Transfer Your Electrician License to Texas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my electrician license transfer to Texas?
Texas grants journeyman reciprocity to electricians licensed by examination in 10 named partner states (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming). Come from one of them and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electricians program waives its journeyman exam once you show a license held at least a year and can document 8000 hours of experience; come from anywhere else and you apply and sit the exam. Texas waives its journeyman electrician exam for an applicant who holds a journeyman license obtained by that state's examination in a reciprocal state and has held it for at least one year; applicants from non-reciprocal states must apply and pass the Texas journeyman exam. Fee: $30 ($30.00 journeyman electrician reciprocal license fee; the master electrician reciprocal license fee is $45.00.).
Moving to Texas from a specific state?
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Verdict
Reciprocity with 10 states
Texas's reciprocity is a bilateral list, and the list governs — not your years on the tools. If your license comes from a state Texas names below and you earned it by exam, the journeyman exam is waived; if it does not, no amount of experience substitutes for sitting the test. Two cautions specific to electrical reciprocity: the list is directional (it names who Texas accepts, which says nothing about the reverse), and a license you were grandfathered into rather than examined for is generally not eligible.
TDLR licenses journeyman and master electricians statewide and runs its own bilateral reciprocity program (not NERA). Journeyman reciprocity states (exam waived): Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming. Master reciprocity states differ: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa (Class A master), Louisiana (state contractor license), Nebraska, North Carolina (master or unlimited electrical contractor), and Ohio (added June 2026). All reciprocity requires the out-of-state license to have been obtained by that state's exam and held at least one year; grandfathered/non-exam licenses do not qualify. Partner lists are bilateral and not identical to any other state's list.
Texas requirements at a glance
| Experience hours | 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license |
|---|---|
| Fees | $30 ($30.00 journeyman electrician reciprocal license fee; the master electrician reciprocal license fee is $45.00.) |
| Processing time | TDLR does not publish a fixed processing time for out-of-state reciprocal license applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electricians program website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electricians program (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold the reciprocal-state license, obtained by passing that state's examination, for at least one year.
- Document at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a master electrician (12,000 hours for master electrician).
- Submit a letter of good standing / license verification from the reciprocal state.
- Master electrician reciprocity partners differ (Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio) and require prior journeyman licensure for 2 years (1 year for Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Texas:
Nearby states
Electrician license transfer into the states bordering Texas:
Texas for other professions
Frequently asked questions
Which states does Texas have electrician reciprocity with?
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming (10 states, verified 2026-07-21 against the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electricians program). The list is bilateral, so a state Texas recognizes does not necessarily recognize Texas in return.
How many experience hours does Texas require?
8000 hours of documented on-the-job experience for the journeyman license; out-of-state hours generally count toward this minimum.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- TDLR — Electricians: Out-of-State (reciprocity) applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TDLR News — Texas Expands Electrician Reciprocity with Ohio (2026-06-05) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com