What to put on an electrician cargo van
- License number in the state's required form, both sides Texas electrical contractors carry 'TECL' plus the number in 2-inch contrasting letters on both sides; Ohio uses 'OH LIC#'; California requires the business name and license number on commercially registered vehicles. See the verified rules below.
- 'Electrical contractor' or 'Electrician', then panel upgrades, EV chargers, generators The upgrade work is where the money is. EV charger and generator lines pull the calls homeowners are making right now.
- Phone number on the sides and rear, large Same rule as every service van: the neighbors read it from the porch while you're in the panel.
- Residential · Commercial · Service calls GCs and property managers need to see commercial; homeowners need residential. Both fit on one line.
- 'Licensed · Bonded · Insured' with the number Electrical permits make customers check. The line plus the number ends it.
- Hazard and safety decals where your work calls for them Arc-flash and high-voltage labels belong on equipment, but a van that carries a generator or a propane heater has its own labeling to think about.
Layout by zone: driver door, side, rear
Example text for an electrician business (a made-up company; 555 numbers are placeholders). Real text, so you can read it the way a customer would.
Driver / passenger doors
Bright Current Electric
TECL 00000 / OH LIC# 00000 / state license no.
555-0172
Side panels
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
Panel upgrades · EV chargers · Generators · Lighting
Residential & commercial · 555-0172
Rear
Need an electrician? 555-0172
Licensed · Bonded · Insured
Unit 9
Do you need DOT numbers on an electrician cargo van?
An electrician's van carries wire spools, conduit on a roof rack, a bender, panels and breakers, ladders and tools; it's a full but not extreme load, and most service vans stay under the federal marking line. Trucks that haul a trailer with a trencher or a lift, or box trucks for commercial jobs, can cross it on combined rating. Check the GVWR sticker and the trailer rating, then run the checker.
The federal rule (from the same verified data as our checker): name and USDOT number on both sides of the power unit from 10,001 lbs (49 CFR 390.21T(b)(2)); other triggers in the federal box below.
The federal baseline, the same in every state
- USDOT Number + Legal / Trade Name, both sides of the power unit (49 CFR 390.21T(b)(2); 49 CFR 390.21T(b)(1))
- Readable from 50 feet in daylight, no inch minimum · sharp contrast
- MC Number: recommended, not required (49 CFR 390.21T)
- Triggers: 10,001 lbs or more · placard-level hazmat · 9+ passengers for hire · 16+ passengers
Verified 2026-07-23 · next review 2026-10-21
Answer 7 questions for your own vehicle
Check your state: California · Florida · Georgia · Massachusetts · New Jersey · Ohio · Texas · Washington · West Virginia. All 50 states.
Electrician vehicle rules by state, verified
These are the electrician vehicle-marking rules we have read in the state's own statute or regulation. States not listed: we have not verified a rule for them (our research notes list which ones were checked).
California: Licensed contractors (CSLB)
| On the vehicle | Business name and contractor's license number, in or on each commercially registered motor vehicle used in the construction business, in a clearly visible location, at least 72-point type or 3/4 inch high and wide. |
|---|
Legal source · verified 2026-10-18 · next review 2027-04-16
Nevada: Licensed contractors (NSCB)
| On the vehicle | The licensee's name and license number on each commercial motor vehicle registered under the licensee's name, letters and numbers approximately 1 1/2 inches high. |
|---|
Legal source · verified 2026-10-18 · next review 2027-04-16
Ohio: Specialty contractors licensed under ORC Chapter 4740 (HVAC, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing, hydronics)
| On the vehicle | The license number, shown as 'OH LIC#-----', prominently placed on at least two sides of the vehicle, at least 2 inches high. |
|---|
Legal source · verified 2026-10-18 · next review 2027-04-16
Texas: Electrical contractors
| Applies when | A licensed Texas electrical contractor owns or operates a vehicle used in the conduct of electrical work. |
|---|
| On the vehicle | Name and license number on both sides of each vehicle, contrasting color, at least 2 inches high, the license number preceded by 'TECL'. |
|---|
Texas electrical contractors letter both sides of every work vehicle with the company name and 'TECL' plus the license number, at least 2-inch contrasting letters, permanently affixed.
Legal source · verified 2026-10-18 · next review 2027-04-16
- 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 73.51(d) Electrical Contractors' Responsibilities (LII copy, read 2026-10-18): 16 TAC 73.51(d) — 'A licensed electrical contractor shall display its name and license number on both sides of each vehicle owned or operated by the business and used in the conduct of electrical work. Lettering shall be of a contrasting color and at least two inches in height. The license number shall be preceded by the letters "TECL".' Adopted eff. Jan. 1, 2010; last amended eff. Sept. 1, 2015 (40 TexReg 5147).
- TDLR Electricians Compliance Guide § 5.2.2 Vehicle markings (read 2026-10-18): TDLR guide — the contractor 'must display its name and license number on both sides of each vehicle owned or operated by the business'; 'The lettering must be permanently affixed in conspicuous places on both sides of the vehicle.'; example 'TECL 1234'; cites Occupations Code 1305.166 and rules 73.51, 73.52, 73.54.
Recommended set for an electrician business
Mistakes electrician owners make with vehicle lettering
- Leaving off the TECL (or your state's) prefix. The rule names the prefix; enforcement looks for it.
- License number on the rear only. Both sides, in the rule's letter height, is the standard in the verified rules.
- Lettering on the conduit rack's shadow. Keep the side lettering in the clear band below the rack.
- 'Electrical services' with no mention of the hot items. EV chargers and generators are what people are searching for.
- Mismatched vans. Inspectors and GCs see three vans and should see one company.
Electrician vehicle lettering FAQ
Does my state require my electrical license number on the van?
Texas (TECL), Ohio (OH LIC#), California and Nevada are quoted below with their letter heights. Some do, with specific prefixes and letter heights. A state missing from that list is one we have not verified, not one with no rule.
Where does TECL go on the van?
Texas: both sides, contrasting color, at least 2-inch letters, the number preceded by TECL, permanently affixed. We usually place it under the company name on the front doors so it's the first thing read on each side.
Does an electrician's van need a USDOT number?
Only if the van (or van plus trailer) crosses the federal weight line or your state's intrastate rule. A standard service van usually doesn't; a van towing a trencher trailer might. The checker above runs the numbers.
Can the license number be part of the logo?
It can sit next to the logo, but the rule's letter height, color contrast and prefix still apply to the number itself, so we cut it as its own piece in a plain block font.
Do you letter electrical fleets?
Yes. Matched vans with license numbers, unit numbers and consistent fonts, fleet pricing from 15 vans, and a proof for the whole set before anything is cut.
More than one vehicle?
Fleet pricing from 15 vehicles, matched layouts across every unit, unit numbers included, one proof for the whole batch.
See fleet & volume pricing →
General information, not legal advice. Each rule above shows the date we last verified it against the cited source; the state agency has the final word.
