How to look up a Texas contractor's license

Before you hire — or pay — a Texas HVAC or electrical contractor, you can confirm they're licensed with the state in about 30 seconds. Texas licensing records are public, so a lookup is free and open to anyone. Here's exactly how to do it, and what to read in the result.

The fastest way

1. Get the contractor's license number (it should be on their contract, estimate, truck, or business card) — or just their name or business name.
2. Search on licensed-tx by name or number, or use the state's TDLR verification page.
3. Read three things: the license type, whether it's active, and the expiration date.

Both tools pull from the same official TDLR source. We refresh ours nightly and show the record in plain English, with a link back to the state.

What to look up by

• License number — the most precise. A Texas contractor license number is the unique ID the state assigns; enter it and you get one exact record.
• Business name — useful when you only have the company ("Smith Heating & Air"). The search returns matching licensed businesses.
• Owner name — for an individual licensee (a master electrician, a journeyman).

If you have nothing — no number, no exact name — that itself is a warning sign. Texas requires the license number on contractor paperwork.

What to read in the result

Once you find the record, check it in this order:

1. License type — does it match the work? An HVAC job needs an HVAC contractor (TACLA/TACLB). Electrical work needs a master electrician or electrical contractor standing behind it. A journeyman or apprentice can't independently contract for or permit your job.
2. Status — Active means they're currently authorized. Expired means the license lapsed and they're not currently licensed to do the regulated work until they renew.
3. Expiration date — Texas licenses renew annually. If it expires mid-project, ask about their renewal.
4. Name match — confirm the record matches the person or company you're actually hiring. If the number returns someone else, stop and ask why.

Red flags a lookup catches

• No license number on the contract at all
• The number returns a different name or business
• An expired status
• A license type too low for the job (apprentice/journeyman contracting on their own)

For more, see our guide to red flags when hiring an unlicensed contractor.

Frequently asked questions

Is looking up a Texas contractor's license free?

Yes. Texas licensing records are public. You can look up any HVAC or electrical contractor's license type, status, and expiration for free, by name or number.

Where does the license data come from?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). licensed-tx publishes the TDLR record, refreshed nightly, with a link back to the official source. See what we cover.

What if I only have the business name?

Search the business name on licensed-tx. If the company holds a license, the record shows it with its current status.

What does "active" mean on a Texas license?

The license is current and the holder is authorized to do the regulated work right now. "Expired" means it lapsed — they aren't currently licensed until they renew.

Does a license lookup show if the contractor was disciplined?

On licensed-tx, yes — a contractor's profile shows any TDLR disciplinary actions (penalties, suspensions, revocations) on record, alongside their license.

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Every license fact on licensed-tx is published from the TDLR All Licenses dataset and refreshed nightly. We don't edit the underlying records — we make them readable and link back to the source.