How to Get a Texas Water Well Driller License (Step by Step)
Updated September 19, 2026 · Written by a Texas-licensed well driller and pump installer
In Texas you need a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) to drill a water well for someone else. The license is issued under Chapter 1901 of the Texas Occupations Code, and the rules are in 16 TAC Chapter 76.
The process has four parts: get the experience, apply, pass the exams, and keep the license current.
Step 1: Get two years of supervised experience
TDLR requires at least two years of experience under the supervision of a licensed well driller or pump installer before you can be licensed.
Most people get that experience by registering as an apprentice. An apprentice must:
- be at least 18 years old, and
- work under a licensed driller or pump installer who has held a Texas license for at least two years.
Apprentice registration costs $65, or $115 for a combination driller and pump installer apprentice registration.
Step 2: Log your qualifying drillings
A driller license is issued with one or more endorsements, one for each kind of well you are licensed to drill. Each endorsement needs a minimum number of qualifying drillings:
| Endorsement | Qualifying drillings |
|---|---|
| Water Wells (W) | 15 |
| Monitor Wells (M) | 50 |
| Injection Wells (N) | 50 |
| Dewatering Wells (D) | 50 |
| Closed Loop Geothermal Wells (C) | 50 |
| Master Driller (A) | 215 |
For most people starting out, the goal is the Water Wells endorsement, which takes 15 qualifying drillings.
Step 3: Apply to TDLR
Apply for a driller license on the TDLR website. The fees are:
- $430 for a driller license
- $650 for a combination driller and pump installer license
- $25 to add an endorsement to a license you already hold
Once TDLR has your completed application and has verified your experience, it notifies you that you are approved to take the exam. Your exam eligibility lasts one year from approval, so don't apply until you are ready to start studying.
Step 4: Pass the General exam and your endorsement exam
The exams are given by PSI, TDLR's testing vendor. They are taken on a computer and are closed book, and 70% is a passing score (16 TAC §76.23).
TDLR says the General exam must be passed before any license or endorsement may be issued. For a water well driller, that means two exams:
- General Well Driller: 60 scored questions in 110 minutes. It covers Texas law and rules, groundwater protection, safety, hydrology and geology, and drilling rigs.
- Water Well Driller: 70 scored questions in 112 minutes. It covers well design, construction and completion, geology and hydrology, Texas law and rules, well rehabilitation, and safety.
Our breakdown of all four exams shows how many questions come from each topic.
If you fail, TDLR says you can schedule a retake with PSI. Check the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for your exam for current fees and scheduling rules.
Step 5: Keep your license current
Driller licenses renew for $430. Each renewal also requires 8 hours of continuing education: 7 industry-related hours plus 1 hour on Texas water well drilling and pump installation law and rules (16 TAC §76.25).
Studying for the exams
The biggest single topic on the General Well Driller exam is Texas law and rules, at 20 of the 60 scored questions. It is also where people lose the most points, because the questions turn on exact numbers: days to file a report, feet of setback, pounds a well cap must hold. Our Texas water well rules guide covers the ones that come up most.
Practice tests help most when every answer tells you why it is right. Ours cite the exact rule or reference for every question, so you learn the rule and not just the answer.
Sources: TDLR, "Water Well Drillers & Pump Installers At a Glance" (Form AAG-036, Dec. 2025); TDLR driller and pump installer application and examination pages; PSI Candidate Information Bulletins; 16 TAC §§76.23, 76.25. Requirements and fees change, so confirm them with TDLR before you apply.