This Week in Trades - September 14, 2026

Texas Adopts the 2026 NEC - Electrical Licensing Exams Shift Starting Now

Texas electrical licensing exams are now based on the 2026 National Electrical Code. The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation adopted the new code effective September 1, amending 16 TAC Chapter 73, Section 73.100. The state kept one carve-out: outdoor outlets that power listed HVAC equipment don't need GFCI protection under Section 210.8(F), even though the base 2026 NEC calls for it there.

For Texas candidates, the code on test day just changed. The 2026 NEC restructured load calculations (the old Article 220 is now Article 120), expanded arc flash labeling requirements, and widened GFCI protection for outdoor outlets up to 60 amps, with Texas's one exception. If you're studying off an old code book or a question bank that hasn't been updated, you're studying the wrong material. Update your prep now, not the week before your test date.

Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Brooklyn Company Charged With Selling Fake OSHA Cards for $500 Each

Two Queens men and their company face felony charges for allegedly selling fake OSHA and NYC Department of Buildings safety cards for $500 apiece, no training required. Brooklyn prosecutors say Redcode Inc. owner Lutfur Rahman and associate Mohammed Tushar issued OSHA 30 and Site Safety Training cards to undercover investigators posing as construction workers, then falsely told OSHA's training intermediary and DOB that the "students" had completed the coursework.

Every card Redcode issued has been invalidated by the Department of Buildings. If you hold one of those cards, it's no longer valid, and you need to retake real training to keep working. The case is a reminder that OSHA and SST cards get checked against a database, not just glanced at on site, and a shortcut that looks cheap now can cost you a job later.

Source: Brooklyn District Attorney's Office

Missouri Electrician Union Sees Apprenticeship Applications Spike

More than 200 people qualified to interview for a four-year electrician apprenticeship program in Springfield, Missouri, a sharp jump from prior years. The program mixes paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, and the union running it points to rising wages and job security as the draw.

The surge tracks a national pattern. Electrician apprenticeships are pulling in more applicants as data center construction, grid upgrades, and EV infrastructure push demand for licensed electricians higher in state after state. If your local program is seeing the same spike, expect longer waitlists and tougher interviews, which makes a strong pre-apprenticeship score matter more than it did two years ago.

Source: Springfield Business Journal

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