How to look up a license in Texas

Official license searches in Texas

9 official searches from 7 boards cover the Texas licenses on this site. 5 of the rows also link a complaint page.

What each search covers

A board's search lists only its own licenses:

• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: the Cosmetology Operator.
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: the Student Permit.
• Texas Secretary of State, Notary Public Unit: the 3 credentials it issues for notaries, including Notary Public (Traditional Notary Public), Online Notary Public and State Employee Notary Public (Notary Public Without Bond).
• Texas Board of Nursing: the 2 credentials it issues for registered nurses, including Registered Nurse – single-state license (valid only in Texas) and Registered Nurse – multistate license (Nurse Licensure Compact).
• Texas Department of Insurance: the 3 credentials it issues for insurance agents, including General lines - life, accident, health and HMO, General lines - property and casualty and Personal lines property and casualty.
• Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners: the 12 credentials it issues for plumbers, including Journeyman Plumber License, Plumber's Apprentice Registration, Drain Cleaner Registration, Drain Cleaner-Restricted Registration, Medical Gas Piping Installation Endorsement and Multipurpose Residential Fire Protection Sprinkler Specialist Endorsement and others.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission: the 2 credentials it issues for nursing assistants, including Certified Nurse Aide (CNA): certificate of registration and active listing on the Texas Nurse Aide Registry (NAR) and Medication Aide (MA) permit.
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: the 14 credentials it issues for electricians, including Journeyman Electrician, Apprentice Electrician, Apprentice, Electrical Sign, Journeyman Industrial Electrician, Journeyman Lineman and Journeyman Sign Electrician and others.
• Texas Real Estate Commission: the 3 credentials it issues for real estate agents, including Real Estate Sales Agent, Individual Real Estate Broker and Business Entity Real Estate Broker.

Occupations without a state search here

• Security guards: the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) pages we cite do not link a public search; ask the board to confirm a license.
• General contractors: Texas issues no state license, so there is no state search. The page lists what Houston, San Antonio and Dallas and others require; check with that city or county.

How to check a license

Search the board for the work you are hiring for, then check the status, the license type and the expiration date (what to check in the result).

The occupation pages explain what each license level allows: cosmetologists, notaries, registered nurses, insurance agents, plumbers, nursing assistants, electricians, real estate agents.