TDLR Continuing Education: Everything Texas Professionals Need to Know

Continuing education (CE) is mandatory training that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation requires licensed professionals to complete before each license renewal. The purpose is to ensure that professionals stay current on safety standards, code updates, legal changes, and industry best practices.

CE is not optional — you cannot renew your TDLR license without it. When you submit your renewal, TDLR asks you to attest that you have completed the required hours. Submitting a false attestation is a violation that can result in disciplinary action.

Three professions served by OnlineTexasCE.com have TDLR CE requirements:

• Cosmetology & Barber: 4 hours every 2 years
• Electrician: 4 hours every year
• HVAC/ACR Contractor: 8 hours every year

All three can be completed online through TDLR-approved providers. For a side-by-side breakdown of hours, topics, and fees for each trade, see our TDLR continuing education requirements page. One CE credit hour equals 50 minutes of actual instruction time across all professions.

Under TDLR's 2025 CE rule change (16 TAC §83.25), which applies to licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025, cosmetology and barber CE requirements are:

Licensed Less Than 15 Years — 4 Hours Every 2 Years

• 1 hour — Sanitation (health, safety, infection control)
• 1 hour — Human trafficking prevention (HB 2059, Occupations Code Chapter 116)
• 2 hours — Elective topics (Texas law, disorders, ethics, business skills, mental health)

Licensed 15+ Years — 2 Hours Every 2 Years

• 1 hour — Sanitation
• 1 hour — Human trafficking prevention

This applies to all practitioner types: cosmetology operators, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, eyelash extension specialists, and hair weaving specialists. All take the same 4-hour cosmetology and barber course. CE completed for one barber/cosmetology license satisfies the requirement for other barber/cosmetology licenses.

Governed by Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1603 and 16 TAC Chapter 83.

All individual electrician license holders must complete 4 hours of CE annually. This applies to all 10 license types — master, journeyman (all specialties), apprentice, maintenance, residential wireman, and sign electricians. Electrical apprentices and electrical sign apprentices have one alternative: enrollment in a TDLR-registered apprenticeship training program during the license term satisfies the requirement in place of the course (16 TAC §73.25(c)).

Required Topic Areas

• National Electrical Code (NEC) — The 2023 NEC (NFPA 70, 2023 Edition) through August 31, 2026; the 2026 NEC takes effect in Texas on September 1, 2026 (adopted July 28, 2026)
• Texas Electrician Law — Occupations Code Chapter 1305
• Texas Administrative Rules — 16 TAC Chapter 73
• Electrical Safety — NFPA 70E (arc flash, lockout/tagout, PPE)

Critical rule: TDLR does not split the 4 hours into a fixed per-topic allocation — it requires the 4 hours to collectively cover the NEC, Texas law and rules, and electrical safety (NFPA 70E). A course that is nothing but NEC content does not satisfy the requirement on its own; you would need additional approved coursework to cover the other areas.

If you hold multiple electrician license types, you only need 4 total CE hours — not 4 per license type. Governed by Occupations Code Chapter 1305 and 16 TAC Chapter 73.

Only ACR contractors (Class A and Class B) are required to complete CE — 8 hours annually. Registered technicians and certified technicians do not have a CE requirement.

Required Topics

• 1 hour (mandatory): Texas state law and rules — Occupations Code Chapter 1302 and 16 TAC Chapter 75
• 7 hours (flexible): Mechanical codes (IMC, UMC), safety protocols, refrigerant handling and transitions (R-410A to R-454B), energy efficiency (SEER2), new technologies, diagnostic techniques

The HVAC CE landscape is especially important right now due to the refrigerant transition: as of January 1, 2025, all newly manufactured residential HVAC systems must use low-GWP refrigerants (primarily R-454B). Understanding A2L refrigerant safety is now essential practical knowledge for contractors.

Governed by Occupations Code Chapter 1302 and 16 TAC Chapter 75.

Online CE is fully approved by TDLR for all three professions. Here is how to complete your CE at OnlineTexasCE.com:

1. Choose your course based on your license type:
   • Cosmetology & Barber 4-Hour Course — $22.95
   • Electrician 4-Hour Course — $22.95
   • HVAC/ACR 8-Hour Course — $22.95
2. Create your account and enroll in the course
3. Complete the course material at your own pace — available 24/7, works on any device
4. Receive your completion certificate — we report your hours to TDLR within 24 hours as Provider #2273
5. Keep your certificate — two years for cosmetology/barber, one year for electrician and HVAC

There is no final exam for any of our courses — just short in-lesson knowledge or attendance checks, depending on the approved course design. Credit is awarded once you complete the approved course and its required instruction and participation checks. The cosmetology and electrician courses can be completed in a single sitting. The 8-hour HVAC course can be spread across multiple sessions.

Here are the most common CE mistakes that cause problems for TDLR licensees:

• Waiting until the last day. If you complete your CE on your expiration date, your hours may not be reported to TDLR in time for your renewal. Start at least 30 days before your deadline.
• Taking the same course twice. TDLR rules prohibit repeating the same course for credit. This includes the same content delivered online versus in-person — it counts as the same course.
• Using a non-approved provider. Your CE must come from a TDLR-approved provider. Check the TDLR website or look for the provider number. OnlineTexasCE.com is Provider #2273.
• Not keeping your certificate. Your approved provider reports the completion to TDLR, but you are still required to retain your own copy — at least 2 years (cosmetology/barber) or 1 year (electrician/HVAC). TDLR can ask for records during an inspection or investigation.
• Completing CE for the wrong period. CE must be completed during the current license term — between your last renewal and upcoming expiration. Hours from a previous renewal cycle do not carry forward.
• Forgetting about annual renewals. Electricians and HVAC contractors renew every year, not every 2 years like cosmetologists. Miss a year and you face late fees and potential lapse.

Once your CE is done, the next step is submitting your license renewal through the TDLR Online Services portal:

1. Go to tdlr.texas.gov and log in to Online Services
2. Select your license
3. Click "Renew"
4. Attest to CE completion
5. Pay the renewal fee (varies by profession and license type)

TDLR emails your confirmation once the renewal is processed. A timely and sufficient renewal application may keep your existing license in effect while TDLR processes it — complete every requirement (CE, information, fees) before your expiration date, and verify your status with TDLR.

Quick reference — renewal fees:

• Cosmetology/Barber: $50 every 2 years
• Electrician: $20-$45 annually (varies by license type)
• HVAC Contractor: $65 annually

Your total renewal cost with OnlineTexasCE.com: $22.95 (CE course) + your profession-specific TDLR renewal fee. That is it — no hidden fees, no final exam, no office visit.