Texas · Electricians · Official Lookup Guide
Texas electrician license lookup: using the TDLR license search.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians and electrical contractors. This guide explains who must be licensed, the licence types and how the TDLR search works.
Use the TDLR License Search and choose Electricians as the licence type, or search by licence number. TDLR says anyone who performs, or offers to perform, non-exempt electrical work in Texas must be licensed and must perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor. The search covers active licences only.
What the official source says
TDLR's Electricians page states that anyone who performs, or offers to perform, non-exempt electrical work in the state of Texas must be licensed and perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor. The page lists individual licences: Apprentice Electrician, Apprentice Electrical Sign, Journeyman Electrician, Journeyman Industrial Electrician, Journeyman Lineman, Journeyman Sign Electrician, Maintenance Electrician, Master Electrician, Master Sign Electrician, Residential Appliance Installer and Residential Wireman. Business licences are Electrical Contractor, Electrical Sign Contractor and Residential Appliance Installation Contractor.
The page links to Search Licenses under its Online section. The TDLR License Data Search is labelled "Active Licenses only" and offers two routes: Inquire by License Type, with a dropdown of programs that includes Electricians, Electrician Apprenticeship Programs and Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, and Inquire by License #. The link on this page opens the search with the electrician program selected.
Open the TDLR license search
Individual licence versus business licence
The distinction matters when you hire. TDLR's rule is that non-exempt electrical work must be performed through a licensed electrical contractor, which is a business licence, while the people doing the work hold individual licences such as journeyman or master. A complete check therefore has two parts: the contractor business that signs your contract, and the person who is named as responsible for the work. The Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor entries on TDLR's list are different licences and the search treats them as different records, so find each separately.
Apprentice, Journeyman, Maintenance and Residential Wireman are individual licence types on the same list. The page does not rank them in this summary and this guide does not describe what each is permitted to do; TDLR's licence pages for each type are the place to read the scope of work.
What the search can and cannot tell you
The search page describes itself as covering active licences only. A licence that has expired or is otherwise not active therefore may not appear, and an empty result does not by itself tell you why. If you cannot find a licence you were told exists, ask the person for the licence number from their card or certificate and search by number, then ask TDLR if it still does not appear. TDLR's Electricians page also carries an Enforcement and Complaints section with a way to file a complaint and a page on penalties and sanctions; those are separate from the licence search.
Maintenance at the time of reading
When this page was prepared the TDLR Electricians page displayed a scheduled-maintenance notice saying online applications associated with its TULIP system, including its online search tools, were unavailable. That notice may have been cleared by the time you read this. If the search does not load, wait and try again rather than assuming the licence does not exist.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Marcus (made up) has a quote from a company in Houston to rewire a garage, and the estimate lists a master electrician's name and a licence number. This describes no real person or business.
Marcus opens the TDLR search from this page and enters the licence number from the estimate under Inquire by License #. He checks that the record is active and that the name matches the person on the estimate. He then asks the company for its electrical contractor licence number and searches that separately, because the work must go through a licensed contractor. If either record cannot be found, he asks for the licence card, searches again by licence type, and holds off signing until both records line up.
What this page does not cover
- It does not run the search or store anything you type; there is no form on this page.
- It does not copy or republish any licensee record.
- It does not state a Texas electrician licence-number pattern; TDLR's pages read for this guide do not.
- It does not describe the scope of each licence type, fees, exams or exemptions; read TDLR's licence pages for those.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I look up a Texas electrician licence?
On the TDLR License Search, linked from this page, using the Electricians program or a licence number.
Who has to hold an electrician licence in Texas?
TDLR says anyone who performs, or offers to perform, non-exempt electrical work in Texas must be licensed and must perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor.
What licence types does TDLR list for electricians?
Individual licences include Apprentice Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Maintenance Electrician, Master Electrician and Residential Wireman; business licences include Electrical Contractor.
Does the search show expired licences?
The TDLR search page is labelled Active Licenses only, so expired or inactive licences may not appear.
Can I search by licence number?
Yes. The search has an Inquire by License # option as well as Inquire by License Type.
Should I check the contractor as well as the electrician?
Yes. TDLR's rule is that non-exempt work goes through a licensed electrical contractor, which is a separate business licence.
Does TNAADO verify electricians?
No. This page explains the official search and links to it. It does not look anyone up or collect anything.
Sources
Retrieved
Unofficial guide — not a verification tool
This is an unofficial guide to a public government service. TNAADO is not affiliated with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, does not search or verify anything for you, does not copy or proxy any register, and sends nothing you type to its servers. Nothing here is an official verification, legal or financial advice. Details above were read from the official websites on 2 November 2026 and can change; always rely on the official site.