Alabama to Texas: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Texas has a reciprocity agreement with Alabama: a Alabama journeyman electrician can get a Texas license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Alabama (journeyman)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
TDLR and the Alabama State Board of Electrical Contractors signed journeyman and master reciprocity agreements announced March 20, 2026. An Alabama journeyman who passed Alabama's statewide exam, has held the license for at least one year, and has 8,000 hours under a master electrician receives a Texas Journeyman Electrician license without taking the Texas exam. Apply with the Journeyman Electrician by Reciprocity form, a copy of the Alabama license, and the $30 fee.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Alabama license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your Alabama license for at least 1 year.
- Your Alabama license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Under the supervision of a master electrician
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Journeyman Electrician by Reciprocity application fee (non-refundable).
- 2Other. Copy of the state-issued license submitted with the application.
Published fees on this path total $30, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Texas licenses journeyman electricians
Texas journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Texas issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). A new applicant needs 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master electrician (TDLR's application page specifies a Texas-licensed master) and must pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam, which is open book on the 2023 NEC. TDLR has signed journeyman reciprocity agreements with ten states; a qualifying licensee from one of those states is licensed without taking the Texas exam. Licenses are valid for one year and renewed annually.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Texas journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Alabama?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Alabama.
- How long do I need to have held my Alabama license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Texas journeyman electrician license from Alabama?
- Published fees on this path total $30, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1305 - Electricians · Tex. Occ. Code §§1305.153, 1305.155, 1305.164 · Texas Legislature · Statute · verified September 14, 2026§1305.155 journeyman: 8,000 hours OJT under a master electrician and pass the exam. §1305.153 master: 12,000 hours OJT, journeyman license held at least two years, pass the exam. §1305.164: the executive director may license an applicant licensed in a state with which Texas has an agreement to recognize licenses.
- TDLR - Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026
- TDLR - Electrician Exam Information · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026
- TDLR News - Texas Expands Electrician Reciprocity with Alabama (Mar 20, 2026) · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026
- TDLR - Transfer Your Out-of-State Electrician License to Texas · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026Lists the current journeyman and master reciprocity partner states, the eligibility bullets, fees, and the reciprocity application forms.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.