover

If you do need CE — and every journeyman does — TDLR is specific:

• Courses must come from a TDLR-registered provider. Unapproved courses don't count toward your hours.
• The four hours must address the National Electrical Code, Texas electrician law (Occupations Code Chapter 1305), TDLR's electrician rules (16 TAC Chapter 73), and electrical safety under NFPA 70E. If you already took four hours of NEC only, you'll need at least one more approved hour of law, rules or 70E.
• The hours must be completed within the term of the license you're renewing. Last cycle's hours don't roll forward.
• One CE hour equals 50 minutes of actual instruction.
• No credit for taking the same course twice, and no partial credit.
• Hold more than one license type (say, journeyman and master)? You need four hours total, not four per license.

After the course, the provider reports your hours to TDLR — not you. If your completion certificate hasn't arrived within 15 days, go to the provider first. You can check what's been reported with TDLR's continuing education course lookup. Keep your certificate for one year; a TDLR inspector can ask to see it.

If your license already expired

Don't panic — but don't work, either. Inside 18 months of expiration you can still renew online at the higher fee in the table. Between 18 months and 3 years, it's a mail-in process with TDLR's Request to Executive Director for Expired License Renewal form (journeymen also send the first two pages of the journeyman license application). Past three years, the license can't be renewed and you start over as a new applicant.

Take the gap seriously. TDLR's FAQ says anyone performing electrical work must hold a license before doing the work, and that there is no grace period for working while you wait for one. The renewal pages don't describe any window for working on an expired license, so assume there isn't one and fix it before your next shift. If you're unsure where you stand, call TDLR at (800) 803-9202 (in Texas) or (512) 463-6599.

One more detail: TDLR runs a criminal history background check on everyone who applies for or renews a license. If you've been convicted of anything beyond a minor traffic violation, or took deferred adjudication, include the Criminal History Questionnaire — and know that TDLR says that review can take one to six weeks. If that's you, renew early.

Why this matters past this year

The apprentice license is what lets you do electrical work legally while you build hours. Under TDLR's current requirements, a journeyman license takes 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed master electrician, and you can apply to take the exam once you've logged at least 7,000. Each master who supervised you has to sign an Experience Verification Form — so keep a running list of who supervised you and when, starting now.

There's also a newer route. TDLR adopted rules effective July 1, 2026 that create an accelerated licensure pathway for graduates of approved accelerated journeyman electrician education programs. When TDLR proposed the change in March 2026, graduates would generally get 3,000 hours of credit toward the 8,000. Confirm the final adopted terms with TDLR before you plan around it.

Once you're a journeyman, renewal gets simpler: $30 a year and four hours of CE, with no program exemption. And a state license from TDLR is valid anywhere in Texas, while a municipal license only covers work in that city.

The short checklist

1. Know your date. Your license expires one year from the date it was issued.
2. In a program? Confirm it's TDLR-registered and that your enrollment is on record. Not in one? Book four hours with a TDLR-registered provider — inside this license term.
3. Renew online and pay $20 (apprentice) or $30 (journeyman) before the expiration date.
4. Keep your CE certificate for a year.

The full Texas route — license types, hours, the exam, pay at each rung, and both union and open-shop entry points — is on our Texas electrician roadmap. Still trying to get into a program? The Rung tracks which ones are taking applicants each week.

Details verified against Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation renewal, application, continuing education and FAQ pages and TDLR rulemaking notices, 2026-10-15. Fees and rules change — always confirm with TDLR before you renew. Corrections: corrections@zerotojourneyman.com.