Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Texas's official board.
Texas licenses electrical sign work at the individual level: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issues Apprentice, Electrical Sign, Journeyman Sign Electrician and Master Sign Electrician licenses to people, and an Electrical Sign Contractor license to the business. Anyone performing non-exempt electrical work in Texas must be licensed and must perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor.
| Requirements | TDLR licenses electrical sign work at three individual levels plus a business license. The Apprentice, Electrical Sign license has no experience qualifications and no examination, costs a $20 non-refundable application fee, is applied for online, and allows sign work only under the on-site supervision of a Master Electrician, a Master Sign Electrician, or a Journeyman Sign Electrician. The Journeyman Sign Electrician requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Master or Master Sign Electrician licensed in Texas, documented on an Experience Verification Form signed by each supervisor, plus a licensing exam and a $30 non-refundable application fee; the holder works under the general supervision of a Master Electrician or Master Sign Electrician. The Master Sign Electrician requires 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician or Master Sign Electrician, an exam, and a $45 non-refundable application fee. The Electrical Sign Contractor license is the business license: the licensee must employ a licensed Master Electrician or Master Sign Electrician, carry liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence combined for property damage and bodily injury, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations, provide proof of workers' compensation coverage or a self-insurance certificate or a statement of no coverage election, and pay a $110 application fee. Initial individual applications are filed by mail. Applicants with felony or misdemeanor convictions must submit a Criminal History Questionnaire, reviewed case by case. |
| Reciprocity | TDLR's out-of-state page states that reciprocal licensing agreements exist only for the Master Electrician and Journeyman Electrician licenses and that there are currently no reciprocal licensing agreements for any other license types, so neither the Master Sign Electrician nor the Journeyman Sign Electrician license is covered by reciprocity. Out-of-state applicants must otherwise qualify through TDLR's normal experience and examination route. |
| Renewal | All electrician licenses, including the sign licenses, are valid for one year from the date of issuance and must be renewed annually, and renewals may be completed online. Master Sign Electricians, Journeyman Sign Electricians and Electrical Sign Apprentices must complete 4 hours of continuing education from a TDLR-registered provider before each renewal, covering the National Electrical Code, Texas Electrician Law (Title 8, Occupations Code, Chapter 1305), the Texas Electrician Administrative Rules (Title 16, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 73), and electrical safety as defined in NFPA 70E. Electrical sign apprentices may instead be enrolled in a department-registered electrical apprenticeship training course. Contractors are not required to complete continuing education. |
| Notes | Texas licenses electrical sign work at the individual level: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issues Apprentice, Electrical Sign, Journeyman Sign Electrician and Master Sign Electrician licenses to people, and an Electrical Sign Contractor license to the business. Anyone performing non-exempt electrical work in Texas must be licensed and must perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor. |
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Sources: www.tdlr.texas.gov, www.tdlr.texas.gov, www.tdlr.texas.gov, www.tdlr.texas.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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