Online License Application FAQ's
Can anyone apply for a Racing Commission license online?
How do I know if I'm eligible to apply online?
What information do I need to submit an application online?
Why won't the online application program accept my date of birth?
Which address am I supposed to enter into the online application program?
How much does it cost to apply for a license online?
Can I use money from my horsemen's account to pay for the license fee online?
Is there an additional fee for fingerprint processing?
How do I apply online for more than one year?
Am I eligible for fingerprint reciprocity?
Is my license issued as soon as I complete the online application?
How soon after submitting my online application will my application be processed?
Will I be notified that my license has been issued?
I applied online and have to submit additional information. How long do I have to submit the extra information?
What happens if I do not submit all the necessary information before 21 calendar days?
Do I need a supervisor or employer signature to complete the online renewal process?
I need another person to sign an addendum form before my online application is processed. What do I do next?
Will my printed payment receipt allow me to work at the track or have access to the stable or kennel area?
Can I apply online for a license for one of my employees?
I'm an Owner. If I submit my online application today, how soon can I race my animal?
My trainer got an emergency license for me at the track. Can I submit my application online
Do I need to be an owner of a horse or greyhound before I can get licensed as an owner?
I'm a trainer. Can I apply online for a license for one of my owners as well as myself?
I am licensed by the National Racing Compact. Can I apply for renewal online?
I made a mistake completing the online application. What do I do now?
After I submitted an online application, I decided I don't really want a license. Can I receive a refund?
I applied for the wrong license. What do I do now?
Who do I contact if I have technical difficulties applying online?
Can anyone apply for a Racing Commission license online?
No. You cannot apply online if:
- You do not have a social security number.
- You have ever been convicted of a first degree felony or capital grade offense.
- You have been convicted of any felony in the past 10 years which you have not previously disclosed to the Racing Commission.
- You have been convicted of any misdemeanor (other than a traffic violation) in the past four years which you have not previously disclosed to the Racing Commission.
- You or any person with whom you currently reside is:
- under suspension by another racing jurisdiction;
- has had a license revoked by another racing jurisdiction; or
- has had a license application denied by another racing jurisdiction.
- You are currently excluded from any pari-mutuel racetrack.
- You have a foreign address. At
this time, the Texas Online portal cannot process applications with foreign
addresses. Texas Online is working to address this issue and we hope to offer
this in the future.
In addition, if you have been licensed by the Racing Commission before in a different capacity, you will not be able to apply for a new license online if:
- You have any outstanding fines or returned checks.
- You have a ruling against you that makes you ineligible to participate in racing (i.e. your license is suspended).
- Your license has been flagged by the Commission for you to see a steward, judge, or investigator. This is usually because the stewards, judges, or investigators have some questions or information for you.
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How do I know if I'm eligible to apply for
a new individual license online?
See the eligibility page for new individual licenses.
What information do I need to submit an application
online?
Personal information (address, phone number, etc.)
A major credit
card (Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express) or an electronic check.
Why
won't the online application program accept my date of birth?
You must enter your date of birth in mm/dd/yyyy format. For example, if
your date of birth is August 15, 1957, you would enter "08/15/1957".
Which
address am I supposed to enter into the online application program?
The application system will ask you to enter your mailing address. The Racing Commission will use this address to contact you unless you provide a second, local address. If you change your mailing or local address after you are licensed, please contact a Racing Commission office so that we may update our records.
How much does it cost to apply for a license online?
The license fee is the same whether you apply online, by mail, or in person.
Click here to see license fees and required
forms for online license application.
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Can I use money from my horsemen's account to pay
for the license fee online?
No. Currently, you may use only a major credit card (Visa, Master Card,
Discover, American Express) or an electronic check to pay for a license fee
with an online application.
Is there an additional fee for fingerprint processing?
Yes, effective December 1, 2008, significant revisions to the fingerprint process become effective with the implementation of a new electronic fingerprint system. Beginning on that date, each occupational license applicant who submits fingerprint cards for a background check will be required to pay a $12 fingerprint processing fee in addition to the occcupational license fee.
Based on revisions to the Commission's fingerprint rule, each applicant, including those 10 years of age or older, will now be required to submit fingerprint cards. In addition, the Commission will update a licensee's background information more often, as license holders will be fingerprinted every three years instead of every five years.
Please call the Austin Licensing office at 512-833-6699 if you have any questions about the fingerprinting process and the $12 fingerprint process fee.
How do I apply online for more than one year?
Certain license types can be issued for either 1, 2 or 3 years.
Click here to see chart that shows which license
types are eligible for multi-year licenses.
On the Texas OnLine website, you will choose the specific license for which you wish to apply. The multi-year licenses will be listed separately and you must decide before beginning the application how many years you want. For example, if you want a trainer's license for 2 years, you would click the link for the "Trainer 2 yr" license.
Remember, however, that fees submitted with online license applications are not refundable. If you do not send in to the Racing Commission all required additional information (signatures, fingerprints, etc.) within 21 calendar days after submitting your online application, your license will not be issued and you will forfeit your license fee.
Am I eligible for fingerprint reciprocity?
Yes, if you are applying for an owner's, trainer's, or jockey license and you have been licensed and fingerprinted in one of the following states within the past 5 years:
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Is my license issued as soon as I complete the online application?
Except for an owner's license, your license is not issued when the online application is submitted. Completing the online application process and paying the license fee does not constitute license issuance. The Racing Commission must receive the application and verify that you are eligible to be licensed and that any required forms such as signature or fingerprint
forms have also been submitted. If you are eligible to be licensed and after all required forms are received, the license
will be issued and you will receive a confirmation
letter from the Racing Commission. You may also inquire at any Racing Commission office to learn the current status of your application.
How soon after submitting my online application
will my application be processed?
It is the Racing Commission's policy to process every eligible online application within 24 hours
after it is submitted. That time may vary, however, due to holidays or times of high workload.
By entering an e-mail address in your online application, you will be notified
more quickly whether your application is approved.
Will I be notified that my license has been issued?
Yes. You will receive an acknowledgement letter, via e-mail or mail, stating
that your application has been processed and whether or not your license was issued. If the license is not issued, the letter will give your the reason(s). The most common reason for a license not to be issued is because the applicant failed to submit the required additional information.
I applied online and have to submit additional
information. How long do I have to submit the extra information?
You have 21 calendar days after the date you submit your online application
to file with the Racing Commission all the necessary additional information,
such as fingerprints or a signed addendum form. To determine whether you need
to submit a signed addendum form, read the eligibility
requirements. Click here to view the online addendum
form.
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What happens if I do not submit all the necessary
information before 21 calendar days?
Your license will not be issued. More importantly, your money will not
be refunded. You will have to re-submit your application, either
online, by mail, or in person, and pay a new license fee.
Do I need a supervisor or employer signature to
complete the online application process?
Certain license types are required to have employer signature. Click here
to see a list of license types and the signatures that are required for a
new license.
I need another person to sign an addendum form
before my online application is processed. What do I do next?
Print out an addendum form, have
the other person sign the form in the appropriate
section, and file the form at a Racing Commission
office within 21 days after you submitted your online application.
Will my printed payment receipt allow me to work
at the track or have access to the stable or kennel area?
No. To work on the racetrack grounds or have access to the restricted areas
at the racetrack, you must obtain a new Racing Commission badge at a licensing
office.
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Can I apply online for a license for one
of my employees?
Yes, but you must have all the necessary information. And remember, the
information you submit online must be accurate and truthful. Submitting false
information on an online application is the same as submitting false information
on a paper application - it can subject you or your employee to disciplinary
action by the stewards or racing judges, or even criminal penalties.
I own a race animal. If I submit my online application
today, how soon can I race my animal?
You should wait at least 72 hours after your submit your online application before racing your horse or greyhound. Although we try to process all online applications within 24 hours, there may be times when that is not possible. If your application is not processed before your horse or greyhound is scheduled to race, you will not be licensed before the race and you may
be subject to disciplinary action by the stewards or racing judges.
My trainer got an emergency license for me at the
track. Can I submit my application online?
No. You must contact a Racing Commission office
for assistance.
Do I need to be an owner of a horse or greyhound
before I can get licensed as an owner?
Yes.
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I'm a trainer. Can I apply online for a
license for one of my owners as well as my own license?
Yes, but you must complete the licensing process once for each different
license. Also, you must have all the necessary information on the
owner and the information you submit online must be accurate and truthful.
Submitting false information on an online application is the same as submitting
false information on a paper application - it can subject you or the owner
to disciplinary action by the stewards or racing judges, or even criminal
penalties.
I am licensed by the National Racing Compact. Can
I apply for a Racing Commission license online?
Due to the relationship between the Compact licensing process and our licensing
process, you cannot apply for a Racing Commission license online.
Contact a Racing Commission office for assistance.
I made a mistake completing the online application.
What do I do now?
Before you enter the payment information, you will be permitted to confirm and edit the information you entered in the application. To change any information, however, the portal will take you back to the specified spot in the application. To continue, you will have to page through the entire application again. Therefore, to save time, you are encouraged to review the data in each section of the application for accuracy before you continue.
If you realize you made a mistake after
you hit the final "submit" button, to make changes you must contact
the Commission immediately. Send an e-mail to onlinelicensing@txrc.state.tx.us,
identify the information that was incorrect, and provide the correct information.
If the application has not yet been processed, every effort will be made to
incorporate your changes into the application. If the application has already
been processed, however, no changes may be made to the application and you
may be subject to disciplinary action if the information in the application
is materially false.
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After I submitted an online application, I decided
I don't really want a license. Can I receive a refund?
No. The license fee is not refundable.
I applied for the wrong license. What do I do now?
Unfortunately, license fees are not refundable. If the license you wanted
is incompatible with the license for which you applied (such as a jockey and
an owner), you will need to contact a Racing Commission
office to abandon the license you don't want and apply for the license you
do want. If the two licenses are compatible, you may apply for the license you
want by any available licensing method - online, in person, or by mail. For
more information, contact a Racing Commission office.
Who do I contact if I have technical difficulties
applying online?
Technical support for the online renewal process is available seven days
a week, 24 hours a day through the Texas Online Helpdesk at 1-877-452-9060
or by e-mail at webhelp@texasonlinehelp.com.
More Questions?
See our FAQ's for Online Licensing for Businesses and General
Licensing FAQ's.
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