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 offers trade-specific reciprocity through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license, covering electrical, plumbing, HVAC work for licensees from states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, and others. These agreements waive the relevant trade exam — not the business and law exam, bond, or registration. Fee: $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.). Select your trade and origin in the checker for the exact answer.
Moving to Texas from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Read Texas's agreements one trade at a time — that is the mistake most contractors make here. A deal that waives the electrical exam says nothing about general building, and a commercial agreement rarely covers residential work. The tables below separate them so you can see exactly which of your licenses travels and which does not.
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
| 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. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| 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.) |
| Processing time | No single figure applies. TSBPE states a reciprocal plumbing license arrives by US mail within 30 days of the completed online application and payment; TDLR publishes no processing time for electrician or ACR reciprocity. |
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- 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).
- Pay the 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.)) and allow No single figure applies. TSBPE states a reciprocal plumbing license arrives by US mail within 30 days of the completed online application and payment; TDLR publishes no processing time for electrician or ACR reciprocity..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Texas:
All 50 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my contractor license transfer to Texas?
Texas offers trade-specific reciprocity through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license, covering electrical, plumbing, HVAC work for licensees from states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, and others. These agreements waive the relevant trade exam — not the business and law exam, bond, or registration. Fee: $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.). Select your trade and origin in the checker for the exact answer.
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); no state general-contractor license). 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); no state general-contractor license). 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?
No. Texas's reciprocity waives the relevant trade exam only; the business/law exam, financial statement, bond, and insurance still apply.
What does a Texas contractor license cost and how long does it take?
$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.); processing No single figure applies. TSBPE states a reciprocal plumbing license arrives by US mail within 30 days of the completed online application and payment; TDLR publishes no processing time for electrician or ACR reciprocity..
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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]