- General supervising electrician: an Oregon journeyman license (or its qualifications) plus 8,000 more hours of journeyman experience. Journeyman: an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or out of state 576 classroom hours and 8,000 hours, or 16,000 hours of work experience.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Licenses run on set cycles. All C licenses next renew July 1, 2029, S licenses Oct. 1, 2028 and J licenses Oct. 1, 2027. Many licenses need continuing education to renew.
Do you need a state license in Oregon?
Oregon licenses electrical work at the state level through the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), with a Construction Contractors Board license. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Oregon license types for electrical work
Oregon splits the work into 4 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Electrical Contractor (C) | Lets a company engage in the business of making electrical installations |
| General Supervising Electrician (S) | Designs and lays out work, signs permits, and is the only person who can direct electrical service installations |
| General Journeyman Electrician (J) | Makes electrical installations under a general supervising electrician |
| Limited Residential Electrician (LR) | Installations on dwellings up to three floors above grade, under a supervising electrician |
Steps to get licensed in Oregon
- Complete an Oregon electrical apprenticeship or document equivalent hours.
- Pass the journeyman exam, then add 8,000 hours and pass the supervising electrician exam.
- Get a Construction Contractors Board license for the business.
- Apply to the Building Codes Division for the Electrical Contractor license and designate a signing supervisor.
- Renew on the license cycle and keep up continuing education.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. General supervising electrician: an Oregon journeyman license (or its qualifications) plus 8,000 more hours of journeyman experience. Journeyman: an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or out of state 576 classroom hours and 8,000 hours, or 16,000 hours of work experience.
The license to apply for. Electrical Contractor (C) license.
Oregon electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. Supervising electrician: 4 hour, 64 question open book exam. Journeyman: 3 hour, 52 question open book exam. Passing is 75 percent.
Business and law exam. No separate BCD business exam found. The CCB license that most applicants need has its own training and exam.
What it costs in Oregon
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), with a Construction Contractors Board license.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Licenses run on set cycles. All C licenses next renew July 1, 2029, S licenses Oct. 1, 2028 and J licenses Oct. 1, 2027. Many licenses need continuing education to renew.
Reciprocity. General supervising electrician reciprocity with Arkansas and Utah. Journeyman reciprocity with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Good to know in Oregon
- The contractor must name a qualified signing supervisor.
- BCD contractor licenses generally require an active Construction Contractors Board license.
- Limited licenses exist for limited energy, renewable energy, HVAC restricted energy and pump installation work.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for an electrician near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), with a Construction Contractors Board license and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how electrical contractors run on Koira.