Texas electrician license renewal: fees and CE hours, type by type
Published August 17, 2026 · Figures from official TDLR / TSBPE pages
Every individual electrician license in Texas renews annually, and most carry 4 hours of continuing education per cycle. What changes type to type is the fee — and what it balloons to once a renewal is late. Here's the whole schedule in one table, pulled from TDLR's own renewal pages (checked July 2026; TDLR revises fees, so the official page is always the final word).
The full fee table
| License | CE per year | On-time fee | ≤90 days late | 91 days–18 months late |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Electrician | 4 hrs (or program enrollment) | $20 | $30 | $40 |
| Journeyman Electrician | 4 hrs | $30 | $45 | $60 |
| Master Electrician | 4 hrs | $45 | $67.50 | $90 |
| Residential Wireman | 4 hrs | $20 | $30 | $40 |
| Maintenance Electrician | 4 hrs | $20 | $30 | $40 |
| Journeyman Industrial Electrician | 4 hrs | $30 | $45 | $60 |
| Residential Appliance Installer | None | $30 | $45 | $60 |
| Electrical Contractor (business) | None | $110 | $165 | $220 |
Past 18 months the fee stays at the doubled rate, but renewal moves off the online system entirely — it takes a mailed "Request to Executive Director for Expired License Renewal" form, and approval is discretionary. Past three years, no renewal path exists at all: the electrician applies as a brand-new applicant, exams included where the type requires one.
Who owes CE hours — and who doesn't
- Journeyman, Master, Residential Wireman, Maintenance, and Journeyman Industrial: 4 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education every renewal cycle, finished before the renewal date.
- Apprentices (regular and sign): 4 hours — or proof of enrollment in a TDLR-registered apprenticeship training program instead of classroom hours.
- Electrical Contractors and Residential Appliance Installers: no CE requirement at all. The contractor license is a business credential; the CE burden sits on the individuals it employs.
The CE deadline is the quiet killer: the hours have to be done before the license's own anniversary date, so a tech who leaves the course to the last week can turn an on-time renewal into a late one.
One date per tech, all year round
Because every license renews on its holder's own anniversary, a crew of ten has ten deadlines scattered across the calendar — each with its own CE clock. That's the actual reason licenses lapse; nobody disputes the fee, they just lose track of the dates. Look up any tech's real expiration free with our Texas license lookup, and if you'd rather never think about it again, LicenseCrew watches your crew's licenses against TDLR's records and emails you at 90, 60, 30, 14, and 7 days out — free for up to 2 credentials.
Track your crew's licenses automatically — free for up to 2.
Track your crewSources: TDLR — Journeyman Electrician renewal, TDLR — Master Electrician renewal, TDLR — Electrical Contractor renewal, TDLR — Electrician continuing education. Fee amounts are point-in-time — the official page is always the final word.