USA · States · Texas · Licensing

Texas licensing boards

What Texas's own boards ask for before you can work in a licensed job: the requirement, the exam, the fee where the board publishes it, and renewal. National exams are written by national bodies, but the license comes from the state.

Professions13Nursing, CPA, law, engineering and more

Trades7Electrician, plumber, HVAC and others

Copied fromState boardsEach row cites its board page

Checked21 Oct 2026Re-check by Apr 2027

Professional licenses Trade licenses State and city jobs Texas state page

Professional licenses

Each card links the national license page on this site (education, national exams and other states).

LPN / LVN

Texas Board of Nursing

Apply in the Texas Nurse Portal (NCLEX-PN application), register with Pearson VUE ($200), pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam and have the program submit an Affidavit of Graduation before an Authorization to Test is issued. The license is called LVN.

Source:

Texas BON

Licensure by examination (NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN)Texas Board of Nursing

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Counseling

Behavioral Health Executive Council — State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors

Start as an LPC Associate (practice only under a board-approved supervisor) with NCE or NCMHCE scores, the Texas jurisprudence exam and fingerprints, then upgrade to a full LPC after at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience. Texas has no reciprocity or temporary license.

Source:

Texas BHEC

LPC AssociateTexas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Texas BHEC

Upgrade to full LPCTexas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

EMT / Paramedic

Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

At least 18, high school diploma or GED, a DSHS-approved EMS course, the state application and fee, the National Registry exam and fingerprints. Paramedics: EMT-Paramedic certification after a paramedic course, or Paramedic Licensure with a two-year EMS degree or a four-year degree in any field.

Source:

Texas DSHS

EMS initial certification and licensureTexas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Real Estate

Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC)

U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, 18 or older. 180 classroom hours: Principles of Real Estate I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms and Real Estate Finance (30 hours each). Apply in the REALM Portal, fingerprints with Texas DPS, then the exam through Pearson VUE; three failures mean more education. The license stays inactive until a broker sponsors you. One year from filing to meet everything.

Source:

TREC

Become a Real Estate Sales AgentTexas Real Estate Commission (TREC)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

trec.texas.gov does not answer from India (connection timed out); read from the Internet Archive capture of 17 Sep 2026.

Insurance Agent

Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)

No prelicensing course: pass the state exam first (InsTX-LAH05 for life, accident and health; InsTX-PC06 for property and casualty), get fingerprints through IdentoGO, then apply on Sircon or NIPR within one year. Agent application fee $50. A temporary license needs a sponsor who already has an insurance license; it lasts 180 days and cannot be renewed.

Source:

TDI

General lines – life, accident, health and HMO: apply for a licenseTexas Department of Insurance (TDI)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

TDI

Careers in insurance: How to become an insurance agent or adjusterTexas Department of Insurance (TDI)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Mortgage Loan Originator

Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (TX-SML)

23 hours: the 20 SAFE hours plus 3 hours of Texas law, either as a 23-hour Texas comprehensive course or a 20-hour course plus a 3-hour TX-SML elective. Other states' law hours do not count as electives. Pre-licensing education must be completed within 3 years of the application.

Source:

NMLS

State-Specific Education Requirements: Texas — SMLNationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Real Estate Appraiser

Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB)

Trainee: 83 hours of qualifying education plus the 4-hour trainee/supervisor course and a supervisor. Licensed residential: 158 hours and 1,000 hours over at least 6 months (or Licensed Residential PAREA). Certified residential: 200 hours, college-level education (6 options) and 1,500 hours over at least 12 months. Certified general: 300 hours, a bachelor's degree and 3,000 hours over at least 18 months with 1,500 non-residential. Exams through Pearson VUE; a pass is valid 24 months.

Source:

TALCB

Become an Appraiser TraineeTexas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

talcb.texas.gov does not answer from India (connection timed out); read from the Internet Archive capture of 19 May 2026.

TALCB

Become a Licensed Residential AppraiserTexas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

talcb.texas.gov does not answer from India (connection timed out); read from the Internet Archive capture of 13 May 2026.

TALCB

Become a Certified Residential AppraiserTexas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

talcb.texas.gov does not answer from India (connection timed out); read from the Internet Archive capture of 10 Apr 2026.

TALCB

Become a Certified General AppraiserTexas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB)

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

talcb.texas.gov does not answer from India (connection timed out); read from the Internet Archive capture of 13 May 2026.

Teaching

Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Five requirements: a bachelor's degree from an accredited college; an approved educator preparation program (a university program if you have no degree; an alternative certification or post-baccalaureate program if you do); the certification exams your program approves; a state application; and fingerprinting for a national criminal background check.

Source:

TEA

Becoming a Classroom Teacher in TexasTexas Education Agency

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

TEA

Educator TestingTexas Education Agency

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Architecture

Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE)

Registration by examination under TBAE Rules 1.21 and 1.23. Create a TBAE account only if you have or are completing a NAAB-accredited degree; $100 application fee, proof of legal status and a fingerprint-based criminal history check. TBAE offers an ARE grant to residents who meet income criteria and have passed at least 2 divisions.

Source:

TBAE

Architects: Registration by ExaminationTexas Board of Architectural Examiners

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

Veterinary

Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (TBVME)

The online State Board Examination (SBE) is required for all license categories: approved applicants get a candidate ID, buy the exam and must finish it in one sitting within 10 days of purchase.

Source:

TBVME

State Board Exam (SBE)Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

Interior design

Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE)

Registered Interior Designer by examination: meet CIDQ's education and experience requirements and pass the NCIDQ. Fees: $100 application, $200 initial registration; 12 hours of continuing education a year.

Source:

CIDQ

Regulated Jurisdictions and RequirementsCouncil for Interior Design Qualification

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

CIDQ says the guide is current as of August 2025 and to confirm with each jurisdiction.

Cosmetology & barber

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

Cosmetology Operator and Class A Barber: each a 1,000-hour course at a licensed school. The written exam opens after 900 hours, then a practical exam. At least 17; $50 application fee; licenses last two years.

Source:

TDLR

Apply for a Cosmetology Operator LicenseTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

TDLR

Apply for a Class A Barber LicenseTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

Trade licenses

Each card links the trade's page on this site (training route, apprenticeship and pay).

Electrician

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

Statewide licenses from apprentice to master. Apprentice: no experience or exam. Journeyman: 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician (you may take the exam at 7,000). Master: 2 years as a journeyman and 12,000 hours. Licenses renew every year.

Source:

TDLR

Apprentice ElectricianTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

TDLR

Journeyman ElectricianTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

TDLR

Master ElectricianTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

Plumber

Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)

Journeyman Plumber: at least 8,000 hours in the plumbing trade plus a board-approved 48-hour course, or enrollment in a U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship program. A journeyman or master license from another state replaces the course. Exam fee $40.

Source:

TSBPE

Journeyman PlumberTexas State Board of Plumbing Examiners

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

HVAC technician

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

Anyone who helps a licensed ACR contractor with maintenance or repair must register as a technician ($20) and work under that contractor. A contractor license (Class A: any size; Class B: cooling up to 25 tons, heating up to 1.5 million BTU/hour) needs 48 months of supervised experience within 72 months, or 36 within 48 after 12 months as a certified technician.

Source:

TDLR

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician RegistrationTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

TDLR

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor LicenseTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Checked: 20 Oct 2026

State and city government jobs

Government jobs are filled through each government's own hiring system; some need a civil service exam.

WorkInTexas.com

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)

Search state agency jobs on WorkInTexas.com.
Since March 2026 the State of Texas Application is two steps: upload your resume and complete a brief questionnaire.

Exam: No statewide civil service exam is described; each agency hires for its own posted jobs.

Source:

Texas Governor

Governor Abbott, TWC Launch Streamlined State Of Texas Application (10 March 2026)Office of the Texas Governor

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

Licensed somewhere else?

Licenses do not move automatically between states. Each national license page shows interstate compacts (nursing, EMS and others) and what other states' boards publish.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.

Licensure by examination (NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN) · Texas Board of Nursing checked 2026-10-20
How to become an LBSW · Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Social Worker Examiners) checked 2026-10-20
How to become an LMSW · Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Social Worker Examiners) checked 2026-10-20
How to become an LCSW · Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Social Worker Examiners) checked 2026-10-20
LPC Associate · Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors) checked 2026-10-20
Upgrade to full LPC · Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors) checked 2026-10-20
EMS initial certification and licensure · Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) checked 2026-10-20
Become a Real Estate Sales Agent · Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) checked 2026-10-20
General lines – life, accident, health and HMO: apply for a license · Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) checked 2026-10-20
Careers in insurance: How to become an insurance agent or adjuster · Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) checked 2026-10-20
State-Specific Education Requirements: Texas — SML · Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) checked 2026-10-20
Become an Appraiser Trainee · Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) checked 2026-10-20
Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser · Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) checked 2026-10-20
Become a Certified Residential Appraiser · Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) checked 2026-10-20
Become a Certified General Appraiser · Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) checked 2026-10-20
Becoming a Classroom Teacher in Texas · Texas Education Agency checked 2026-10-20
Educator Testing · Texas Education Agency checked 2026-10-20
Architects: Registration by Examination · Texas Board of Architectural Examiners checked 2026-10-21
State Board Exam (SBE) · Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners checked 2026-10-21
Regulated Jurisdictions and Requirements · Council for Interior Design Qualification checked 2026-10-21
Apply for a Cosmetology Operator License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-21
Apply for a Class A Barber License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-21
Apprentice Electrician · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-20
Journeyman Electrician · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-20
Master Electrician · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-20
Journeyman Plumber · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners checked 2026-10-20
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician Registration · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-20
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation checked 2026-10-20
Governor Abbott, TWC Launch Streamlined State Of Texas Application (10 March 2026) · Office of the Texas Governor checked 2026-10-21