Does Texas Auto-Report My Electrician CE Hours to TDLR?
You don't report your own CE hours to TDLR. Your provider does. Here's how it works, how fast it happens, and what to do if your hours don't show up.
License Renewal
Keeping current
I get this question a lot, especially from electricians who are coming up on a renewal deadline. It comes in two forms.
The first form is “Do I have to do anything to report my CE hours to Texas, or do they just show up?”
The second form, usually delivered with more urgency, is “I completed my course three days ago and TDLR still shows zero CE hours on my license. What’s going on?”
The short version
You don’t report your CE hours. Your provider does.
TDLR’s electrician CE page says it plainly: reporting continuing education hours is the responsibility of the continuing education provider. Every TDLR-approved provider has to get your completion to TDLR. You don’t upload a certificate.
What isn’t standardized is speed. Some providers report the day you finish. Others batch their reporting and take longer. That gap is what catches people at deadline time.
The one I recommend to Texas electricians is AATCE, TDLR provider number 2437. It’s built by working Texas tradespeople rather than a national CE corporation, and it says it reports to TDLR the same day you finish. Whatever provider you use, look for its stated reporting time before you buy. If you can’t find one, email support and ask.
Why this matters
It matters because of a thing that happens every renewal season:
An electrician realizes their license expires at the end of the month. They google a CE provider, pay, take the course, get a certificate. The next day they check TDLR and there are zero CE hours on their record. The provider hasn’t reported yet. The deadline is in four days.
Now the electrician is waiting on someone else’s processing schedule, with late-renewal fees on the line. If you’re caught working without a current license, that’s a separate problem.
This is preventable. Finish CE a few weeks before your deadline. Use a provider that reports quickly. Or both.
How to verify your CE hours posted
Once you’ve completed a course:
- Go to TDLR’s Continuing Education Courses Look Up.
- Choose your license type and enter your license number.
- Check that the hours show up and the course matches your certificate.
- If they’re missing after your provider’s stated reporting window, contact the provider first. TDLR’s guidance is to go to the provider before coming to TDLR.
- If the provider doesn’t resolve it, you can file a complaint with TDLR.
Keep your certificate of completion for at least a year. TDLR can ask for it.
What “TDLR-approved” actually means
Two terms get used interchangeably and they shouldn’t be.
TDLR-approved provider: The provider has been vetted and assigned a TDLR provider number.
TDLR-approved course: A specific course has been approved by TDLR. Only approved courses count toward your renewal.
A provider that isn’t TDLR-approved can still call itself “TDLR-compliant” in marketing copy, which means nothing. Check the provider and course in TDLR’s Look Up before you buy.
The recommendation
If you’re a Texas electrician and you have flexibility on when to do your CE:
A few weeks before your deadline: take an approved course from a provider that reports quickly. AATCE is what I recommend. It’s built by working Texas tradespeople, it’s $24.99, and it says it reports to TDLR the same day.
After you finish: check TDLR’s Look Up and confirm the hours posted.
If they didn’t post: contact the provider, then TDLR if needed.
The system is what it is. The fix is being a few weeks ahead of where you think you need to be.
— Mike
Where to Get Your Electrical CE Hours
| Provider | Price | State Reporting | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Editor's Pick
AATCE | $24.99 | ✓ Provider reports | Our pick. Built by working Texas tradespeople, not a national CE corporation. 4-hour Texas course that works on a phone, no passing score required, reported to TDLR for you. |
| $49.00 | ✓ Provider reports | Long-established name in electrical code training. Deeper code-interpretation content at a higher price. | |
| $29.95 | ✓ Provider reports | Multi-state catalog. Worth a look if you hold licenses in several states. | |
| $19.99 | ✓ Provider reports | Lowest listed price in this comparison. | |
| $29.99 | ✓ Provider reports | Mobile-friendly platform. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to submit my CE certificate to TDLR myself? +
No. TDLR says reporting continuing education hours is the responsibility of the continuing education provider. You do need to keep your certificate of completion for one year in case TDLR asks for it.
How long does it take for CE hours to show up with TDLR? +
It depends on the provider. Some, including AATCE, say they report the same day. Others state longer timelines. Check the provider's stated reporting time before you buy, especially if your deadline is close.
What if my CE hours don't show up? +
Look them up in TDLR's Continuing Education Courses Look Up. If they're missing, TDLR says to contact the provider first to make sure the hours were reported. If that doesn't resolve it, you can file a complaint with TDLR.
Does the TDLR provider number matter? +
Yes. Every approved CE provider has a TDLR-assigned provider number, and courses must be TDLR-approved to count. You can check a provider and course in TDLR's Look Up before you buy.