How to check a contractor license in Texas

Texas has no statewide license for general contractors, so you check the trades instead. TDLR licenses electricians and air conditioning contractors, and the State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers. Search each by name or license number, and for plumbing, confirm the Master Plumber number starts with M and has a certificate of insurance on file.

How do I check a contractor license in Texas?

Check each trade the job needs, because Texas licenses trades rather than general contractors. Search TDLR's license search for electricians and air conditioning contractors, and search the State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search for plumbers.

List the trades the job needs. A kitchen remodel can need an electrician, a plumber and an A/C contractor, and each one holds a separate license.
Open TDLR's license search and pick the license type, such as electricians or A/C contractors. You can search by name, license number, city, county or zip code.
If the license doesn't come up, call TDLR customer service at 800-803-9202. The search shows active licenses only, so an expired license won't appear at all.
For a plumber, open the State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search and search by name, license number, city or county.
Confirm each license matches the business or person you're dealing with.

We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. TDLR's search page said its data had been updated that same day.

Does Texas require a general contractor license?

No. Texas has no statewide license for general contractors or remodelers, so the state's license checks happen at the trade level. The electricians, A/C contractors and plumbers a general contractor hires must hold their own state licenses.

Texas did once have a Residential Construction Commission, but it was abolished on September 1, 2009. Cities can still require their own contractor registration and permits. Ask the local building office what it requires before work starts.

How do I check if a plumber is licensed in Texas?

Search the plumber's name or license number in the State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search. For the Responsible Master Plumber, confirm the license number begins with M and the record shows a certificate of insurance on file.

The board says license numbers that start with A, T, J or any other letter are not Master Plumber numbers. A plumbing company's advertising should carry its Responsible Master Plumber's number, so compare the two. To ask whether the plumber has had valid complaints, call the board's Enforcement Department at (512) 936-5200, ext. 65249.

Who licenses electricians and A/C contractors in Texas?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, known as TDLR, licenses both. TDLR says anyone who performs electrical work in Texas must be licensed, and contractors who install, repair or maintain air conditioning, refrigeration or heating systems must have a TDLR license.

An A/C company must also employ a licensed A/C contractor at each permanent location. TDLR's electrician FAQ points consumers to the same license search, by name or license number. Its customer service line is 800-803-9202 inside Texas, or (512) 463-6599 from anywhere.

What does a Texas lookup not tell you?

A trade license says nothing about the general contractor running the job. It also says nothing about the quality of past work, so ask for references from jobs like yours. Ask every contractor for a current certificate of insurance, even when the license records look clean.

TDLR's search lists active licenses only, so an expired or revoked license looks the same as a misspelled name. If you can't find someone, call before you assume either way. If the contractor also works in another state, the state-by-state guide has the lookup for each one.

A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana are on their own pages.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with TDLR, the State Board of Plumbing Examiners or your city.

Sources

Agents can keep these contractors in Proferral

Proferral is a free app real estate agents use to keep a go-to list of the providers they trust and to remember every referral they send. Its license checks cover Oregon and Washington only, so for Texas you still run the lookup above by hand. Here's how Proferral's license checks work.

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It's free, no credit card needed, and you're never charged unless you choose Pro.