Transfer Your Contractor License to Texas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license ↗

Texas issues no statewide general contractor license, so there is no Texas state license to transfer into or out of. Any licensing for this work is handled below the state level (a city, county or contractor-level authority), so check with the authority where you will work. Texas has no statewide general-contractor license — general and building contracting is regulated locally — so there is no state-level GC reciprocity. The trades are licensed separately and each runs its own narrow agreement list: TDLR waives the electrician exam for master applicants from 7 states and journeyman applicants from 10; the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners reciprocates only Louisiana and Arkansas journeyman plumbers; and TDLR's Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program reciprocates only Georgia and South Carolina. Applicants from every other state must sit the Texas examination for that trade. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work is licensed statewide and handled separately — check your trade in the checker.

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Verdict

No statewide license

The structural fact first: Texas issues no statewide general contractor license, so a general contractor moving here has no state license to transfer and none to apply for. The work is to identify the local authority that governs your jobsite and meet its rules. Trade licenses are a separate question: check your trade and class in the checker before you assume anything carries over.

All five sources read live today. The three trade lists are exact and were taken from the agency pages themselves, not summaries: master electrician AL/AR/IA/LA/NE/NC/OH, journeyman electrician AL/AK/AR/ID/IA/NE/NM/OK/SD/WY, plumbing LA/AR, ACR GA/SC. Claims that TDLR's ACR program also reciprocates with Alabama and Louisiana do not appear on TDLR's own reciprocity page and are not reflected here. The general trade key is omitted because Texas issues no state general-contractor license; municipalities license and permit that work.

Texas requirements at a glance

Out-of-state contractor license transfer requirements for Texas, verified 2026-08-07
Exam	Texas has no statewide general-contractor license — general and building contracting is regulated locally — so there is no state-level GC reciprocity. The trades are licensed separately and each runs its own narrow agreement list: TDLR waives the electrician exam for master applicants from 7 states and journeyman applicants from 10; the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners reciprocates only Louisiana and Arkansas journeyman plumbers; and TDLR's Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program reciprocates only Georgia and South Carolina. Applicants from every other state must sit the Texas examination for that trade.
General contracting	No state general contractor license: general contracting in Texas is licensed locally (city or county), where it is licensed at all.
General contractor fee	None at state level — general contractor licensing is local, so the city or county sets any fee
General contractor processing	None at state level — set by the local authority
Trade licenses (not general contracting)	Provide a letter of good standing showing the out-of-state license is active and was obtained by examination Electricians must hold the reciprocal license at least one year and document 8,000 hours (journeyman) or 12,000 hours (master) of supervised experience Plumbers must submit fingerprint data through IdentoGO and pay the $40 non-refundable verification fee ACR/HVAC applicants must have held the qualifying out-of-state license for at least one year and carry commercial general liability insurance ($100,000/$200,000 for Class B, $300,000/$600,000 for Class A)
Trade-license fees	$30–$115 (Fees differ by agency and trade: TDLR journeyman electrician $30 and master electrician $45; TSBPE reciprocal license verification $40 non-refundable, plus the IdentoGO fingerprint fee; TDLR ACR out-of-state application $115. There is no state general-contractor license fee because Texas does not license general contractors.)

Step by step

Texas issues no statewide general contractor license, so there is no state license to transfer: confirm with the authority linked on this page who licenses the work where you will practice.
Contact that city, county or contractor-level authority for its own requirements, exams and fees.
Keep records of your current license, exams and documented experience — a local authority may credit them, but nothing transfers at state level.
General contractor fee: none at state level — general contractor licensing is local, so the city or county sets any fee.
Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work is licensed statewide in Texas and handled separately: use the checker with your trade selected.

Official links

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license ↗Texas trade-license application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Texas:

All 50 origin states

Nearby states

Contractor license transfer into the states bordering Texas:

Texas for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my contractor license transfer to Texas?

Texas issues no statewide general contractor license, so there is no state license to transfer; any general-contractor licensing is local. Texas has no statewide general-contractor license — general and building contracting is regulated locally — so there is no state-level GC reciprocity. The trades are licensed separately and each runs its own narrow agreement list: TDLR waives the electrician exam for master applicants from 7 states and journeyman applicants from 10; the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners reciprocates only Louisiana and Arkansas journeyman plumbers; and TDLR's Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program reciprocates only Georgia and South Carolina. Applicants from every other state must sit the Texas examination for that trade. Its electrical, plumbing, HVAC licenses do have reciprocity — select your trade in the checker.

Which states does Texas have electrical contractor reciprocity with?

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming (verified 2026-08-07 against the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers)). TDLR electrician reciprocity, and the two levels differ. Master Electrician: AL, AR, IA, LA, NE, NC, OH. Journeyman Electrician: AL, AK, AR, ID, IA, NE, NM, OK, SD, WY. Master applicants must also have held a journeyman license at least 2 years (1 year for select states). Fees: master $45, journeyman $30.

Which states does Texas have plumbing contractor reciprocity with?

Arkansas, Louisiana (verified 2026-08-07 against the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers)). TSBPE reciprocates plumbing licenses with Louisiana and Arkansas ONLY. Louisiana: hold BOTH a Journeyman plumbing license AND a Journeyman Natural Gas fitter license for at least 2 years, plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master plumber. Arkansas: hold a Journeyman plumbing license for at least 4 years. Applicants who do not qualify must use the Out-of-State Examination Request and sit the Texas exam.

Does reciprocity waive all of Texas's requirements?

There is no state general contractor license in Texas for reciprocity to apply to; any trade license that does reciprocate waives the trade exam only, not the business/law exam, bond, or insurance.

What fees apply in Texas, and how long does processing take?

Texas issues no state general contractor license, so there is no state license fee: general contracting is licensed locally, and the city or county sets any fee and timeline. The fee figures on file are for Texas's trade licenses, not general contracting: $30–$115 (Fees differ by agency and trade: TDLR journeyman electrician $30 and master electrician $45; TSBPE reciprocal license verification $40 non-refundable, plus the IdentoGO fingerprint fee; TDLR ACR out-of-state application $115. There is no state general-contractor license fee because Texas does not license general contractors.)

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

TDLR — Transfer Your Out-of-State Electrician License to Texas (master and journeyman reciprocal states; $45/$30 fees; hour requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
TDLR — Licensing Reciprocity for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Georgia and South Carolina license-to-class mapping) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
TDLR — Out of State Applicants, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ($115 fee; insurance minimums; exam may still be required) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
TSBPE — Reciprocal License Verification Request (Louisiana and Arkansas only; $40 fee; IdentoGO fingerprints; per-state conditions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
TSBPE — Reciprocal License Agreement with Louisiana (~30 days by mail) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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