Texas Electrical License Reciprocity

Which States Have Reciprocity with Texas

Texas maintains separate reciprocal licensing agreements for journeyman and master electricians. The lists aren't identical — some states have agreements at one level but not the other.

Journeyman Electrician Reciprocity: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming

Master Electrician Reciprocity: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa (Class A only), Louisiana (residents only), Nebraska, North Carolina, and Ohio

These agreements were significantly expanded under House Bill 11, signed into law in May 2025, which directed TDLR to pursue additional reciprocity agreements to address construction workforce shortages. Notably, Alabama and Ohio were added in 2026 (Alabama in March, Ohio in June).

What Reciprocity Requires

Having a license in a reciprocating state doesn't mean you automatically get a Texas license. You still need to meet specific conditions:

For Journeyman Reciprocity:

• Held the reciprocal state license in good standing for at least 1 year
• Passed an equivalent state-level exam in the originating state
• Documented 8,000 hours of supervised OJT under a licensed Master Electrician

For Master Reciprocity:

• Passed a state-level exam in the originating state
• Held the reciprocal license in good standing for at least 1 year
• Documented 12,000 hours of OJT under a Master Electrician
• Held a journeyman license for at least 2 years (reduced to 1 year for Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio)

The hour and exam requirements mirror what Texas requires of its own candidates — reciprocity waives the Texas-specific exam, not the underlying experience standards.

The Application Process

Reciprocity applications go through TDLR using the standard paper application process. You'll need:

• The appropriate TDLR application form (Form ELC-LIC-006 for journeyman reciprocity, Form ELC-LIC-008 for master reciprocity)
• An official letter of good standing or verification letter from your home state's licensing board
• Documentation that you passed a state-administered exam (not just a local or employer test)
• Signed Experience Verification Forms (Form ELC017) covering your OJT hours — including any hours accumulated under out-of-state supervisors
• The standard application fee ($30 journeyman, $45 master)

The letter of good standing is the piece that catches most applicants. It must come directly from the originating state's regulatory body and confirm your license class, issue date, exam passage, and current standing. Some states charge a fee for this letter and take weeks to process the request, so start early.

Out-of-State Hours Without Reciprocity

If your home state isn't on the reciprocity list, you can still apply for a Texas license — you just can't use the reciprocity pathway. You'll need to go through the standard application process, which means:

• Submitting ELC017 forms signed by your out-of-state supervisors
• Including an official letter of verification or a copy of the supervisor's license from the originating state's board
• Taking and passing the Texas exam through PSI Services

Your out-of-state hours do count toward the Texas OJT requirements as long as they're properly documented. The extra step is providing proof that your supervisors were licensed in their state, since TDLR can't verify out-of-state credentials through its own lookup tools.

Before applying with out-of-state hours from a non-reciprocating state, contact TDLR directly to confirm your documentation package will be accepted. It costs nothing to verify this upfront and can save you the application fee if there's a problem.

What Reciprocity Doesn't Cover

A few important limitations:

Municipal registration still applies. A Texas state license obtained through reciprocity has the same standing as one earned locally, but cities like Dallas (biennial registration, $160), San Antonio (biennial registration, $300, FBI background check), and others still require you to register your credential before pulling local permits.

Contractor licenses don't have reciprocity. The TECL (Texas Electrical Contractor License) is a business-level credential with no reciprocal pathway. Even if your master license transferred through reciprocity, you need to apply separately for a contractor license — including meeting the insurance, Master of Record, and entity registration requirements.

Journeyman Industrial Electrician experience doesn't count for master. If your out-of-state experience was under a Journeyman Industrial Electrician credential, TDLR won't count it toward the master electrician's 12,000-hour requirement — the same restriction that applies to Texas Journeyman Industrial Electrician hours.

Planning Your Transfer

Relocating to Texas with an out-of-state electrical license involves coordinating with two state agencies (your home state and TDLR), managing documentation timelines, and navigating local municipal registration on top of the state process.

The Texas Electrician License Guide covers the reciprocity pathway step by step, including documentation checklists and the specific municipal registration requirements in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso.

See more Texas guides →