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Do Mold Remediation Companies Need a License in Texas?

AirQualitySource Editorial Team · Published September 14, 2026 · Updated September 14, 2026 · 3 min readResearched and written with AI assistance, reviewed by our editorial team against primary sources. Every quote links to its source. Editorial standards

The short answer: yes, in most cases. Texas licenses both the people who test for mold and the people who remove it. The state licensing agency, TDLR, says that contractors who inspect or clean up mold in homes "are required to be licensed in Texas."1 The main exception is small jobs: visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can usually be cleaned up by people who are not licensed.2

What Texas licenses

Texas splits mold work into two jobs, and licenses each one:

  • Mold assessment "includes inspecting or surveying a structure to provide information about the presence of mold or the development of a mold remediation plan."3
  • Mold remediation "is the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, or other treatment of mold or mold-contaminated matter."4

TDLR "regulates and licenses persons and companies who inspect and test for mold in buildings (mold assessment), and those who clean up and remove mold (mold remediation)."5

When a license isn't needed

  • Small areas. "In most instances, areas of visible mold of less than 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned up by people who are not licensed."2
  • Some owner-done work. TDLR says "a homeowner or building owner can, in some circumstances, do his or her own remediation" under the exemptions in state law and rules.6
  • Builder warranty repairs. On a one- or two-family home, mold work done by the builder under a home builder's warranty, at construction or during a later repair, "is exempt and may be done without a license."7

The exemptions have conditions. If your situation is borderline, TDLR's own FAQ is the place to check.

Testing and removal must be separate firms

This is the rule that surprises people most. The same licensee cannot do both jobs on one project: TDLR says licensees are "not allowed to conduct both mold assessment and mold remediation activities on the same project," with an exception only for school district employees working on their own district's projects.8

In practice, a licensed job usually looks like this:

  1. A licensed mold assessment consultant inspects and writes a protocol — the plan for the removal.
  2. A licensed remediation contractor writes a work plan that follows that protocol and does the removal.9
  3. The consultant who wrote the protocol checks the result. TDLR says a consultant who did not prepare the protocol in advance "cannot declare that the project has achieved clearance."10

Hiring a licensed company for a small job

The small-area exemption is for people who aren't licensed. If you hire a licensed remediator, the full rules apply no matter the size. TDLR: "A licensed MRC performing a small mold remediation project (less than 25 contiguous square feet) is not exempt from the law and rules."11 That includes working from a consultant's protocol.9

What about home inspectors?

A home inspector can point out mold they see, but taking samples is licensed work. TDLR says a real estate inspector "must be licensed as a mold assessment technician or consultant to collect air or visible spore samples to determine the presence of mold."12

Paperwork a licensed company must give you

  • Before any work: the Consumer Mold Information Sheet. Licensees must provide it "to each client and to the property owner, if not the same person, before any mold-related activity begins."13
  • After remediation: a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation (CMDR), which only a licensed remediator can issue. "Only a licensed remediator is authorized to give a CMDR."14

How to check a Texas mold license

  1. Go to TDLR's license search. It covers active licenses only.15
  2. Choose the license type: Mold Assessment Company, Mold Assessment Consultant, Mold Remediation Company, or Mold Remediation Contractor.
  3. Search "by Name (Last, First) or by Business Name."16
  4. If you can't find a license, TDLR says to "contact Customer Service at 800-803-9202."17

Every company in our Texas mold directory is matched to its TDLR company license, with the license number and the date we checked it. See how we verify listings.

A license is the minimum, not the whole check

A license tells you the company meets the state's requirements. It doesn't tell you about the quality of their work. The EPA also says to make sure a contractor "has experience cleaning up mold,"18 and that anyone taking samples should have "specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods and interpreting results."19

Sources reviewed for this article

Each number in the article points to the exact passage below. We read every page on the date shown and checked that each quote appears on it word for word.

  1. 1.“These contractors are required to be licensed in Texas.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  2. 2.“Please note that in most instances, areas of visible mold of less than 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned up by people who are not licensed.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  3. 3.“Mold assessment includes inspecting or surveying a structure to provide information about the presence of mold or the development of a mold remediation plan.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators Homepage. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  4. 4.“Mold remediation is the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, or other treatment of mold or mold-contaminated matter.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators Homepage. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  5. 5.“TDLR regulates and licenses persons and companies who inspect and test for mold in buildings (mold assessment), and those who clean up and remove mold (mold remediation).”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  6. 6.“a homeowner or building owner can, in some circumstances, do his or her own remediation”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  7. 7.“all mold assessment/remediation done by the builder under a home builder’s warranty either at the time of construction or later at the time of repair is exempt and may be done without a license”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  8. 8.“However, you are not allowed to conduct both mold assessment and mold remediation activities on the same project, unless you are employed by a school district and working on a project for that school district.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  9. 9.“Regardless of the size of the area affected by mold contamination, if a licensed MRC is hired by the consumer, the MRC must comply with the requirements in the law and rules, including the development of a work plan that follows a protocol developed by a licensed Mold Assessment Consultant (MAC).”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  10. 10.“A consultant who has not prepared a mold remediation protocol in advance of a remediation project cannot declare that the project has achieved clearance.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  11. 11.“A licensed MRC performing a small mold remediation project (less than 25 contiguous square feet) is not exempt from the law and rules.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  12. 12.“A real estate inspector must be licensed as a mold assessment technician or consultant to collect air or visible spore samples to determine the presence of mold.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  13. 13.“Licensed mold assessors and remediators are required to provide a copy of the Consumer Mold Information Sheet to each client and to the property owner, if not the same person, before any mold-related activity begins.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  14. 14.“Only a licensed remediator is authorized to give a CMDR.”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  15. 15.“TDLR License Data Search (Active Licenses only)”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, TDLR Active License Search. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  16. 16.“Inquire by Name (Last, First) or by Business Name”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, TDLR Active License Search. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  17. 17.“If license not found, please contact Customer Service at 800-803-9202”Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, TDLR Active License Search. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  18. 18.“If you choose to hire a contractor (or other professional service provider) to do the cleanup, make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold.”US Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Accessed September 14, 2026.
  19. 19.“Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals who have specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods and interpreting results.”US Environmental Protection Agency, Mold Testing or Sampling. Accessed September 14, 2026.

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