How Texas HVAC and Electrician Licensing Works
Getting licensed in either trade follows the same basic shape TDLR describes on its HVAC/ACR program page and its Electricians program: log the required on-the-job training (OJT) hours, pass TDLR's exam through its testing vendor PSI, submit the application and fee, then keep the license current with an annual renewal and, for most license types, annual continuing education (CE). The hour counts and fees differ by trade and license tier (see requirements for those), but the sequence of steps is the same shape for both. This page walks through that sequence once, since it does not need to be repeated separately for HVAC and for electricians.
What Is the First Step to Getting Licensed in Either Trade?
The first step is logging supervised on-the-job training hours under a licensee already holding the credential you are working toward, since neither TDLR program accepts an application before the applicant's hour minimum is met.
For HVAC, this means working under a licensed ACR Contractor while logging toward the 48-month total. For electricians, this typically starts as an Apprentice Electrician (no prior hours needed to hold that license) working under a Journeyman or Master while logging toward the 7,000-to-8,000-hour Journeyman threshold. Many applicants log these hours through a union apprenticeship or trade-school-affiliated program rather than informally, since a structured program tracks hours in a form TDLR's application accepts.
When Do I Take the PSI Exam, and What Happens If I Fail?
You take the PSI exam once your logged hours meet the eligibility threshold for the specific license (for example, 7,000 hours for the Journeyman electrician exam), and TDLR's own pages describe a retake process rather than a one-shot pass/fail outcome.
PSI administers a separate exam per license type and per trade, so a Journeyman exam pass does not carry over to the Master exam, and an electrician exam pass does not carry over to HVAC. The Journeyman exam is offered in English and Spanish at no added cost. This site does not administer the exam and does not sell exam prep; contact TDLR or PSI directly for scheduling and retake policy specifics.
What Happens After I Pass the Exam and Submit My Application?
TDLR issues the license once the application, the passing exam score, the fee, and, for HVAC contractors, proof of the required liability insurance are all on file, at which point the license enters its first annual cycle.
There is no separate "provisional" period after this point for the license types this site covers: the license is active from issuance. What comes next is purely a renewal-cycle question, covered in the next two steps, not a further licensing hurdle.
What Do I Have to Do to Keep the License Active Each Year?
Complete the applicable CE hours before your renewal date (8 for HVAC/ACR Contractors, 4 for CE-obligated electrician types) and pay the annual renewal fee, since TDLR ties CE directly to renewal, not a separate filing.
CE-exempt credentials (ACR Registered/Certified Technician; Residential Appliance Installer; the three business-entity contractor licenses) skip the CE step entirely and only need the renewal fee. See HVAC continuing education and electrician continuing education for exactly which sub-topics each trade's CE hours must cover.
What If I Miss My Renewal Deadline?
Both trades allow late renewal within a window at a penalty fee that rises the longer the license stays expired, but after a hard cutoff, 36 months for Master Electrician, TDLR requires a brand-new application instead.
The exact late-fee tiers and cutoff windows differ by license type; see Texas HVAC and electrician license cost for the specific late-renewal fee schedule TDLR publishes for the license you hold. Letting a license lapse past the cutoff means starting the OJT-and-exam process over, so tracking your own renewal date is worth the small effort it takes.
How Do I Find a TDLR-Approved CE Provider Once I Am Licensed?
Use TDLR's own CE provider search, filtered to your trade, and confirm the specific provider and course are currently approved before paying, since a provider's approval can lapse between TDLR's own roster updates.
This site's approved providers directory lists TDLR-confirmed providers for both HVAC and electrician CE as of the date shown on that page, but TDLR's live search is the authority of record if the two ever disagree.
Return to Texas HVAC License and Electrician License: Requirements, Cost, and CE for the full overview of both trades.
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACR Contractor application requires insurance on file | Insurance minimum tied to Class A/B | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/acr/contractor-apply.htm | 2026-06-27 |
| Journeyman electrician exam eligibility threshold | 7,000 hours OJT | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/journeyman-electrician.htm | 2026-06-27 |
| PSI exam languages | English and Spanish, no added cost | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ELECTRICIANS/elecexam.htm | 2026-06-27 |
| HVAC/ACR Contractor annual CE requirement | 8 hours per year | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/acr/acrce.htm | 2026-06-19 |
| Electrician annual CE requirement (CE-obligated types) | 4 hours per year | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecce.htm | 2026-06-19 |
| Master Electrician late-renewal cutoff | Cannot renew after 36 months expired; must re-apply | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/renew/individuals/master-electrician.htm | 2026-06-27 |
| TDLR renewal reminder practice varies by license type | General renewal page confirms a courtesy reminder is sent; SLPA-specific page states 90 days before expiration as one example of a program-specific lead time | TDLR | https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/renew/ ; https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/slpa/slparenew.htm | 2026-09-14 |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to complete CE before I take my first licensing exam?
No. Continuing education is a post-licensure, renewal-cycle requirement. The exam and OJT hours are what you need before your first license; CE only applies once you already hold the license and are renewing it.
Can I work legally while I am still logging hours toward a full license?
Yes, under the entry-tier license for each trade (Apprentice Electrician for electricians; working under a licensed ACR Contractor for HVAC), as long as you hold the appropriate entry credential and work under the required supervision.
Does TDLR notify me before my license expires?
TDLR's general renewal guidance confirms it sends a courtesy reminder notice ahead of expiration, but the exact lead time is set per license type rather than being one fixed number across every program (TDLR's own Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology renewal page, for example, states 90 days, illustrating the variation). TDLR itself states that non-receipt of a renewal notice does not exempt you from the renewal requirement, so check your TDLR online account directly and do not rely solely on an email reminder to track your own renewal date.
Is the same PSI exam used for both Class A and Class B HVAC contractor licenses?
No. A Class B contractor upgrading to Class A must pass an additional PSI exam specific to the unrestricted scope, along with a $25 change fee, rather than reusing the original Class B exam result.
Can I complete my continuing education hours the same week as my renewal deadline?
TDLR requires CE to be completed before the license expires, with no grace period for the CE component itself, so completing hours at the last minute risks missing the actual renewal deadline if a provider takes time to report your hours.