StateLicensed

Electrician License Requirements in Oregon

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
8000 hrs
Upfront cost
$200
Exam
General Journeyman Electrician Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 3 years
Issuing board
Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), Department of Consumer and Business Services

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Meet the eligibility requirements set by the issuing board. Required documentation includes a completed application, a copy of a high school diploma/GED or equivalent, apprenticeship completion proof (if applicable), experience-qualification documents, and a photo; a Social Security number is required under ORS 25.785 for tax-administration and child-support purposes, not as a criminal background check. No explicit minimum-age requirement or criminal-history background check was found on BCD's official license-detail or application pages for this license. [2]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 8000 hours of training. Three qualifying paths: (1) completion of an approved apprenticeship program in Oregon; or (2) official transcripts verifying 576 hours of classroom training plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience obtained outside Oregon, with a minimum of 1,000 hours in each of residential, commercial, and industrial work; or (3) 16,000 hours of on-the-job experience outside Oregon (no classroom hours) with a minimum of 2,000 hours in each of the three categories. 'hours' above reflects the 8,000-hour path (with classroom training); approvedProgramRequired is false because the classroom-hours path is not required if the applicant instead documents the higher 16,000-hour OJT-only path. Oregon's SOS License Directory returns 404 to HTTP HEAD requests but 200 to GET (ASP.NET quirk) — automated HEAD-based link checks false-positive on this URL. [1]

  3. 3

    General Journeyman Electrician Examination

    Pass the General Journeyman Electrician Examination. 52 questions, 3 hours, open book. After the application is approved, BCD mails a letter of authorization explaining how to schedule the exam at one of several Oregon test locations (Bend, Eugene, Hermiston, Klamath Falls, Ontario, Pendleton, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, White City). No separate exam fee beyond the $100 license application fee was found on BCD's official pages, so fee is left null rather than assumed to be $0. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), Department of Consumer and Business Services with the $100 application fee. [1]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), Department of Consumer and Business Services issues your General Journeyman Electrician (J) for Oregon.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] $100
License fee [1] $100
Renewal fee [1] $100
General Journeyman Electrician Examination [2] None specified
Duplicate license fee [1] $10

The license fee (which functions as the application fee) is a flat $100 with no listed exemptions, and the renewal fee is also $100 per the official License Directory entry. No separate examination fee is published. Oregon's SOS License Directory returns 404 to HTTP HEAD requests but 200 to GET (ASP.NET quirk) — automated HEAD-based link checks false-positive on this URL.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 3 years. 24 continuing education hours required per cycle.

License renews every 3 years on October 1, with a renewal notice mailed about 6 weeks before expiration. 24 total continuing-education hours are required per cycle (see oregon.gov/BCD/ce/Pages/electrical.aspx for the specific course breakdown). Oregon's SOS License Directory returns 404 to HTTP HEAD requests but 200 to GET (ASP.NET quirk) — automated HEAD-based link checks false-positive on this URL.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

BCD accepts a reciprocal license only from a state where the applicant actually tested (bilateral agreements, not a compact-commission compact, so compacts is left []). For the General Journeyman Electrician (J) license, Oregon has reciprocity agreements with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Reciprocity applicants must have qualified for their home-state journeyman certificate/license via 4 years (576 classroom hours minimum) of apprenticeship vocational education plus 4 years (8,000 hours) of supervised trade experience. Washington applicants specifically must have completed their apprenticeship in Oregon or Washington and passed the Washington licensing exam.

1 state-approved training provider in Oregon — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $100
  • $100
Total$200

Frequently asked questions

What are the paths to becoming a General Journeyman Electrician in Oregon?

Complete an approved Oregon apprenticeship program; or document 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 hours of out-of-state OJT experience (at least 1,000 hours each in residential, commercial, and industrial work); or document 16,000 hours of out-of-state OJT experience alone (at least 2,000 hours in each category).

What does the journeyman exam look like?

52 questions over 3 hours, open book, using approved exam reference materials that BCD provides after your application is approved.

How much does the license cost?

The license/application fee is a flat $100, and renewal is also $100 every 3 years.

How often must the license be renewed, and is continuing education required?

Every 3 years on October 1, with 24 total hours of continuing education required per renewal cycle.

Does Oregon have reciprocity with other states?

Yes, for the General Journeyman Electrician license, with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, provided the applicant tested and qualified through an equivalent 4-year apprenticeship (576 classroom hours) plus 4 years/8,000 hours of supervised experience in the reciprocating state.

Sources

  1. [1] apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/626 — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/pages/electrical-apply.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/reciprocal.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11