District of Columbia to Texas: master electrician license reciprocity
Texas has no reciprocity agreement with District of Columbia. A District of Columbia master electrician applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master without a reciprocity agreement
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
TDLR publishes no electrician-specific endorsement process for master electricians from states outside its reciprocity agreements. Occupations Code §51.4041 lets TDLR waive prerequisites case by case for an applicant holding a similar license from a state with substantially equivalent requirements, and TDLR calls that review its primary method for out-of-state licensees, but the electrician program pages do not describe how it is applied to masters. Otherwise the applicant files the standard Master Electrician application, must have held a journeyman license for at least two years, documents 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, and must pass the Texas master exam. Texas has no separate law or business exam for individual electricians.
TDLR's application page links the two-year journeyman requirement to the Texas Journeyman Electrician license and requires training under a Master Electrician licensed in Texas; whether an out-of-state journeyman license or out-of-state supervised hours are credited is not stated in the board's published materials. Journeyman Industrial Electrician experience may not be used to qualify.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
What you must already have
- You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.On-the-job training under the supervision of a master electrician (Tex. Occ. Code §1305.153).
- Held a journeyman electrician license for at least two years
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($45). Master Electrician license application fee (non-refundable), 16 TAC §73.80.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Texas Master Electrician exam administered by PSI (NEC knowledge and calculations portions, open book, 2026 NEC).
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($78). PSI examination fee for both portions; retake $78.
Published fees on this path total $123, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
- Exam fee · $78
How Texas licenses master electricians
Texas master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Texas issues a statewide Master Electrician license through TDLR. A new applicant must have held a journeyman electrician license for at least two years, have 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master electrician (TDLR's application page specifies a Texas-licensed master), and pass the PSI-administered master exam. An applicant who holds or has held a Texas municipal or regional master electrician license may verify their own on-the-job training for the years they held it. TDLR has master-level reciprocity agreements with seven states, four of them added between December 2025 and June 2026; qualifying licensees are licensed without the Texas exam. Licenses are valid for one year and renewed annually.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Texas master electrician exam if I'm licensed in District of Columbia?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Texas master electrician license from District of Columbia?
- Published fees on this path total $123, 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 23, 2026
- Texas Occupations Code §51.4041 - Alternative Qualifications for License · Tex. Occ. Code §51.4041 · Texas Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Electricians Administrative Rules, 16 TAC Chapter 73 · 16 TAC §§73.20, 73.21, 73.24, 73.80 · Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 14, 2026
- TDLR - Apply for a New Master Electrician License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Electrician Exam Information · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR Form ELC-LIC-007 - Master Electrician License Application · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Transfer Your Out-of-State Electrician License to Texas · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Removing Barriers for Out-of-State Licensees at a Glance (AAG FORM-019, Jan. 2025) · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Other · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.