Texas Law & Rule

This is the largest area on the General Well Driller exam (about 20 of 60 questions). It comes from two places:

• Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1901 — the statute (the law passed by the Legislature) that creates the Water Well Driller license.
• 16 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 76 — the rules TDLR writes to carry out that law. Rules are cited as "§76.xx".

Exam tip: The test is closed-book and asks you to apply the rule, not recite exceptions. When a question gives a number (days, feet, pounds), it is almost always testing a specific figure from Chapter 76. Learn the numbers.

Who regulates well drilling in Texas

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses and regulates water well drillers and pump installers. The Texas Water Well Drillers Advisory Council advises TDLR (§76.65). You must hold the proper license before you drill, deepen, or otherwise alter a well for another person.

Licensing basics

• A license is required to drill, bore, core, deepen, or otherwise construct a well for someone else. Working on your own property for your own use can be exempt — see the exemptions in §76.30.
• An apprentice/registrant may assist a licensed driller but must work under a licensee and register with TDLR (§76.26–§76.28).
• Licenses are renewed on TDLR's cycle (§76.24), and you must complete continuing education (CE) to renew (§76.25).

Continuing education (§76.25)

For renewals on or after March 1, 2024, a driller must complete 8 hours of CE per renewal period:

• 1 hour dedicated to the Water Well Driller/Pump Installer statutes and rules, and
• 7 hours of industry-related instruction.

(Before March 1, 2024 the total was 4 hours: 1 hour law/rule + 3 hours industry.) An apprentice registrant must complete a 1-hour department-approved course on the statutes and rules.

The reports you must file

Reporting is heavily tested. Learn these deadlines cold.

Report	Deadline	To whom	Rule
State of Texas Well Report (the driller's log)	60th day after completion or cessation of drilling/deepening/altering	The department (via the Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System), the owner/person the well was drilled for, and the groundwater conservation district (if any)	§76.70
Injurious Water or Constituents Report	Notify the landowner within 24 hours of becoming aware; send the report to the department within 30 days	Landowner, then the department	§76.71
Plugging Report	File after plugging is complete (confirm the exact day count against §76.70/§76.104 before the exam)	The department	§76.70 / §76.104

• Well reports and plugging reports must include the well's specific geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
• If a landowner refuses access to a well that needs corrective action, the driller files a signed statement with the department (confirm the exact time limit against the current rule).

Injurious water — what it is and what you do

Injurious water is water (or a constituent in it) that is injurious to vegetation, land, or other water — for example, water that could contaminate a usable aquifer if allowed to move between zones. If you knowingly encounter it, you must notify the landowner within 24 hours (§76.71) and the well must be plugged or converted to a properly completed monitoring well under the standards in §76.104 (see §76.72 and §76.101–§76.102).

Licensee responsibilities (§76.72 and related)

• Complete, cap, and plug wells according to Chapter 76 standards.
• Mark vehicles and equipment as required (§76.74).
• Do not make false representations (§76.75) or engage in unauthorized practice (§76.76).
• Follow the manufacturer's recommended materials and equipment (§76.78).
• Violations can lead to disciplinary action — administrative penalties and sanctions (§76.90 and Occ. Code Ch. 51/1901).

Key rule sections to know (16 TAC Ch. 76)

• §76.10 — Definitions (know "well," "plugging," "injurious water," "monitoring well").
• §76.30 — Exemptions.
• §76.70 / §76.71 — Well reports; injurious water reporting.
• §76.72 — Drilling, completion, capping, and plugging responsibilities.
• §76.100 — Well locations (setbacks) and standards of completion.
• §76.104 — Standards for capping and plugging.

Sources: Texas Occupations Code Ch. 1901; 16 TAC Ch. 76 (§§76.10, 76.24, 76.25, 76.30, 76.65, 76.70, 76.71, 76.72, 76.74–76.78, 76.90, 76.100, 76.104). Rule text drafted from the live elaws mirror; verify exact figures against the current official rule before relying on them.