Contractor License from Vermont to Texas: Does It Transfer? (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 ↗
A contractor license transfers from Vermont to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply 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, verify your Vermont license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. 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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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Texas does not have a trade agreement covering Vermont for the selected trade, so this move runs on Texas's case-by-case endorsement process. If you do commercial general-building work, check whether Texas accepts the NASCLA exam — passing it once can replace the trade exam here and in about fourteen other states. Electricians should check Texas's NERA status.
What changes, Vermont → Texas
| Vermont (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $90–$150 (Division of Fire Safety trade licenses are 3-year: Electrical Master $150, Electrical Journeyman $115, Electrical Specialist $115 per field; Plumbing Master $120, Plumbing Journeyman $90, Plumbing Specialist $50 per field. Exam fees are not included in the application. The separate OPR residential-contractor registration carries its own fee, which is published only behind OPR's online fee page and is not asserted here.) | $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 week range is published. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Division of Fire Safety two weeks before the board meeting date or they are held for a later agenda, and incomplete applications are returned. | 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. |
| Licensing authority | Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (plumbers); no state general-contractor license |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
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 (linked below) — 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 below).
- 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a Vermont contractor license?
A contractor license transfers from Vermont to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply 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, verify your Vermont license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. 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..
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Texas's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the Vermont-to-Texas move 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..
Would the NASCLA exam help for this move?
If you do commercial general-building work, possibly — about 15 states accept the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building exam toward licensure. Check whether Texas is one 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 site.
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)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Electrician License Application (Master $150 / Journeyman $115 / Specialist $115; Maine and New Hampshire residents only; universal-license route) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Instructions for Applying for a Vermont Electrical License (fees; two-week pre-meeting filing deadline) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Plumbers License Application Instructions (Master $120 / Journeyman $90 / Specialist $50; universal-license route and hour requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Secretary of State OPR — Residential Contractors, Apply or Renew ($10,000 threshold, liability insurance, written contract, registration not licensure) ↗ (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]