Texas contractor research
Texas Contractor License Lookup
Check a license with the official state registry. Then explore a company’s recorded projects to understand its work and locations.
Check the official license record
Choose the registry for the trade. Search by name or license number on the agency’s website.
Electrical & HVAC
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Review the license type and expiration date. This search lists active licenses.
Open TDLR license search (opens in a new tab)Plumbing
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
Review plumbing licenses and registrations. A Plumber’s Apprentice holds a registration.
Open TSBPE license search (opens in a new tab)General contractors and roofers have no statewide Texas license. Local requirements can apply. Read the general contractor guide.
Research company project records
Search the Zabalist directory for company names and recorded project activity. These results do not establish license status.
Company names only, not license numbers. Confirm license status using the official registry for the trade.
117,145 companies with recorded projects. Coverage varies by source; a missing result does not mean a company is unlicensed.
How to check a Texas contractor’s license in 3 steps
- Step 2
Check the official license record
Search the relevant state registry by name or license number. Match the identity, credential type, status and expiration date. If a result is missing or unclear, contact the licensing authority.
- Step 3
Research the company’s project history
Use the company search to find linked project records and locations. Review source dates and the company’s role. Project activity adds context; it does not establish current licensing, work quality or legitimacy.
TDLR license search: how to look up a Texas TDLR license
TDLR runs the state's largest occupational-license registry, and its search works differently from what most people expect — including one caveat that makes licenses look missing when they are not. Here is how to use it, and what it does not cover.
What is a TDLR license in Texas?
A TDLR license is a state license or registration issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees more than 40 regulated industries and occupations. In construction, TDLR licenses electricians, air conditioning & refrigeration (ACR) contractors, elevator and escalator contractors, water well drillers, and the Elimination of Architectural Barriers program. Each trade has its own license classes rather than one generic “TDLR license.”
How to look up a TDLR license by name
Open TDLR's License Data Search and use the “Name (Last, First) or Business Name” field — you do not need a license number. The same form also searches by license number, license type, expiration date, city, county, or ZIP code, so you can list every licensed electrician in a county without knowing a single name. Results show the license type, status, and expiration date.
| TDLR search field | What it is useful for |
|---|---|
| Name (Last, First) or Business Name | Checking one named electrician, ACR contractor, or company |
| License # | Confirming a number a contractor gave you is real and current |
| License Type | Listing a whole class, e.g. Master Electrician or Electrical Contractor |
| Expiration Date | Finding licenses lapsing in a given window |
| Location (City), County or Zip Code | Building a list of licensed trades in one Texas market |
Field list read directly from TDLR's License Data Search form, August 2026. The same form indexes over 200 distinct TDLR license types.
How do I check a Texas license status?
TDLR's License Data Search is labelled “Active Licenses only.” That is the caveat that trips people up: a license that has expired, lapsed, or been revoked simply returns no result, so a blank search is not proof the person was never licensed. If a name does not come back, start from TDLR's Search / Verify Licenses or Projects hub, which links its other tools — including the New License ID Search for the newer license ID format and its enforcement-actions search.
What TDLR does not license
Three construction trades are commonly searched on TDLR and are not there. Plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). Landscape irrigators are licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), not TDLR. General contractors and roofers hold no statewide Texas license, though local registration requirements may apply. Company project records can add context alongside local registration, insurance and references; they do not prove licensing or work quality.
Texas electrical license lookup: how to verify an electrician or electrical contractor
Electrical is the one trade where checking the individual is not enough. Texas regulates the person and the business separately, and only one of the two can legally contract the work.
Who licenses electricians in Texas?
Texas electricians are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), and verified free on TDLR License Search. TDLR's rule is stricter than most searchers expect: anyone who performs, or offers to perform, non-exempt electrical work in Texas must be licensed and perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor. An individual license on its own does not make a company legal to hire.
How do I check if an electrical company is licensed?
For a company, the credential to look for is the Electrical Contractor license — one of only three business licenses TDLR issues to electrical firms, alongside Electrical Sign Contractor and Residential Appliance Installation Contractor. A Journeyman or Master Electrician license belongs to a person, not to a business, so a company advertising “master electricians on staff” has told you nothing about its own standing. Search the business name on TDLR License Search, confirm an active Electrical Contractor license, then use the search above to see the permit history and Texas cities the company actually works in.
Texas electrician license types on TDLR's registry
A search result will come back as one of fourteen credentials. Knowing which tier you are looking at is the difference between “licensed” and “licensed to do this job” — an Apprentice, for example, appears on the registry but may not work unsupervised.
Issued to individuals (11)
- Apprentice Electrician
- Apprentice, Electrical Sign
- Residential Wireman
- Journeyman Electrician
- Journeyman Industrial Electrician
- Journeyman Lineman
- Journeyman Sign Electrician
- Maintenance Electrician
- Master Electrician
- Master Sign Electrician
- Residential Appliance Installer
Issued to businesses (3)
- Electrical Contractor
- Electrical Sign Contractor
- Residential Appliance Installation Contractor
These three are the only credentials that let a company offer electrical work to the public. Everything in the left column is a person's qualification.
License types and the licensed-contractor requirement are published by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on its Electricians program page; reviewed September 2026. Company project records add context alongside licensing, insurance and references; they do not prove license status.
Texas plumbing license search: how to verify a plumber or plumbing company
Plumbing credentials are managed separately from TDLR's registry. It has its own board, its own license classes, and — unusually — a free bulk download of every licensee, updated daily.
Who licenses plumbers in Texas?
Texas plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), a separate agency from TDLR with a separate registry. Searching TDLR for a plumber returns nothing, which is why plumbing licenses so often look missing. TSBPE issues six credential types: Plumber's Apprentice (registration), Tradesman Plumber–Limited, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber, Responsible Master Plumber (RMP), and Plumbing Inspector.
How do I check if a plumbing company is licensed?
For a company, the license to look for is the Responsible Master Plumber. TSBPE defines an RMP as an individual licensed to offer and contract plumbing work to the general public, and requires that any company offering plumbing services to the public “secure the services of at least one Responsible Master Plumber and have a current certificate of insurance on file” with the board. So a legitimate plumbing business is not one whose owner holds “a plumbing license” — it is one tied to a current RMP, with insurance filed. A Journeyman or Tradesman license alone does not let a company contract work directly with the public.
How to search the TSBPE license registry by name
TSBPE's Public License Search takes a name or license number, and its Free Licensee List publishes the whole registry as CSV files, updated daily — one file per credential type, downloadable without an account. The Responsible Master Plumber list is the useful one for vetting a contractor: TSBPE notes it carries the last known company name associated with each licensee, so it maps businesses to the RMP standing behind them. Endorsements (such as medical gas or multipurpose residential fire sprinkler) are shown alongside the license.
One caveat worth knowing before you conclude someone is unlicensed: TSBPE warns that work allowed by a license or registration may not be performed once that credential has expired, and plumbing inspectors who appear unaffiliated on the list are presumed to be unemployed rather than unlicensed. Confirm status and date, not just presence — then check the company's recorded project relationships with the search above. A company may appear in a filing in a role other than the builder.
Which Texas contractor trades require a license?
Texas does not issue a single statewide “contractor” license. Instead, specific trades are licensed by individual state agencies. Use the table below to find the right authority, then verify a company's recorded project history with the lookup above.
| Trade | Texas licensing authority | Statewide license required? |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | TDLR (Dept. of Licensing & Regulation) | Yes |
| HVAC / Air Conditioning & Refrigeration | TDLR | Yes |
| Plumbers | TSBPE (State Board of Plumbing Examiners) | Yes |
| Elevator & escalator contractors | TDLR | Yes |
| Water well drillers & pump installers | TDLR | Yes |
| Landscape irrigators | TCEQ (Commission on Environmental Quality) | Yes |
| General contractors | None — no statewide license | No |
| Roofers | None — no statewide license | No |
General contractors and roofers have no statewide Texas license. Check local requirements and review insurance, references and written agreements alongside project records.
Data Sources
Zabalist company results group company profiles linked to project records. They are not a live copy of the TDLR or TSBPE license registry. Coverage and update schedules vary by source; use the official registry links above for license information and review source dates on individual records.Licensing-authority reference last reviewed August 2026 against TDLR's regulated-industries list and license-type index, and TCEQ's occupational-license requirements.
How to look up a Texas license by trade
Each licensed Texas trade is verified on a different official registry. Use the trade guides below to confirm a license on the state registry, then use the search above to see the company's recorded project relationships and locations.
How to look up a Texas electrician license
Texas electricians are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Search by name or license number on TDLR's free License Search, which shows the license type — Apprentice, Residential Wireman, Journeyman, Master Electrician, or Electrical Contractor — and whether it is active. Then use the lookup above to confirm the company's recorded projects and locations.
How to look up a Texas HVAC (ACR) license
Texas air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC) contractors are licensed by TDLR under the ACR program. Verify one on TDLR's License Search, where the license appears as Class A (unlimited tonnage) or Class B (limited capacity). Confirm the license is active, then check the company's recorded projects above for additional context about project scale and locations.
How to look up a Texas plumber license
Texas plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), not TDLR. Look up a plumber by name or license number on the TSBPE license search, which includes licenses such as Tradesman, Journeyman, Master Plumber and Responsible Master Plumber (RMP), as well as Plumber’s Apprentice registrations. Then research the business's recorded project relationships with the search above.
How to look up a Texas general contractor license
Texas issues no statewide general-contractor license, so there is no state registry to search — cities and counties may require local registration. Check those local requirements, insurance and references, then use company project records as additional context. A filing does not establish work quality or current licensing.
Browse Texas Contractors by Trade
Looking for a specific trade? Browse Texas company profiles and their recorded project relationships. Verify license status separately with the relevant state registry.
Estimating a project? Try the free Texas building permit cost estimator or browse all free construction tools.
Texas Contractor Licensing Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many companies can I research on Zabalist?
- Zabalist tracks 117,145 companies with recorded projects, including 117,142 classified as active. These are company profiles, not a count of current trade licenses.
- What is a TDLR license in Texas?
- A TDLR license is a state license or registration issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees more than 40 regulated industries and occupations. In construction that includes electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) contractors, elevator and escalator contractors, and water well drillers — each with its own license classes rather than one generic TDLR license.
- How do I search the TDLR license registry by name?
- Use the “Name (Last, First) or Business Name” field on TDLR’s License Data Search — no license number is needed. The same form also searches by license number, license type, expiration date, city, county, or ZIP code. Note that it returns active licenses only, so an expired or revoked license returns nothing at all.
- How do I look up a Texas electrician license?
- Open the official TDLR License Data Search and search by name or license number. Match the person or business, license type and expiration date. The Zabalist company search provides additional project context; it does not verify license status.
- How do I look up a Texas plumber license?
- Open the TSBPE Public License Search and search by name or license number. Review the credential type, status and expiration date. A Plumber’s Apprentice holds a registration. Research company project records separately on Zabalist.
- How do I check if a plumbing company is licensed in Texas?
- Look for a Responsible Master Plumber (RMP), not a personal plumbing license. TSBPE requires any company offering plumbing work to the public to secure the services of at least one RMP and keep a current certificate of insurance on file with the board. TSBPE’s free Responsible Master Plumber list, published daily as a CSV, carries the last known company name for each licensee, so it maps a business to the RMP behind it.
- How do I look up a Texas HVAC license?
- Use the official TDLR License Data Search for air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) contractors. Confirm the matching license class and expiration date, then use Zabalist for additional company project context.
- Is the contractor license lookup free?
- The official registry links and Zabalist company search are free to use without signing up. License verification happens on the relevant state registry; company results here are project-related records.
- How often is the data updated?
- Official registries publish their own update dates. Zabalist company records follow the update schedule of their underlying sources and may be incomplete or delayed. Check the linked source and record dates before relying on a result.
- Which Texas contractors are required to be licensed?
- Electricians and HVAC (ACR) contractors are licensed through TDLR, and plumbers through TSBPE. General contractors and roofers have no statewide Texas license, though local requirements can apply. Use the relevant authority to confirm requirements for the work.
- How can I tell if a Texas contractor is legitimate?
- Check the relevant official license record, local requirements, insurance, references and written contract details. Recorded project activity can provide context, but does not prove licensing, work quality or legitimacy. A missing Zabalist result is not proof that a company is unlicensed.
- Is a contractor license required in Texas?
- It depends on the trade. Texas requires a state license for electricians and HVAC (ACR) contractors through TDLR and for plumbers through TSBPE. General contractors and roofers need no statewide license, though some cities require local registration.
- Do contractors need to be licensed in Texas?
- Contractors performing electrical, HVAC, or plumbing work must hold a license from TDLR or TSBPE. A general contractor overseeing a project needs no statewide license, but must still use licensed trade subcontractors for that regulated work — and some cities require local GC registration on top of state trade licenses.
- What are the requirements for a Texas contractor license?
- Requirements vary by trade: TDLR sets exam, experience, and insurance requirements for electricians and HVAC (ACR) contractors, and TSBPE sets its own for plumbers. There is no statewide license requirement for general contractors.