Texas Electrical Contractor Business License: Master of Record and Insurance
By Gabriel Giner · Editorial standards
A Texas master electrician license and an electrical contractor business license are separate credentials. A business applying for the contractor license must employ a licensed master electrician, who may also be its owner, and meet TDLR’s insurance and application requirements.
against the official sources cited below. .
Identify the master electrician of record
The master may be an employee or the business owner. TDLR generally permits a master to be assigned to one electrical contractor, with an exception where the master owns more than 50 percent of the electrical contracting business. Do not read the ownership exception as permission for any master to qualify unlimited unrelated companies.
Before applying, compare the master’s active license record with the legal business name and the role reported on the application. Keep the individual license renewal on a separate calendar from the contractor business renewal. One credential’s active status does not establish the status of the other.
Official sources: TDLR: electrical contractor application; TDLR: electrical contractor renewal.
Give the insurer the actual TDLR requirements
| Liability coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury and property damage, per occurrence | $300,000 combined |
| Bodily injury and property damage, aggregate | $600,000 |
| Products and completed operations, aggregate | $300,000 |
Use TDLR’s electrical contractor certificate of insurance. Its form states that binders and declarations are not accepted in place of the certificate. The insurance document is evidence of coverage; it does not amend the underlying policy.
Send your insurance representative the form before requesting a certificate. Reconcile the business name, any assumed name, policy dates, and required limits against the application. These amounts are coverage limits, not an estimate of the premium you will pay.
Official sources: TDLR: electrical contractor certificate of insurance.
Complete the workers’ compensation declaration
The application instructions allow evidence of workers’ compensation insurance, authority to self-insure, or a statement electing not to obtain coverage under the cited Texas Labor Code provision. The noncoverage election also requires the Texas Department of Insurance’s online notice.
This is a licensing-document choice with conditions. It should not be reduced to a blanket statement that every contractor must buy a policy, or that every project permits noncoverage. Identify the option actually used by the business and retain the supporting filing with the application copy.
Official sources: TDLR: electrical contractor application.
Submit the business application and budget separately for coverage
TDLR lists a nonrefundable $110 application fee and a one-year license term. Submit the current electrical contractor application with the master information, insurance evidence, and any required disclosure material. Individual master or journeyman applications do not substitute for this filing.
Your budget should distinguish the $110 government application charge from insurance premiums and any separate individual licensing costs. Calling all of these a single “license fee” makes it difficult to compare an insurer’s quote or understand what is still unpaid.
Official sources: TDLR: electrical contractor application.
Renew and report changes to the qualifying master
The normal contractor renewal fee is $110. The business must maintain the required liability coverage and its master-of-record relationship. For late renewal, TDLR lists $165 within 90 days of expiration and $220 for longer eligible periods; applications after 18 months require the additional mailed process, and licenses expired over 36 months require a new application.
When the master of record leaves, TDLR’s new-license instructions require notification and designation of a replacement within 30 business days of separation. Use the Electrical Contractor Notice of Change and Duplicate License Request linked by the agency. Record the actual departure date, the replacement’s details, and the date your notice was delivered.
Official sources: TDLR: electrical contractor renewal; TDLR: electrical contractor application.
Primary Sources
- TDLR: electrical contractor application
- TDLR: electrical contractor renewal
- TDLR: electrical contractor certificate of insurance
The requirements above come from the cited agencies and official rules. Examples, budgeting distinctions, and document-organization suggestions are editorial guidance, not additional agency requirements.
Found a discrepancy? Send a correction with the page address and the official source.