Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Oregon's official board.
Statewide individual electrician licensing administered by BCD; separate individual vs. contractor licenses.
| Requirements | Application steps in order, from BCD's Electrical License Application Instructions (form 440-2570I): (1) check the scope and qualifications for the license type; (2) complete the Electrical License Application, form 440-2570, with the affidavit signed and dated; (3) attach an Electrical License Experience Verification, form 440-2570A, from each employer - the verifier must be a current or previous employer, or the supervisor, or failing both a co-worker directly involved, and must name the specific work categories, list the hours in each and describe the duties; (4) attach proof of an Oregon-approved apprenticeship or of an out-of-state apprenticeship Oregon recognises, or official transcripts of classroom training; (5) attach proof of a high school diploma, GED or equivalent (a college degree substitutes); (6) attach a 2-inch by 2-inch passport-style photograph with the name on the back; (7) pay the fee; (8) mail the whole packet to DCBS Fiscal Services, PO Box 14610, Salem OR 97309-0445. BCD then mails a letter of authorization naming the test site, and the applicant schedules the examination; the examination must be taken within 60 days of the letter, and changing the test location after authorization means paying the license fee again. Allow two weeks for grading; the license and photo ID card are mailed on a pass. Two general rules govern the hours. Applicants without the related training classes may instead submit twice the required work experience (OAR 918-030-0030(2)). And a '300 percent rule' caps any single work category at three times its minimum - if 1,000 hours of residential work is the minimum, at most 3,000 residential hours will be credited. Hours by license type: General Journeyman Electrician (J) - an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or official transcripts for 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 on-the-job hours obtained outside Oregon broken down with at least 1,000 hours each in residential, commercial and industrial, or 16,000 on-the-job hours outside Oregon with at least 2,000 in each of those three categories. General Supervising Electrician (S) - currently licensed as, or qualified to be licensed as, an Oregon journeyman electrician, plus verification of a further 8,000 hours of on-the-job journeyman experience (300 percent rule applies). Limited Residential Electrician (LR) - an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or 288 classroom hours plus 4,000 on-the-job residential hours, or 8,000 on-the-job residential hours obtained outside Oregon. Limited Maintenance Electrician (LME) - an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or 288 classroom hours plus 4,000 on-the-job hours, or 8,000 on-the-job hours obtained outside Oregon; the LME may repair and maintain existing installations in an operable plant, commercial building or institution but may not make new installations or work on services. Limited Building Maintenance Electrician (BME) - an approved one-year Oregon training program, or 2,000 hours of on-the-job training in maintaining, repairing and replacing appliances, switches, fixtures, fans, receptacles and fluorescent ballasts, in systems not exceeding 300 volts to ground. Limited Journeyman Manufacturing Plant Electrician (PJ) - 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 on-the-job hours, or 16,000 on-the-job commercial hours. Limited Energy Technician Class A (LEA) - an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or 432 classroom hours plus 6,000 on-the-job hours, or 12,000 hours obtained outside Oregon including trade-specific protective-signalling experience across fire alarm, nurse call, burglar alarm and other fire or life safety systems. Limited Energy Technician Class B (LEB) - an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or 4,000 hours plus a board-approved 32-hour training program (which may be taken after the application is approved), or 8,000 hours of lawfully obtained experience; see OAR 918-282-0365 for the minimum hours by category. Sign electrician - 4,000 on-the-job sign hours with training, or 8,000 on-the-job sign hours. Stage electrician - 150 hours of required classroom training plus 4,000 on-the-job hours, or 8,000 on-the-job stage hours. EXAMINATION. BCD sets one pass mark for every licensing examination it gives: 75 percent or better. A failed candidate must wait 30 days before retesting. All electrical examinations are OPEN BOOK, and the letter of authorization carries the list of approved materials that may be taken in. Length by license: General Journeyman Electrician 52 questions in 3 hours; General Supervising Electrician 4 hours in two sections, 52 code questions plus 12 calculation questions; Limited Residential Electrician 52 questions in 3 hours; Limited Maintenance Electrician 28 questions in 2 hours. FEES. The individual electrical license fee is $100.00 for the General Journeyman (J), General Supervising (S), Limited Residential (LR) and other individual classes; a duplicate license is $10.00. |
| Reciprocity | Reciprocal license agreements exist for General Supervising Electrician and General Journeyman Electrician credentials held in other states. |
| Renewal | Every three years, on October 1, for the electrical license family. The renewal fee is $100.00 for the general journeyman and supervising licenses. BCD mails a renewal notice about six weeks before expiry, and online renewal opens within 45 days of expiry. Continuing education must be completed before the renewal is submitted: 24 hours per three-year cycle for the General Journeyman Electrician (J) and the General Supervising Electrician (S), and 16 hours for the Limited Residential Electrician (LR); the split by subject is published in BCD's electrical continuing education table. A license that has been expired more than one year cannot simply be renewed - the holder must retest. |
| Notes | Statewide individual electrician licensing administered by BCD; separate individual vs. contractor licenses. |
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Sources: www.oregon.gov, www.oregon.gov, www.oregon.gov, www.oregon.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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