Texas ACR contracting runs on a state license, but cities still play a role on individual jobs. The dividing line was redrawn on September 1, 2021, when Texas Occupations Code §1302.304 took effect: municipalities may no longer charge registration fees to ACR contractors who hold a TDLR license. That ended the "double-dipping" era in which contractors paid the state for a license and then paid each city again just to register to work there.
What cities can still do:
- Collect building permit fees for specific jobs — permits are separate from contractor registration
- Adopt local code amendments or more stringent codes on top of the state-adopted 2015 editions of the IMC, UMC, IRC, and IFGC
- Verify your TDLR license status through municipal inspectors
The practical model: your TDLR license is the baseline credential statewide, and project by project you may still need a municipal building permit and compliance with local code amendments.
What it means for your renewal
If a city asks for a registration fee on top of your TDLR license, §1302.304 says it cannot — but permit fees on jobs are still fair game, so quote accordingly. Keeping your TDLR license current (the $65 annual renewal plus 8 CE hours) is what keeps you eligible to pull those permits in the first place.
Authority: Texas Occupations Code §1302.304