To get a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, you have to meet the TDLR licensing requirements that apply to your specific trade: be at least 18 with a valid Social Security number or ITIN, complete the training or supervised experience hours set for your occupation, pass a proctored exam administered by PSI, pay the application and exam fees, and clear a criminal background review. TDLR oversees more than 40 occupations, so the hours, fees, and exam content differ from one profession to the next, but the framework is the same across all of them.
Baseline Eligibility
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 51 sets the floor-level criteria for most TDLR-regulated licenses. You can expect three things to be checked before anything else:
- Age: Most full licenses require you to be at least 18. Some student permits or apprentice registrations open earlier, but the full credential typically waits until legal adulthood.
- Identification: A valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. TDLR uses it to verify your identity and run background checks.
- Character: TDLR evaluates whether applicants have the moral character to practice the trade. A criminal record is not an automatic bar, but certain convictions can be.
Specific programs layer additional conditions on top. The hearing instrument fitting license, for example, requires a $10,000 surety bond filed with TDLR before you can practice.
Education and Experience by Trade
Every TDLR-regulated profession has its own combination of classroom hours and supervised on-the-job time, and the range runs from a few hundred hours in a cosmetology school to more than a decade of fieldwork for a master electrician. Your training provider must be registered with TDLR for the hours to count, so confirm the school or supervisor’s status before you enroll or sign on.
Electrician Tiers
Electrician licensing is tiered by supervised work hours:1Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation. Electricians At A Glance
- Residential Wireman: 4,000 hours under a master electrician or residential wireman, or completion of an approved career and technology education program at a high school or college.
- Journeyman Electrician: 8,000 hours under a master electrician.
- Journeyman Sign Electrician: 8,000 hours under a master electrician or master sign electrician.
- Maintenance Electrician: 8,000 hours under a master electrician or maintenance electrician.
- Master Electrician: 12,000 hours under a master electrician.
At roughly 2,000 working hours per year, the path from apprentice to master electrician runs about six years of full-time supervised work. No shortcut exists.
HVAC Contractor
For an air conditioning and refrigeration contractor license, you need at least 48 months of practical experience under a licensed contractor within the most recent 72 months. If you hold a technician certification, that drops to 36 months within the past 48. Applicants with a mechanical engineering degree, military HVAC training, or an accredited air conditioning and refrigeration program may qualify for exceptions.2Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Apply for an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License
Cosmetology and Barbering
Barbers and cosmetologists train at TDLR-approved schools rather than through job-site apprenticeships. Hour requirements vary by specialty (operator, esthetician, manicurist, instructor). Because tuition is a significant upfront cost, confirming the school’s active TDLR registration is worth a phone call before you pay anything.
Criminal History Review
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 53 controls how TDLR weighs convictions. The agency looks at whether the offense relates to the duties of the profession, how serious the crime was, how old you were when it happened, and how much time has passed.
Under Section 53.021, TDLR can deny a license, revoke an existing one, or block you from sitting for an exam if you were convicted of an offense that directly relates to the licensed occupation. For offenses that do not directly relate, the agency can still deny if the conviction is less than five years old. Convictions for sexually violent offenses or certain public health offenses carry additional consequences regardless of how much time has passed. Each TDLR program publishes Criminal Conviction Guidelines listing which crimes it considers related to that profession.
Criminal History Evaluation Letter
If you have a conviction and want to know where you stand before investing in training, request a Criminal History Evaluation Letter. You submit a request form, complete a questionnaire for each conviction or deferred adjudication, and pay a $10 fee.3Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Criminal History Evaluation Letter TDLR responds with a preliminary determination of whether that conviction would likely result in a denial. The response is not a guarantee, but it is far cheaper than finishing a program only to be turned down.
Provisional License
Under Section 53.0211, TDLR may issue a 12-month provisional license to an applicant with a criminal history who is otherwise qualified. Complete the provisional period without a new offense or trade-rule violation and TDLR converts it to a standard license. Violate the terms and TDLR revokes it and disqualifies you from the full license.4State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Section 53.0211 – Licensing of Certain Applicants With Prior Criminal Convictions This provision does not apply to licenses in law enforcement, public health or safety, education, or certain financial services.
The Licensing Exam
After you finish your education or experience hours, you have to pass a licensing exam before TDLR will issue the credential. The agency contracts with PSI, a national third-party testing vendor, to administer proctored exams at locations across Texas.5Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Exam Information for Barbers and Cosmetologists The same vendor runs exams for multiple TDLR programs, including registered sanitarians and the electrical trades.6Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Registered Sanitarian Examination
You generally cannot schedule the exam until TDLR has verified your education and experience documentation. The exam tests technical knowledge for your trade along with the relevant Texas laws and rules. The testing environment is controlled, so no outside materials or devices.
Failing is not final. For barbering and cosmetology, TDLR allows unlimited retake attempts, though you pay the exam fee again each time.5Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Exam Information for Barbers and Cosmetologists Retake policies for other programs may differ, so check the rules for your specific trade.
If you have a documented disability, you can request accommodations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodations might include extra time, a separate testing room, or assistive technology. You need documentation from a licensed professional identifying the disability and recommending specific accommodations. Requests must be submitted before the exam deadline, and approval for one sitting does not automatically carry over to the next.
Applying and Paying
TDLR takes most applications through its online licensing system, though paper applications can be mailed to the Austin headquarters. Online applicants pay by credit card; mail-in applicants send a check or money order. Before you start, pull together your personal identifying information, your education provider’s registration number, and documentation of any supervised experience.
Experience verification usually requires signed documentation or online certification from your supervising licensee, including their license number. Check that the supervisor’s license is current and their contact information is right, because TDLR may follow up directly during background verification.
Fees vary by profession. An air conditioning and refrigeration contractor license application costs $115.2Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Apply for an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Exam fees are often separate from application fees, so budget for both. All TDLR fees are non-refundable if your application is denied.
TDLR does not publish a single guaranteed processing time across all programs. For applications that require a criminal history review, plan on roughly one to six weeks depending on complexity. If any documentation is missing or incorrect, TDLR will notify you by email and the clock resets once you provide corrections. You can check status through the agency’s online licensee search tool.
Keeping the License Active
Most TDLR licenses renew on a fixed cycle and require continuing education before each renewal. Letting a license lapse creates escalating costs, and a license expired more than three years cannot be renewed at all. At that point you start over and meet every initial requirement from scratch.7Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Upcoming Fee Changes Effective 09/01/2023
Barbers and cosmetologists renew every two years and must complete four hours of approved continuing education each cycle:8Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Continuing Education Requirements for Barbers and Cosmetologists
- One hour of sanitation (required).
- One hour of human trafficking awareness (required).
- Two hours of elective topics from an approved list that includes Texas barbering and cosmetology law and mental health awareness.
If you have held your Texas license for at least 15 years, the elective hours are waived and you only need the two required hours. One CE hour equals 50 minutes of actual instruction time.8Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Continuing Education Requirements for Barbers and Cosmetologists
Renewal fees for cosmetology operators, barbers, and specialty license holders climb with each tier of lateness:7Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Upcoming Fee Changes Effective 09/01/2023
- On-time renewal: $50.
- Late renewal, expired less than 18 months: $75.
- Late renewal, expired 18 months to 3 years: $100.
Establishment and school license renewals cost more. The penalty for waiting compounds with every tier you cross.
Military Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 55 provides expedited licensing pathways for active-duty service members, veterans, and military spouses. If you hold a valid license from another state and are relocating to Texas on military orders, TDLR must process your application on an expedited basis.
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act allows military families to use professional licenses from their home state in a new state under certain conditions. A December 2024 amendment expanded this portability to include law licenses alongside all other previously covered professions.9United States Department of Justice. Justice Department Issues Updated Letters and Fact Sheet About Professional License Portability for Servicemembers and their Spouses A military spouse with a TDLR-equivalent license from another state may be able to practice in Texas without completing the full Texas application.
Federal Certifications Your TDLR License Does Not Cover
A TDLR license alone does not always let you work legally. HVAC technicians who handle refrigerants must hold EPA Section 608 certification under the Clean Air Act. This is a federal requirement, not a TDLR rule, but you cannot legally service most refrigeration equipment without it. The certification has four types: Type I for small appliances, Type II for high-pressure systems, Type III for low-pressure systems, and Universal for all equipment. You earn it by passing a proctored exam administered by an EPA-approved organization. The certification does not expire, and apprentices working under direct supervision of a certified technician are exempt while they train.10US EPA. Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements