Occupational Licensing Department

The Occupational Licensing Department is supervised by Sammy Jackson, Deputy Director for Finance and Regulatory Control, with the assistance of Cathy Cantrell, Licensing Program Administrator. The Licensing Department receives and processes all applications for occupational licenses. Under the Texas Racing Act, §7.02, all persons who participate in pari-mutuel racing in Texas, other than patrons, must be licensed by the Commission.

Generally, any person who works on the grounds of a pari-mutuel racetrack or who tries to make a living through pari-mutuel racing in Texas must be licensed by the Commission.

The Commission has established over fifty categories of occupational licenses to ensure all participants in racing are properly licensed. These categories include stable and kennel area occupations, such as jockeys, owners, kennel owners, trainers, and grooms, as well as all employees of the racetrack, such as management personnel, food service workers, and mutuel tellers.

For a list of the Commission's licensing categories and the applicable annual license fees, refer to Commission Rule §311.5.

To be licensed, a person must:

1. Complete an application form;
2. Be fingerprinted on cards provided by the Commission; and
3. Pay the appropriate license fee via a personal check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, or Diners Club.

For security reasons, the Commission does not accept cash.

Applicants for most licenses should go the licensing office at a pari-mutuel racetrack to be licensed. Some license types, however, may be processed and issued by mail.

To see a list of downloadable forms, including the various license applications forms, click here.

Because the fingerprint checks may take several weeks, the Commission usually issues a temporary license to applicants who, based on their applications, appear to qualify for a license. The Commission staff will issue the applicant a license badge with a photograph, which must be worn or carried while the licensee is actively engaged in the performance of his or her duties.

The fingerprints are sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Commission will be notified of any past criminal history that might disqualify the applicant from holding a license. If the applicant has already been issued a temporary license and badge, the applicant will be notified that the permanent license will be denied and the badge must be surrendered to the Commission.

Depending on the license category for which an application is filed, an applicant may be required to satisfy other minimum criteria before being issued a temporary license. For example:
 

For information regarding the licensing requirements for a specific category of license, contact the Licensing Department in Austin or the Licensing office at one of the racetracks. Click here for a list of licensing offices for links to Licensing offices, their office hours, and phone numbers.

Reasons for License Denial
Under the Texas Racing Act, §7.04, the Commission may deny a license if the applicant is not eligible to be licensed. Some reasons for denial are:

1. The applicant has been convicted of a felony or a criminal offense relating to racing.
2. The applicant owes money to the State of Texas.
3. The applicant uses illegal drugs.
4. The applicant abuses alcoholic beverages.
5. The applicant lives with a person whose racing license was revoked during the preceding year.

Pursuant to Texas Government Code, Ch. 559 and Commission Rule §311.8, if you submit information to the Commission, you have a right to view that information to ensure it is correct. If after reviewing the information you believe the information is incorrect, you are entitled to have that information corrected.

To review information the Commission has stored about you, contact any Commission licensing office or the Commission's Austin headquarters. To file a request to have the information corrected, contact the Commission's Austin headquarters.