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Texas electrician license types explained: master, journeyman, and electrical contractor
Texas regulates electricians through TDLR. An electrical contractor is the licensed business you hire; master and journeyman electricians do and supervise the work. Here's what each license actually lets someone do.
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In Texas, "electrician's license" isn't one thing. The state regulates electrical work through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), and the license someone holds tells you whether they can run a business, supervise a job, pull a permit, or only work under someone else. Here's how to read it.
The short version
There are two layers, the same way HVAC works:
- Electrical Contractor — the business license. This is the company you hire and contract with. It must be backed by a licensed Master Electrician.
- Individual licenses — held by the people doing the work: Master, Journeyman, Residential Wireman, and Apprentice, in roughly descending order of scope and independence.
When you hire an electrician, the Electrical Contractor license is the one to verify. Search a name or license number to see the type, status, and expiration.
The individual licenses, top to bottom
- Master Electrician — the senior individual license. A master can design installations, supervise other electricians, and is the credential required to qualify an electrical contractor business. Browse master electricians by county.
- Journeyman Electrician — fully qualified to perform electrical work, but under the supervision of a master electrician. A journeyman doesn't contract for work independently. Browse journeyman electricians by county.
- Residential Wireman — licensed to do electrical work on one- and two-family dwellings, under a master's supervision.
- Apprentice Electrician — the entry pathway. An apprentice works under supervision while building the experience hours needed to test for a higher license.
The business license: Electrical Contractor
An Electrical Contractor is a licensed business, not a person. It's the entity that can legally advertise, bid, and contract for electrical work with the public — and it must employ or be qualified by a Master Electrician. Browse electrical contractors by county.
This is the key point for a homeowner: you hire the contractor (the business); a master or journeyman does the work. If an individual is offering to contract your job directly, ask which electrical contractor license backs it. See how to verify a Texas electrician's license.
Which one do I actually need?
For almost any home electrical job — a panel upgrade, new circuits, rewiring, an EV charger — you're hiring an Electrical Contractor, and the work will be performed or supervised by a Master or Journeyman Electrician. That combination is what you're verifying.
How to verify any electrician license
Two free options, same underlying source:
- licensed-tx — search by name or license number. We show the license type, status, and expiration in plain English, refreshed nightly, with a link to the official record.
- TDLR directly — the state's license verification search.
See exactly what we cover and how often we sync.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a master and journeyman electrician?
A master electrician can design work, supervise others, and qualify an electrical contractor business. A journeyman is fully qualified to do the work but operates under a master's supervision and doesn't contract independently. More: master vs journeyman electrician.
Is an "electrical contractor" a person or a business?
A business. The Electrical Contractor license is held by the company, which must be backed by a licensed master electrician. It's the license that authorizes contracting with the public.
What can a residential wireman do?
A residential wireman is licensed for electrical work on one- and two-family homes, under the supervision of a master electrician.
Do I need to check the license type, or just that it's active?
Both. Check that the status is active and that the type fits the job — you want an electrical contractor backed by a master or journeyman, not an apprentice working solo.
Where can I see licensed electricians near me?
Browse by county: master electricians, journeyman electricians, and electrical contractors.
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.