Texas Low Voltage License Requirements (2026)

Texas has no single low-voltage contractor license. The credential depends on the work. DPS Private Security regulates alarm-system and electronic-access-control businesses and the associated individual licenses under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702. The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) separately registers fire-alarm companies and licenses their employees under Insurance Code Chapter 6002. TDLR states that work on Class 1, 2, or 3 remote-control, signaling, or power-limited circuits, fire-alarm circuits, optical-fiber cables, and communications circuits is exempt from state electrician licensure under Occupations Code Section 1305.003(a)(12). The exemption does not itself determine every permit, code, or other trade-licensing obligation.

Regulatory Body

Under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702 (Private Security Act); Insurance Code Chapter 6002 (Fire Detection and Alarm Devices); Tex. Occ. Code Chapter 1305 (Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act), Texas Department of Public Safety — Private Security Bureau (DPS PSB) is the body that issues this license and enforces compliance with it. DPS Private Security licenses and regulates covered alarm and electronic-access-control companies and individuals. SFMO separately regulates fire-alarm companies and licensees. TDLR administers the electrician-licensing law and publishes its statutory exemptions.

• Official portal: https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/private-security
• Address: P.O. Box 4087, Austin, TX 78773-0001
• Phone: (512) 424-7710

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. DPS and SFMO application requirements vary by license type and business structure; review the agency’s current application instructions before filing.

Good moral character

DPS company representatives must meet Texas Occupations Code Section 1702.113 eligibility requirements. SFMO requires a fingerprint background check for a new individual fire-alarm license unless fingerprints are already on file.

Background investigation

Use the current DPS and SFMO application instructions for fingerprint and criminal-history requirements. Do not rely on one program’s requirements for a different low-voltage scope.

Experience and Education

The applicant must document and verify at least 2 years of For a non-guard Class B security services contractor, each company representative must have two consecutive years of verifiable full-time experience in each service category included in the application. Fire-alarm credentials have separate technical-qualification routes.. Keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records to support the claim, as the board can request proof for any period within its lookback window.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• DPS documentation supporting the company representative’s qualifying experience for each requested service category
• Current company-representative examination result for DPS private-security company licensing
• For SFMO fire-alarm work, the designated employee’s applicable Fire Alarm Technician, Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent, or Residential Fire Alarm Superintendent license

Education substitution

For a Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent, SFMO accepts one of three technical qualifications: current ESA Level III Fire Alarm Designer certification, passing the NICET Level III Fire Alarm Systems test, or Texas Professional Engineer licensure. The applicant also must pass the Fire Alarm Statutes and Rules test.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: DPS Private Security administers the company representative examination. SFMO uses PSI for its fire-alarm tests, while NICET or ESA credentials can satisfy the technical qualification for a Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent.. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

• DPS company representative examination — 50 questions, 120 minutes, passing score 70%
• SFMO Fire Alarm Statutes and Rules test (Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent) — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%

Examination fee: DPS lists a $400 original or renewal Class B company-license fee plus a $12 company subscription fee. SFMO lists $500 initial/$1,000 two-year renewal for a main fire-alarm certificate of registration and $120 initial/$200 two-year renewal for an Alarm Planning Superintendent. Other examination, fingerprint, and provider fees vary by credential.

Retake policy: DPS allows company-representative retesting as scheduling allows within the 90-day application window; a failed retake requires a $100 re-examination fee. SFMO allows each fire-alarm test once a week and no more than three times in 12 months.

Insurance and Bonds

The cited materials impose no contractor license bond for this credential. Bear in mind that specific contracts, permits, or public works can still require their own bonds.

General liability

For a non-guard Chapter 1702 company, the statutory minimum is $100,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage, $50,000 per occurrence for personal injury, and $200,000 aggregate. SFMO requires fire-alarm companies to maintain general liability coverage of at least $100,000 combined single limit per occurrence and $300,000 total for the policy year, including products-and-completed-operations coverage.

Workers' compensation

These agency licensing pages address liability insurance. Confirm any separate workers’ compensation, contract, or project obligation independently.

Additional financial requirements

No financial-statement claim is made here; use the current application checklist for the specific credential.

Fee Schedule

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Texas low voltage.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the Texas Low-Voltage Work: DPS Private Security, State Fire Marshal, and TDLR Requirements every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $412. DPS individual and company requirements vary by license. SFMO main-office ACR and individual fire-alarm licenses renew every two years under the current fee schedule; use the agency’s renewal notice and current rules for the selected credential.

Continuing education: Alarm installers must complete DPS-approved 16-hour Alarm Level I training within the initial period and eight hours of later-cycle alarm-related continuing education, including one hour on NEC low voltage. Other individual DPS credentials have different requirements.

Reciprocity

Texas does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

DPS states that Texas has no reciprocal agreements with other states for acceptance of private-security licenses, although lawfully obtained out-of-state experience may satisfy a company representative’s experience requirement. Follow the current agency process for any military or other alternative pathway.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Low Voltage license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Low Voltage Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Texas's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Arkansas Low Voltage License Requirements — Arkansas Class E Alarm Systems Company License
• Louisiana Low Voltage License Requirements — Louisiana Telecommunications, Low Voltage Electrical Subclassification (5.2) — LSLBC
• New Mexico Low Voltage License Requirements — New Mexico ES-3 Low Voltage Special Systems Contractor License
• Oklahoma Low Voltage License Requirements — Oklahoma Low-Voltage: Electrical Boundaries and Alarm-System Licensing

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Identify the regulated scope. Alarm-system and electronic-access-control services fall under DPS Private Security; fire-alarm work falls under SFMO. TDLR’s electrical exemption is for the particular circuit types listed in Occupations Code Section 1305.003(a)(12).
2. Designate qualified DPS company representative(s). For a non-guard Class B security services contractor, document two consecutive years of verifiable full-time experience for each requested service category. Designate additional representatives if the primary representative is not qualified for every category.
3. Pass the DPS company representative examination. The open-book DPS test covers Occupations Code Chapter 1702 and 37 TAC Chapter 35. It has 50 true/false and multiple-choice questions, a two-hour limit, and a 70% passing score.
4. File the DPS company-license application. Submit the Class B application with the current $400 fee, required insurance evidence, and requested representative documentation. The required policy limits are lower than the $1 million figure sometimes quoted for this license type.
5. Meet individual-license and training requirements for the actual DPS service. Individuals must be licensed and affiliated with a DPS-licensed company when required. Alarm installers must complete DPS-approved 16-hour Alarm Level I training within the initial period; different individual license types have different requirements.
6. Apply for an SFMO Fire Alarm Certificate of Registration when doing fire-alarm work. A fire-alarm company needs a designated full-time employee holding a Fire Alarm Technician, Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent, or Residential Fire Alarm Superintendent license, plus the required application, insurance certificate, and fees.
7. Use the correct fire-alarm technical qualification. A Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent can qualify through current ESA Level III certification, the NICET Level III Fire Alarm Systems test, or Texas PE licensure, and must pass the SFMO Fire Alarm Statutes and Rules test.
8. Confirm electrical licensing and local requirements. TDLR exempts the listed Class 1, 2, and 3, fire-alarm, optical-fiber, and communications circuits from state electrician licensing. Confirm the exact circuit, permit, code, and any other trade-license obligation before performing the work.

Application Checklist

These are the pieces to lock down before filing with DPS PSB:

• DPS company representative(s) with two consecutive years of verifiable full-time experience in each requested Class B service category
• DPS PSB Class B Security Company application with $400 license fee plus $12 subscription fee
• DPS-required insurance evidence: at least $100,000 bodily-injury/property-damage per occurrence, $50,000 personal injury per occurrence, and $200,000 aggregate for a non-guard Chapter 1702 company
• DPS company-representative examination result (50 questions, two hours, 70%)
• DPS-approved Alarm Level I training for alarm installers, where applicable
• SFMO Fire Alarm Certificate of Registration (if doing fire alarm)
• SFMO-designated licensed employee and required fire-alarm technical qualification (if doing fire alarm)

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a Texas Low Voltage filing.

Assuming one license covers everything

Texas routes alarm/electronic-access-control work, fire-alarm work, and electrical-circuit exemptions through different agencies and laws. Identify the service before choosing a credential rather than treating “low voltage” as a single license type.

Skipping the manager experience requirement

DPS requires two consecutive years of verifiable full-time experience for each requested non-guard Class B service category, as well as a passing company-representative examination. Add qualified representatives when one person cannot cover every requested service.

Missing the Level I training deadline

Alarm installers must complete DPS-approved 16-hour Alarm Level I training in the initial period. The program also has later continuing-education requirements; confirm the individual’s exact license type rather than applying this rule to every low-voltage role.

Forgetting NICET for fire alarm

An SFMO Fire Alarm Certificate of Registration needs a designated full-time employee who holds an applicable SFMO license. A Planning Superintendent’s technical qualification can come from ESA Level III, NICET Level III testing, or Texas PE licensure—not NICET alone.

Cabling that crosses into line voltage

TDLR’s published exemption is defined by specified circuit types, not a generic “under 50 volts” rule. Confirm the actual circuit and the scope of every related electrical connection before relying on the exemption.

Study and Reference Materials

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

• Texas Private Security Act (Tex. Occ. Code Chapter 1702) and DPS PSB Administrative Rules (37 TAC Chapter 35) — Texas DPS. The company representative’s open-book DPS examination covers these materials.
• NFPA 72 — National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code — NFPA. Required reference for SFMO fire alarm work and the NICET Level III exam.
• NICET Fire Alarm Systems Program Detail — NICET. Official Level II/III content outline used for fire alarm planning superintendent qualification.

Other Texas Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Texas trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

• Texas General Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Electrician License Requirements
• Texas Plumber License Requirements
• Texas HVAC Technician License Requirements
• Texas Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Painting Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Solar Installer License Requirements
• Texas Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Home Inspector License Requirements
• Texas Pool Contractor License Requirements
• Texas Handyman License Requirements
• Texas Pest Control License Requirements
• Texas Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas have a single low-voltage contractor license?

No. Covered alarm-system and electronic-access-control work is regulated by DPS Private Security under Chapter 1702, while fire-alarm work is regulated by the State Fire Marshal under Insurance Code Chapter 6002. TDLR separately identifies particular Class 1, 2, and 3, fire-alarm, optical-fiber, and communications circuits as exempt from state electrician licensing.

What experience does the Class B manager need?

For a non-guard Class B security services contractor, DPS requires two consecutive years of verifiable full-time experience in each service category on the application. DPS may require additional company representatives when the primary representative is not qualified for every requested category.

Does Texas require NICET for fire alarm work?

Not exclusively. A Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent may qualify through current ESA Level III Fire Alarm Designer certification, passing the NICET Level III Fire Alarm Systems test, or Texas Professional Engineer licensure. The applicant also must pass the Fire Alarm Statutes and Rules test.

Is structured cabling exempt from TDLR?

TDLR identifies Class 1, 2, and 3 remote-control, signaling, or power-limited circuits, fire-alarm circuits, optical-fiber cables, and communications circuits as exempt from state electrician licensing under Occupations Code Section 1305.003(a)(12). Confirm the actual circuit and all other code, permit, and licensing requirements before proceeding.

How often does the DPS PSB Class B renew?

DPS lists the $400 Class B company-license fee for both original and renewal licenses. Individual license and continuing-education requirements vary by license type; alarm installers complete 16-hour Alarm Level I training in the initial period and eight hours of later-cycle alarm-related CE, including one hour on NEC low voltage.

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