Preparing for the Texas Journeyman Electrician exam? This guide explains who qualifies, how to apply through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), where the exam is scheduled through PSI, the NEC edition currently listed for the exam, which reference books are allowed, and the exact rules for tabs, highlighting, and notes.
Quick Answer: What Do You Need?
| Licensing authority | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) |
| Testing provider | PSI Services LLC |
| Experience needed | 7,000 hours OJT under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician to sit the exam; 8,000 hours total for licensure |
| Application fee | $30 (non-refundable, mailed application) |
| Exam fee | $78 (covers both exam portions) |
| Exam format | Two portions — NEC Knowledge (59 items, 130 min) and Calculations (26 items, 110 min). 70% required on each portion. |
| NEC edition | 2026 NEC, effective September 1, 2026 (tomorrow, per our last check) — though PSI's own reference-materials list still names the 2023 NEC; see below |
| Books allowed | Your own soft-bound NEC only. No Handbook, no other references. |
| Tabs | Permanent, publisher-made tabs only — no DIY tabs |
Who Regulates Electricians in Texas?
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses electricians statewide. TDLR sets eligibility rules and approves candidates, then contracts with PSI Services LLC to actually administer and schedule the written exams. These are two separate organizations in sequence: TDLR decides whether you're eligible to test; PSI runs the test itself.
Which Texas Electrical License Do You Need?
TDLR issues several distinct electrician license/exam types, each with its own exam and fee. This guide focuses on the Journeyman Electrician license — the most common path — but the other license types below use the same NEC book, tab, highlighting, and notes rules.
| License / Exam | Format | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | 2 portions, 70% each | $78 |
| Master Electrician | 2 portions, 70% each | $78 |
| Maintenance Electrician | 60 items, 70% | $64 |
| Residential Wireman | 80 items, 70% | $64 |
| Journeyman Sign Electrician | 80 items, 70% | $64 |
| Journeyman Lineman Electrician | 40 items, 70% | $61 |
| Journeyman Industrial Electrician | 60 items, 70% | $64 |
| Residential Appliance Installer | 80 items, 70% | $64 |
Journeyman Electrician Eligibility Requirements
- 7,000 hours of documented on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician makes you eligible to sit the exam.
- 8,000 hours total is required before TDLR will issue the actual license.
- Each supervising Master Electrician must sign an Experience Verification Form.
- Applicants with a felony or misdemeanor conviction must submit a Criminal History Questionnaire.
TDLR's published materials don't list a separate classroom/education requirement for the Journeyman path — it's built entirely around documented supervised hours.
How to Apply for the Texas Electrician Exam
- Complete the Journeyman Electrician License Application Form (TDLR, mail-in only).
- Have each supervising Master Electrician sign the Experience Verification Form.
- Include a Criminal History Questionnaire if applicable.
- Mail the completed application with the $30 non-refundable fee to TDLR, PO Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711-2157.
- Wait for TDLR to review and approve your eligibility.
What Happens After Your Application Is Approved?
Once TDLR approves your eligibility, you'll get an email (or a mailed postcard, if no email is on file) with instructions to create a PSI account and schedule your exam at test-takers.psiexams.com/tdlnrp. You can also register by phone or mail. You're allowed unlimited testing attempts within your eligibility period, though each attempt/retake carries its own $78 fee.
What Is on the Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam?
As of PSI's most recent bulletin, the Journeyman exam is split into two separate timed portions, each requiring a 70% score to pass independently:
| Portion | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 59 items (3 non-scored) | 130 minutes |
| Calculations | 26 items (2 non-scored) | 110 minutes |
Time from one portion does not carry over into the other. The exam is delivered by computer at a PSI test center; you'll get your score immediately on screen.
What NEC Edition Does Texas Use?
This is the single most time-sensitive fact on this page, so read carefully. PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin (dated July 9, 2026) states in its header: "Effective September 1, 2026, the examinations will be referenced to the 2026 NEC." That date is tomorrow as of our last verification. However, the same bulletin's detailed reference-material section — further down the same document — still lists "National Electrical Code®, 2023 Edition" as the allowed reference, with no updated language. TDLR/PSI's own document appears not to have been fully updated at the time we last checked it.
Here's how to read it:
- Testing before September 1, 2026: bring the 2023 NEC.
- Testing on or after September 1, 2026: the 2026 NEC is expected to apply based on the bulletin's header notice — but given the same document's unresolved internal contradiction, confirm directly at PSI's candidate portal or by calling PSI at (833) 333-4741 before you buy a book or walk into the exam room.
Testing before September 1, 2026, or want to be safe either way? Browse all NEC editions. Our codebooks include only the books/options listed on each product page — always confirm your exact exam date's required edition with PSI before purchasing.
What Books Are Allowed?
The Texas exam is open book, but the allowed-materials list is short and strictly enforced:
- Your own soft-bound copy of the NEC (the TDLR-adopted edition).
- Nothing else. The exam reference material list names only the NEC itself.
Not allowed, under any circumstances:
- Loose-leaf, spiral-bound, or ring-bound NEC books
- The NEC Handbook (explicitly banned, even though it contains the same code text plus commentary)
- Any additional loose, taped, adhered, or stapled paper
Candidates who show up with a non-compliant book are given the option to test without it, remove the non-compliant tabs on the spot, or forfeit their exam fee and reschedule at their own expense.
Are NEC Tabs Allowed?
Yes, but only specific tabs. PSI's rule is precise: NEC books "may be tabbed with permanent index tabs manufactured and/or provided by the NEC book publisher." Homemade, DIY, or third-party non-NEC tabs are explicitly prohibited and will be removed at check-in (or you'll be asked to test without them).
Can You Highlight the NEC?
Yes — but only before exam day. Your NEC "may be highlighted, underlined, and/or contain notes prior to the examination session." You may NOT highlight, underline, index, or mark your book during the exam itself.
Can You Write Notes in the NEC?
Same rule as highlighting: notes are allowed only if written into the book before your exam appointment. Writing in the book during the exam session is a violation that can result in confiscation of your materials, invalidated results, and the incident being reported to TDLR.
Do You Need Ugly's, NFPA 72, NFPA 70E, or OSHA?
Based on PSI's current reference material list, none of these are on the allowed list for the Texas electrician exam — the bulletin names only the NEC itself as an examination reference. Ugly's Electrical References, NFPA 70E, and similar guides are excellent field and study tools, and NFPA 70E specifically comes up as a continuing-education topic after you're licensed — but don't plan to bring them into the exam room.
How to Prepare Your Codebook
- Buy a soft-bound copy of the correct edition (confirm 2023 vs. 2026 per the section above).
- Add publisher-made permanent tabs only — skip generic sticky tabs.
- Highlight and add margin notes before exam day, not during.
- Do not bring a spiral-bound, loose-leaf, or Handbook edition — it will be turned away at check-in.
Look for soft-bound (not spiral-bound) editions with publisher-manufactured tabs already applied to save yourself the prep work.
How to Study
- Get comfortable navigating the NEC's index and table of contents — you'll need speed, not just knowledge, under a strict per-portion time limit.
- Practice load, feeder, and branch-circuit calculations separately, since Calculations is now its own timed portion.
- Take timed practice exams that mirror the real format: 59 items / 130 minutes for NEC Knowledge, 26 items / 110 minutes for Calculations.
- Unless a question specifically says otherwise, PSI's content outline notes that all conductors should be considered copper — a small detail that trips up unprepared candidates.
What Happens After You Pass?
Texas electrician licenses are valid for one year from the date of issuance and must be renewed annually (renewals can be completed online). Licensed electricians must complete 4 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education each year before their license renewal date, covering topics like NEC updates, Texas electrical law, and NFPA 70E safety.
Reciprocity
Texas has active reciprocity/endorsement agreements for Journeyman and Master Electrician licenses with a growing list of states. As of our last check:
- Master Electrician reciprocity: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Ohio
- Journeyman Electrician reciprocity: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming
To qualify by reciprocity, you generally need to have passed the equivalent exam in the reciprocal state, held that license for at least one year, and meet Texas's underlying experience requirement (8,000 hours for Journeyman, 12,000 hours plus 1–2 years as a Journeyman for Master, depending on the state). No reciprocal agreements currently exist for any other Texas license type. TDLR adds new reciprocity states periodically — verify at TDLR's out-of-state licensing page before assuming your state qualifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Texas electrician exam open book?
Yes. You bring your own soft-bound NEC to the exam site; PSI provides an electronic notepad for calculations.
Can I use the NEC Handbook instead of the plain Code book?
No. The NEC Handbook is explicitly not allowed in the Texas exam room, even though it contains the full code text.
What happens if my NEC has DIY tabs on it?
You'll be asked to remove them yourself, test without the book, or forfeit your fee and reschedule with a compliant book — at your own expense.
Do I need to bring a calculator?
Only non-programmable, silent, battery-operated calculators without paper-tape printing or an alphabet keyboard are allowed.
How many times can I retake the exam?
You can test as many times as needed within your eligibility period, but each attempt (including retakes) carries its own exam fee.
Does Your Book Spot USA guarantee I'll pass?
No. We sell official, correctly-tabbed reference materials — no book or study guide can guarantee an exam result, and we don't claim otherwise.
Get the Correct Codebook
Once you've confirmed which NEC edition applies to your exam date, shop our current Texas-ready NEC codebooks — soft-bound, with genuine publisher tabs available, and never spiral-bound.
Ordering for a crew, apprenticeship class, or training program? Request bulk pricing.
Official Sources
- TDLR — Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License (checked August 31, 2026)
- TDLR — Out-of-State / Reciprocity (checked August 31, 2026)
- TDLR — Electrician Exam Information (checked August 31, 2026)
- PSI Services LLC — Texas Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin, updated July 9, 2026 (obtained via test-takers.psiexams.com/tdlnrp)
Your Book Spot USA is not affiliated with TDLR, PSI Services LLC, or NFPA. Candidate bulletins and licensing rules change — this page reflects our verification as of the date above. Spot something outdated? Let us know and we'll correct it.
