TDLR TO BEGIN ACCEPTING
ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE APPLICATIONS
Applications Will Be Available on Agency Website on May 17
7/20/2004

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will begin
accepting applications for electrical apprentice licenses on May 17,
2004. Applications will be available that morning at
http://www.license.state.tx.us/electricians/elecforms.htm.

TDLR has been accepting applications for six other types of electrical
license since March 1, 2004, during the statutory grandfathering period
established by House Bill 1487, which was passed by the 78th Texas
Legislature creating the Electrical Safety Program. Each type of license
currently being issued has specific education or experience requirements
that must be satisfied for applicants to receive a state electrical
license without passing an examination.

Since there are no experience or testing requirement for an apprentice
license, apprentices are not required to apply during the grandfathering
period, which ends June 1. A state license is not required until
September 1, 2004.

Electrical apprentices may comprise as many as half of the total number
of electrical licensees. Through Monday, May 10, TDLR has issued 20,357
electricians licenses from the 28,031 applications received. Licenses
have been issued to 6,483 master electricians, 169 master sign
electricians, 12,514 journeyman electricians, 159 journeyman sign
electricians, 555 residential wiremen and 477 maintenance electricians.

TDLR is not yet accepting applications for two types of license,
electrical contractor and electrical sign contractor. One of the
requirements for a contractor license is that the applicant must already
hold a master electrician's license, or that an employee of the
applicant holds a master's license that will be assigned to the
contracting business. Because of this requirement, TDLR will not begin
accepting applications for those licenses until the grandfathering
period ends.

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