Texas Water Well Driller License Requirements: Complete 2026 Guide

Official-source review: August 24, 2026

A Texas water well driller license is required to drill water-related wells for the public. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation also licenses pump installers separately, so an applicant must decide whether the intended work involves drilling, pump installation or both.

Texas water well driller license requirements at a glance

The application fee does not replace the experience, endorsement or examination requirements. A person licensed only as a driller should not assume that the credential authorizes pump installation, and a Pump Installer license does not grant every well-drilling endorsement.

Water Well Driller vs. Pump Installer

TDLR regulates two connected but distinct occupations. A water well driller constructs, alters, repairs or plugs water-related wells within the endorsements held. A pump installer installs or repairs pumps and equipment used to withdraw or obtain water from those wells within the applicable pump endorsements.

A contractor planning to drill the well and install its pump needs authority for both scopes. The combination application is usually clearer and less expensive than paying two separate $430 license fees, but the applicant must still document experience, qualifying jobs and examinations for both sides.

This distinction also affects employees. Hours and jobs should be recorded under the licensed supervisor whose endorsement actually covers the work. Use the license finder when comparing this occupation with plumbing, electrical or septic-system work.

Apprentice registration and unlicensed assistants

An apprentice applicant must be at least 18 and work under a Texas-licensed driller or installer who has held the relevant license for at least two years. The fee is $65 for a Well Driller Apprentice, $65 for a Pump Installer Apprentice or $115 for a combination registration.

A registered apprentice works under the supervisor’s direction and can build the verifiable experience needed for a later Texas water well driller license. TDLR requires apprentices to keep the registration available while performing regulated work and complete one hour of statutes-and-rules education for renewal.

Can someone help without apprentice registration?

Yes, but only within a narrow assistant rule. An unlicensed person cannot be primarily responsible for drilling or pump installation, cannot contract, bid, advertise or accept payment, and must work under direct supervision of a licensee who has held the Texas credential for at least two years.

The supervising licensee must remain at the well site at all times while the unlicensed assistant performs drilling or installation operations. A licensee may directly supervise only one unlicensed assistant at a time. Registration is therefore the more practical path for someone accumulating responsibility and long-term experience.

Two-year supervised experience requirement

A full Texas water well driller license or Pump Installer license requires at least two years of relevant experience under a licensed professional. The applicant reports employment history and documents the number and type of qualifying drillings or pump installations.

The supervising licensee completes the Experience Verification Form included with the application. Applicants who worked under multiple supervisors can submit multiple forms. TDLR also accepts a supervisor letter describing the experience for each employment period in place of the standard form.

Good documentation should identify the supervisor, license number, dates, type of well or pump, applicant’s duties and the endorsement category. A statement that someone “worked in water wells” may not establish the exact number of qualifying jobs required for the selected endorsement.

Texas water-well driller endorsements

Most applicants targeting domestic or agricultural water supply begin with the W endorsement. The specialty categories are not automatically included. Each one has its own qualifying-job threshold and examination.

A Master Driller must qualify for all listed driller endorsements. The 215 total shown by TDLR reflects 15 Water Wells drillings plus 50 in each of the four specialty categories.

Pump installer endorsements

Pump work may also cross into electrical or plumbing rules. TDLR’s electrician exemptions cover specified well-pump electrical work, but the installer should verify the exact scope and local inspection requirements. Our Texas electrician guide and Texas plumbing guide explain the neighboring credentials.

How to get a Texas water well driller license

1. Choose drilling, pump installation or both. The application fee and examinations depend on this decision.
2. Select the required endorsements. Match them to the types of wells or pumps you intend to work on.
3. Work under a qualifying licensee. Build at least two years of relevant supervised experience.
4. Track each qualifying job. Record the category, location, date, duties and supervisor’s license information.
5. Obtain experience verification. Ask every relevant supervisor to complete the official form or an acceptable detailed letter.
6. Submit the TDLR application. Include the nonrefundable $430 or $650 fee and all supporting documents.
7. Wait for examination approval. TDLR verifies eligibility before PSI sends scheduling instructions.
8. Pass the general examination. Take General Well Driller, General Pump Installer or both as required.
9. Pass each endorsement exam. Complete the tests matching the authority requested.
10. Verify issuance before contracting. Do not offer regulated services until the TDLR record shows an active license and the correct endorsements.

PSI examinations and eligibility

An applicant cannot schedule the Texas water well driller license examinations first. TDLR must receive the application, verify the experience and qualifying jobs, and approve the selected examinations. PSI then sends an eligibility email with registration instructions.

Well Driller applicants take the TX General Well Driller examination plus the test for each endorsement requested. Pump Installer applicants use the TX General Pump Installer examination and the applicable pump tests. Master status requires the full group of relevant endorsements rather than one stand-alone shortcut exam.

Exam eligibility remains valid for one year after approval. A failed test can normally be rescheduled with PSI after 24–48 hours, subject to the current bulletin and another testing fee.

The PSI bulletin supplies the current passing score, question count, time limit, permitted references, examination fee and location rules. Because those testing details are administered outside the TDLR application fee, verify them directly before scheduling.

Application, endorsement and examination costs

PSI charges for the general and endorsement examinations are separate. Applicants should also budget for travel, reference materials, retesting, continuing education and any employer, vehicle, equipment, business-insurance or local-permit costs.

TDLR does not list a personal surety bond or liability-insurance certificate among the standard individual application requirements on its current application page. That does not mean a drilling business should operate uninsured or that a contract, municipality, groundwater district or project owner cannot impose additional protection.

Well reports, construction rules and local requirements

A Texas water well driller license carries technical and reporting duties beyond passing the exam. Licensees must follow construction, completion, plugging and recordkeeping standards and provide accurate well reports. Public-water-system wells can trigger additional TCEQ requirements.

TDLR’s technical guidance states that the normal separation is at least 50 feet from a septic tank and 100 feet from a drain field or spray area when minimum well-construction specifications are used. Alternative construction details can affect property-line placement. Local authorities and groundwater-conservation districts may add permits or location rules.

Our related Texas backflow tester guide covers another water-protection credential. Browse the trade directory or state directory for more licensing routes.

Two-year renewal and continuing education

Since the transition effective March 1, 2025, a Texas water well driller license or Pump Installer license is issued for two years. The on-time renewal fees are $430 for either individual scope and $650 for the combination license.

Each two-year renewal requires eight hours of TDLR-approved continuing education: one hour dedicated to Texas water-well driller and pump-installer statutes and rules, plus seven hours in related industry subjects. Courses must be completed during the license term through a registered provider.

An apprentice completes one hour of statutes-and-rules education per registration cycle. Course providers report hours to TDLR, but licensees should retain completion certificates and check the online record before renewing.

A license expired 90 days or less can be renewed for 1.5 times the normal fee. More than 90 days but less than 18 months generally costs twice the normal fee. With executive-director approval, certain licenses expired at least 18 months but less than three years may still be renewed at twice the fee. After three years, the person applies again and retakes the examinations.

Out-of-state experience and Texas licensing

TDLR does not publish an automatic reciprocity route on the standard application page. An applicant coming from another state should expect TDLR to evaluate the supervised experience, qualifying jobs and examination requirements for the Texas endorsements requested.

Do not assume that an outside license authorizes work in Texas. Use the license reciprocity checker for orientation and obtain a written eligibility decision from TDLR before scheduling work or purchasing exam preparation.

Application checklist

• Chosen Well Driller, Pump Installer or combination license.
• Selected drilling and pump endorsements.
• At least two years of relevant supervised experience.
• Required number of qualifying drillings or installations.
• Experience Verification Form from each relevant supervisor.
• Completed TDLR application and correct nonrefundable fee.
• Criminal History Questionnaire and supporting documents when applicable.
• TDLR approval before registering with PSI.
• General and endorsement examination appointments.
• Current local, groundwater-district and project requirements checked.

Frequently asked questions

How many years of experience are required?

TDLR requires at least two years of relevant experience under a licensed Well Driller or Pump Installer, plus the qualifying jobs for every endorsement requested.

How many wells are needed for the Water Wells endorsement?

Fifteen qualifying drillings. Monitor, injection, dewatering and closed-loop geothermal endorsements each require 50.

Can I install a well pump with only a driller license?

Not automatically. Pump installation is a separate licensed scope with its own endorsements, experience record and examinations. A contractor performing both typically needs the combination license.

Can I work as an unlicensed well-drilling assistant?

Only under strict limits: no primary responsibility, bidding, advertising or payment acceptance; direct supervision by a licensee with two Texas-licensed years; and the supervisor continuously present onsite.

How much does a Texas water well driller license cost?

The TDLR application fee is $430. A combination driller and pump-installer license is $650. PSI examination charges, retests and other operating costs are additional.

How long is the license valid?

Two years. Renewal requires eight approved CE hours, including one hour on statutes and rules.

Does the license require a bond?

TDLR’s current standard individual application page does not list a personal bond filing. Separate business, contract, insurance, local or groundwater-district conditions may still apply.

Is the PSI exam easy?

Recent results suggest otherwise. In fiscal year 2025, TDLR reported a 45.71% General Well Driller pass rate and a 28.21% Water Well Driller endorsement pass rate.

Official sources used

• TDLR Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers program
• TDLR apprentice registration requirements
• TDLR license experience, endorsements and application fees
• TDLR examination and PSI eligibility information
• TDLR fiscal-year 2025 examination statistics
• TDLR license renewal, fees and late-renewal rules
• TDLR apprentice renewal requirements
• TDLR continuing-education requirements
• TDLR technical guidance and unlicensed-assistant rules
• Texas water-well statutes and administrative rules