A CE provider number is the registration number TDLR assigns to every approved continuing education provider. It identifies the provider in TDLR's systems, on the public provider lists, and in your CE completion records. OnlineTexasCE is TDLR-Approved Provider #2273.
TDLR requires providers to include their registration number — along with the approval number of each course — in all advertising, including their websites. That requirement exists for your protection: it lets you verify approval before paying.
To check a provider number:
- Find the number in the provider's advertising or site footer
- Look the provider up on TDLR's continuing education provider list for your trade (cosmetology/barber, electrician, or air conditioning and refrigeration)
- Confirm the provider is listed for your license type — provider registration is per-profession, so a number that is valid for one trade may not cover another
A provider that won't show a TDLR provider number, or whose number doesn't appear on TDLR's list for your trade, cannot earn you CE credit.
What it means for your renewal
Your renewal depends on hours from an approved provider, and the provider number is the fastest way to verify approval before you spend money. When OnlineTexasCE reports your completion to TDLR — within 24 hours — it is recorded under Provider #2273, which is how TDLR ties the credit to an approved source.