Mold Testing Labs in Texas: Licenses and Accreditation

Texas rules define the lab's job as analyzing samples to determine the presence, identity, or amount of mold present. The EPA's mold course lists air samples, surface samples, bulk samples and water samples as sample types, and AIHA's EMLAP covers microorganisms found in air, surface, and bulk samples. For a home, that usually means:

• Air samples, such as spore trap cassettes, where the lab identifies and counts spores
• Surface samples, such as tape lifts and swabs
• Bulk samples, meaning a piece of the material itself
• Dust samples, including DNA-based tests like ERMI, where researchers analyze the DNA from mold found in dust samples (see ERMI vs air sampling)

The EPA's mold course says samples should be analyzed according to the analytical methods recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

Texas licenses mold labs directly. TDLR's mold program lists Mold Analysis Laboratory as its own license type, next to assessment and remediation licenses. TDLR's consumer sheet says laboratories that analyze mold samples must also be licensed and meet certain qualifications.

What a Texas mold lab license requires

The requirements are in 16 TAC § 78.62 and on TDLR's application page.

Requirements for a Texas Mold Analysis Laboratory license

The accreditation options

Under § 78.62(c), a lab qualifies by documenting one of these:

Ways a lab can qualify for a Texas mold lab license

That means a Texas-licensed lab is not necessarily AIHA-accredited. If accreditation matters to you, ask which route the lab used, or check the AIHA directory (below).

Ongoing duties

A licensed lab must:

• Provide the department-issued license number of the laboratory on its analysis reports
• Provide to a client, as applicable, details of analysis methods used
• Ensure that all individuals who will conduct mold analysis are properly trained
• Keep its accreditation or certification. If it loses it, the lab must tell TDLR in writing within 30 calendar days and cease providing services until it's back in compliance.

AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs (AIHA LAP) runs EMLAP. AIHA describes EMLAP as a program intended for accreditation of microbiological laboratories specializing in the analysis of microorganisms found in air, surface and bulk samples. Key points:

• It's labeled as ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation, the international standard for testing labs.
• Participation in an AIHA LAP approved Proficiency Testing program is required. In plain terms, the lab has to analyze test samples from an approved provider to show it gets the right answer.
• AIHA's lab directory is searchable by a number of options, including Lab Name, Program and Location, and by field of testing.

Accreditation applies to specific methods, not to everything a lab does. AIHA itself advises: always contact the laboratory to verify exact procedures and ensure suitability to your needs. If your test is a spore trap, check that spore trap analysis is in the lab's accredited scope.

If you hire a licensed mold testing company, the lab step is regulated too:

• Licensed labs only. Samples taken during an assessment must be analyzed by a laboratory licensed under §78.62. TDLR's FAQ says the assessor must send the samples to a licensed lab for analysis, and technicians must utilize the services of a laboratory that is licensed by the department.
• Accepted methods and chain of custody. Sampling must be performed according to nationally accepted methods, and proper chain of custody procedures must be used. Chain of custody is the paper trail showing who handled each sample from your house to the lab bench.
• Interpretation is the assessor's job. The lab reports what it found; the licensed consultant decides what it means. TDLR says sample results cannot be interpreted without physical inspection of the contaminated area and the building's history.
• Clearance criteria are set up front. Before cleanup starts, you and the consultant should agree on what will be acceptable results for any air sampling or surface sampling at clearance. See mold clearance testing.

Remember the Texas conflict-of-interest rule as well: a license holder may not perform both mold assessment and mold remediation on the same project. The testing company sends samples to the lab; the removal company is a separate firm.

Yes. TDLR says a homeowner can take samples for mold or clean it up in the home without a license.

Many DIY kits include lab analysis. Bob Vila's 2026 kit review found lab fees ranging from included in the kit price to $39 per lab test, including a required outdoor control sample for one air kit. Before you buy a kit, check whether the lab it uses holds a Texas Mold Analysis Laboratory license or AIHA EMLAP accreditation.

The harder part is reading the result. The EPA warns that for someone without experience, sampling results will be difficult to interpret, and there are no national or state standards for a "safe" level of mold. A lab report that finds mold spores in your air isn't news; spores are always present. Our mold test kits and how to test for mold guides go into what kits can and can't tell you.

We found no Texas-specific source on lab turnaround or pricing, so these are national figures from cost guides and kit reviews.

Mold lab turnaround and sample costs (national, sourced)

Turnaround varies by lab and method. Ask your testing company when you'll have results, especially if you're on a deadline like a home purchase option period (see mold inspection before buying a house). Our mold testing cost guide covers the full inspection bill.

1. Find the license number on the report. Licensed labs must print it on their analysis reports.
2. Look it up with TDLR. TDLR's license search includes Mold Analysis Laboratory as a license type, searchable by name, license number, city or county. Our license check tool and how to check a Texas mold license guide walk through it.
3. Check accreditation if it matters to you. Search the AIHA accredited lab directory for EMLAP and confirm the method you need is in scope.
4. Ask for the method. The lab must give clients details of analysis methods used when applicable.
5. Check discipline history. TDLR's mold program links to a disciplinary actions search.

If anything doesn't match, ask your assessor. A licensed consultant should be able to tell you exactly which lab ran your samples and why.

You don't need to pick a lab yourself if you hire a licensed testing company; they'll choose one and should name it on your report. Find TDLR-licensed mold testing companies in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth and other cities on our Texas page. We check every listed company against TDLR records; see how we verify.