Oregon is one of the more straightforward states to understand, because one agency sets the rules for everyone. There is no patchwork of city licenses to track: a journeyman card earned in Pendleton is the same card a Portland electrician carries. Instead, Oregon asks for structure. You learn the trade inside a registered apprenticeship, you carry a license from your first day on the job, and the hours you log are counted against specific categories of work.

This guide walks through each step, from the apprentice minimums to the supervising license, with a link to the statute, rule, or agency page behind every requirement. It also covers the 17 registered inside-electrician apprenticeship programs, which cities and counties issue permits, how reciprocity works, and what the upcoming code change means for anyone testing this fall.

Who licenses electricians in Oregon?

Three state bodies are involved, and it helps to know what each one does before you start. The licensing law itself is the Electrical Safety Law, ORS 479.510 to 479.945, and the detailed requirements for each license live in OAR chapter 918, division 282.

• Building Codes Division (BCD). Part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, BCD issues individual electrical licenses, runs the licensing exams, tracks continuing education, and enforces the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code. Its electrical license page is where the application starts.
• Electrical and Elevator Board. The board prepares the licensing exams and sets many of the equivalency standards the division applies. Under ORS 479.630, much of the experience requirement is set “as determined by the board by rule,” which is why the rule, not the statute, contains the hour counts.
• Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). BOLI registers apprenticeship programs through its Apprenticeship and Training Division and issues electrical apprentice licenses under OAR 918-282-0270.
• Construction Contractors Board (CCB). The CCB licenses construction businesses. An electrical contracting company needs a CCB license and a BCD electrical contractor license.

Any license can be checked with BCD’s license holder search, which is also how employers and inspectors confirm that the person doing the work is licensed for it.

Oregon electrical license types

Oregon issues a long list of individual electrical licenses. Most people follow the general path, apprentice to general journeyman to general supervising electrician, but the limited licenses are real careers in their own right. BCD’s application instructions (Form 440-2570I) summarize the scope and requirements of each:

• General supervising electrician (S). The top individual license. Under OAR 918-282-0140, the supervising electrician signs permits, is the only person authorized to direct the installation or alteration of an electrical service, and must be on the payroll of the contractor they supervise for.
• General journeyman electrician (J). Authorized to make any electrical installation, working under the supervision of a general supervising electrician.
• Limited residential electrician (LR). Electrical work on one- and two-family and multifamily dwellings no more than three floors above grade, under a general supervising electrician.
• Limited supervising electrician (PS) and limited journeyman manufacturing plant electrician (PJ). Work inside an existing, operating industrial or manufacturing plant owned or used by the employer.
• Limited maintenance electrician (LME) and limited building maintenance electrician (BME). Maintenance, repair, and replacement in plants and commercial or government buildings, with no new installations and, for the LME, no work on services.
• Limited energy technician, Class A (LEA) and Class B (LEB). Low-voltage systems. Class A covers all limited energy systems, including fire alarm and other protective signaling; Class B excludes protective signaling.
• Limited renewable energy technician (LRT), limited journeyman sign electrician (SIG), limited journeyman stage electrician (ST), and limited elevator journeyman. Specialty licenses, each tied to its own apprenticeship or training standard.

The rest of this guide focuses on the general journeyman and supervising licenses, with the limited residential license covered as an alternative first step.

Getting started: Oregon apprentice requirements

In Oregon, an apprentice is a licensed worker, not just a trainee. OAR 918-282-0270 says an apprentice “shall be licensed,” and BOLI issues the license to people registered in a program recognized by the board and BOLI. For the general journeyman, Class A, and Class B tracks, the rule sets these minimums:

• Age: 17 years old to apply and 18 years old to be registered.
• Education: a high school diploma, GED, or international equivalency.
• Math: one year of high school algebra, Integrated Math 2, or the equivalent, with a grade of C or better, or equivalent community college math placement test results.

BOLI’s own inside electrician trade page repeats the same bar and gives examples of equivalents: one term of college algebra (Math 60 and 65, or Math 70) with a C or better. Individual programs can add their own steps, such as an aptitude test and interview, so read the application materials for the program you want.

Two apprentice rules are worth knowing before your first day:

• You work alongside a licensed electrician. Under the same rule, an apprentice may assist an appropriately licensed electrician on the same job site and the same shift.
• Final-period apprentices can earn more independence. An apprentice in an 8,000-hour program who has logged at least 6,500 hours of on-the-job training may qualify for an indirect supervision license, limited to projects of eight hours or less and 300 volts, at the supervisor’s discretion. BOLI and BCD must both sign off, as OAR 918-282-0270(5) describes.

Oregon electrical apprenticeship programs

BOLI lists 17 registered inside electrician apprenticeship committees on its inside electrician trade page, which is the complete, current registry. They fall into three groups: union programs run jointly by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), open-shop programs, and smaller regional committees. Program names differ from registry titles, but every route leads to the same state license.

Union (IBEW and NECA) programs

• NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center (Portland). The training center for the NECA and IBEW Local 48 apprenticeship, serving the Portland area.
• Central Electrical Training Center (Tangent). Serves the mid-Willamette Valley; its site lists IBEW Local 280 among its union links and posts the aptitude test and application details.
• Pacific Inside Electrical JATC (North Bend). The registered joint apprenticeship committee for the southern Oregon coast.
• Crater Lake Electrical Training Center (Central Point). A joint IBEW and NECA program whose jurisdiction covers most of Douglas County and all of Harney, Josephine, Jackson, Klamath, and Lake counties, plus Modoc and Siskiyou counties in California.

Open-shop and independent programs

• Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) of Oregon. Runs the Area II program (Salem and the Willamette Valley, inside electrical and limited residential), the Area IV program (Roseburg), and the Area VII program (Bend), with a training center in Salem. It also runs the Area I limited energy technician program for the Portland metro area.
• Area 1 Inside Electrical JATC (Portland). An inside electrical apprenticeship whose related classroom training is delivered through the Northwest Institute of Electrical Technology. It posts application windows on its site, so check the dates before you plan around them.
• Area III Inside Electrical JATC (Springfield). BOLI lists the Mid-Oregon IEC site for this Lane County-area program.
• Area IV Independent TAC (Springfield) and North Coast Mechanical and Electrical Trades JATC (Springfield). Both are registered with BOLI; their listings carry the program standards and contact details.

Regional programs and community college partners

• Area V Inside Electrical JATC (White City), which serves the Rogue Valley.
• Area VI Inside Electrical JATC (Pendleton), linked by BOLI to Blue Mountain Community College’s apprenticeship program.
• Klamath Basin Inside Electrician JATC (Klamath Falls), linked to Klamath Community College’s apprenticeship-related training.
• Baker Technical Institute JATC (Baker City), Ontario JATC (listed in Fruitland, Idaho, on the Oregon border), and Columbia Gorge JATC. Smaller committees for eastern Oregon and the Gorge.

The apprenticeship is where you learn the trade and log your hours; the license is what lets you work alone. If you are not sure which program covers your area, start with BOLI’s apprenticeship office and the program listings above.

Experience hours for the general journeyman license

The statute, ORS 479.630(4), requires at least four years of general experience as an apprentice or its equivalent, including at least 1,000 hours of wiring on single- or multifamily dwellings. The board’s rule turns that into specific numbers. Under OAR 918-282-0170, total electrical work experience must be at least 8,000 hours, with these minimums:

• Stock room and material handling: 100 hours
• Residential wiring: 1,000 hours
• Commercial installations: 1,000 hours
• Industrial installations: 1,000 hours
• Intercommunication, signal, and control systems: 500 hours
• Underground construction: 100 hours
• Troubleshooting and maintenance: 250 hours
• Finishing and fixture hanging: 50 hours

Those minimums add up to 4,000 hours; the remaining 4,000 can come from any category, up to a cap. Three counting rules shape how quickly hours add up:

• The 300 percent rule. No more than three times a category’s minimum counts toward the total. With a 1,000-hour residential minimum, the most residential work that can count is 3,000 hours. BCD’s application instructions give that exact example.
• A 2,000-hour yearly cap. Under OAR 918-030-0030, the division will consider no more than 2,000 hours of experience per year. That is why the journeyman license takes about four years, no matter how much overtime you work.
• Only lawful experience counts. The same rule accepts only lawful work experience, and the application states that self-verification of hours will not be accepted. Each employer completes an Electrical Experience Verification form (440-2570A).

Classroom training runs alongside the work. The rule lists the related training subjects, including electrical math, safety, blueprint reading, electrical theory, wiring methods, calculations, motors and transformers, and electronics, with a grade of C or better required in graded classes. For a look at how Oregon’s four years compares with other states’ timelines, see our guide to how long it takes to become an electrician.

Coming from another state

The equivalent-experience routes in BCD’s instructions are written for experience obtained outside Oregon. A general journeyman applicant can qualify with official transcripts showing 576 hours of classroom training plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience, including at least 1,000 hours each of residential, commercial, and industrial work. Without the classroom transcripts, the requirement doubles to 16,000 hours, with at least 2,000 hours in each of those three categories. In Oregon, you earn experience as a licensed apprentice in a registered program.

The limited residential electrician route

The limited residential electrician license is a shorter first step for people who want to work on homes. Under OAR 918-282-0180, it requires at least 4,000 hours of experience, including 2,000 hours of new residential wiring and 500 hours of remodeling, plus related classroom training. BCD’s instructions describe the out-of-state equivalent as 288 classroom hours plus 4,000 hours of residential experience, or 8,000 hours without the classroom transcripts.

It is also a real path to the general license. ORS 479.630(4)(b)(B) lets a limited residential electrician qualify for general journeyman after working at least two years under the limited residential license and then completing two more years of apprentice-level experience in the commercial and industrial branches of the trade, under a licensed electrical contractor.

Applying for your license and taking the Oregon exam

Once your hours and classroom training are complete, you apply to BCD, get approved, and then schedule the exam. BCD’s electrical license page and exam page lay out the process:

1. Complete the application. Fill out the Electrical License Application (Form 440-2570), including the work history and the signed affidavit, and choose your exam location.
2. Attach your proof. Include proof of completing an Oregon-approved apprenticeship (or out-of-state transcripts and experience verification), proof of a high school diploma or GED, and a 2-inch by 2-inch passport-style photo.
3. Pay the fee. The fee is $100 for the general journeyman, general supervising, and limited residential licenses. ORS 479.840 sets the $100 three-year fee for journeyman and supervising licenses.
4. Wait for the letter of authorization. When the division approves your application, it mails a letter explaining how to schedule the exam and listing the testing materials you may bring.
5. Take the exam within 60 days. You must take the exam within 60 days of the date on the letter, at the location you chose.

A few details that trip people up, all from the exam page and OAR 918-030:

• Passing score: 75 percent or better on every BCD licensing exam.
• Locations: The application lists ten exam sites: Bend, Eugene, Hermiston, Klamath Falls, Ontario, Pendleton, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, and White City. Changing locations after you receive your letter means paying the license fee again.
• Reference materials: check the division’s approved testing materials list before exam day, since only the listed materials are allowed in.
• Results: the location sends your exam to the division for grading, and results arrive by mail within about two weeks. They are not given over the phone.
• Retakes: You can reapply after a failed exam, but you can’t schedule a retake sooner than 30 days after the failed attempt.

The exam is built on the electrical code Oregon enforces, so the more comfortable you are finding your way around the code book, the better. Our free NEC practice test is one way to build that speed before test day.

Which electrical code does Oregon use?

Oregon adopts the National Electrical Code (NEC) with state amendments and calls the result the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code (OESC). According to BCD’s electrical code program page, the 2023 OESC has been in effect since October 1, 2023, based on the 2023 NEC. The adopting rule, OAR 918-305-0100, still names the 2023 edition.

A new edition is on the way. BCD’s code adoption page says the Electrical and Elevator Board has begun adopting a 2026 OESC based on the 2026 NEC, with an anticipated adoption date of October 1, 2026. Until the rule changes, the 2023 OESC is the code in force.

• If you are testing soon: the approved materials list and your letter of authorization tell you which code edition to bring.
• If you are already licensed: expect code-change continuing education courses for the new edition once it takes effect.

City and county permits: who you deal with locally

Oregon cities and counties do not license electricians. They issue electrical permits and inspect work. Under ORS 479.855, a city or county that wants to run its own electrical inspection program must first be authorized by the state. If a local program exists, you pull permits and schedule inspections there; if not, the state handles it. BCD’s Local Building Department Directory shows who covers any address.

Portland

Portland Permitting and Development handles electrical permits for the city, and its trade permits page lists the common projects that need one. For commercial work, the commercial electrical permits page says only a licensed contractor can buy a commercial electrical permit, and plan review generally takes about ten business days. On the residential side, the city issues permits within 24 hours after payment, and a homeowner may do electrical work only in a home they own and live in. Contractors doing electrical work need both a CCB license and a BCD license.

Salem, Eugene, and the Willamette Valley

• Salem: the city’s Building and Safety program issues electrical permits; forms are on its building permit applications page.
• Eugene: electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits go through the city’s eBuild system, described on its trade permits page.

Portland suburbs

• Gresham: the city’s building permits and inspections program covers electrical permits and inspections.
• Hillsboro: the city’s building permits page lists the electrical permit and when one is required.

Central and southern Oregon

• Bend: the city’s Building Safety Division issues permits and performs inspections.
• Medford: the Building Safety department provides permitting, plan review, and inspection services.

Where the state is the building department

In some places, BCD issues permits directly. According to its permit services page, the division provides building department services for Curry, Grant, Morrow, and Umatilla counties. Its temporary services page adds Sherman County, Wheeler County, and the City of Pendleton, served from the Pendleton field office.

Licensed contractors also have a statewide shortcut for small jobs. BCD’s minor label program sells electrical minor labels in lots of 10 for $140, including surcharges. Each label covers one inspection, is valid for one year, and can be used anywhere in Oregon for qualifying minor installations and repairs.

Oregon electrician reciprocity

Oregon has reciprocal licensing agreements for two licenses, listed on BCD’s reciprocal licenses page. A reciprocal license lets you get the Oregon license without taking the Oregon exam.

• General journeyman electrician: Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
• General supervising electrician: Arkansas and Utah.

BCD says journeyman reciprocity applicants must have qualified for their home-state exam through four years of apprenticeship education (at least 576 classroom hours) and four years (8,000 hours) in the trade under a licensed journeyman. Washington applicants must have completed an apprenticeship in Oregon or Washington and passed Washington’s licensing exam. The general conditions, set by OAR 918-030-0045, are that you:

• Hold a current, active license from the reciprocal state with no violations or conditions in the past three years.
• Earned that license through required work experience and an exam passed with the required score.
• Have worked at least six months (1,000 hours) under that license.
• Have not taken and failed the Oregon exam for the same license in the past two years.

License renewal and continuing education

Oregon electrical licenses run on a three-year cycle, and you renew by completing your continuing education and paying the renewal fee on or before the expiration date. The requirements are in OAR 918-030-0120 and 918-030-0125, and BCD tracks them on its electrical continuing education page:

• General journeyman electrician: 24 hours every three years, including 8 hours of code change, plus a 4-hour Oregon rule and law course.
• General supervising electrician: 24 hours every three years, including 12 hours of code change, plus the 4-hour Oregon rule and law course.
• Limited residential electrician: 16 hours every three years, including 8 hours of code change, plus the 4-hour Oregon rule and law course.

Two rules help new and lapsed licensees:

• New licensees get a reduced first cycle. Under OAR 918-030-0150, no continuing education is due if you were licensed within six months of the expiration date, and new licensees do not need a code-change course for that first renewal.
• You can restore a lapsed license within a year. Under OAR 918-030-0230, you can reapply, pay the renewal fee, and finish any overdue continuing education within one year of expiration. After that, you must apply again and pass the exam. See BCD’s license renewal page for the renewal steps.

Becoming a supervising electrician and an electrical contractor

The general supervising electrician license lets you run jobs and sign permits. ORS 479.630(2) requires at least four years of experience as a general journeyman or its equivalent, and OAR 918-282-0140 sets the numbers: a licensed journeyman documents 8,000 hours of experience as a journeyman. Applicants who are not yet licensed journeymen must show 8,000 hours of journeyman-qualifying experience plus another 8,000 hours equivalent to journeyman work. You then pass the supervising exam.

An electrical contracting business is licensed separately, and in two places:

• A BCD electrical contractor license. Under OAR 918-282-0010, an electrical contractor must continuously employ at least one full-time general supervising electrician, who acts as the signing supervisor for its permits. The application and signing-supervisor options are on BCD’s contractor license page, using the Contractor/Business License Application.
• A Construction Contractors Board license. The CCB requires a Responsible Managing Individual to complete 16 hours of pre-license training and pass an exam, and the business must file a surety bond and proof of general liability insurance for its endorsement type.

BCD’s guidance for consumers on hiring licensed contractors states the rule plainly: for electrical work, a contractor needs a CCB license and the appropriate BCD electrical contractor license.

How much do electricians make in Oregon?

Oregon electricians earn well above the national figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ state Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (select Oregon) show these figures for electricians as of May 2025:

• Median annual wage: $101,310 ($48.71 an hour).
• Mean annual wage: $99,750 ($47.96 an hour).
• Lowest-paid 10 percent: $59,550 or less.
• Highest-paid 10 percent: $131,530 or more.
• Employment: about 10,590 electricians statewide.

For comparison, the national median for electricians was $63,190 in May 2025, with the top 10 percent earning more than $108,510, according to BLS national data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9 percent employment growth for electricians nationally from 2024 to 2034.

Apprentices earn less than these figures while they train, and pay rises as they progress through the program. Each program publishes its own wage scale, so ask for it when you apply.

Oregon electrician licensing at a glance

The three licenses most people pursue, side by side. All three are issued by the Building Codes Division.

License	Experience required	Classroom (out-of-state route)	CE every 3 years	Fee	Where to apply
General journeyman (J)	8,000 hours, with category minimums	576 hours	24 hours (8 code change) + 4-hour rule and law	$100	BCD electrical license
General supervising (S)	8,000 hours as a journeyman	Not applicable	24 hours (12 code change) + 4-hour rule and law	$100	Form 440-2570
Limited residential (LR)	4,000 hours, residential	288 hours	16 hours (8 code change) + 4-hour rule and law	$100	BCD instructions
Apprentice	Enrolled in a registered program	Program classes	None	Set by BOLI	BOLI programs

Step-by-step checklist: becoming an electrician in Oregon

The whole path in order, from first application to running your own jobs. Keep BCD’s application instructions handy as you go.

1. Meet the apprentice minimums. Finish high school or a GED and pass a year of algebra with a C or better.
2. Choose and apply to a registered program. Compare the committees on BOLI’s inside electrician list and apply during the open window. You must be 18 to be registered.
3. Get your apprentice license. BOLI issues it once you are registered; you need it before you do electrical work.
4. Log 8,000 hours across the required categories. Watch the category minimums, the 300 percent cap, and the 2,000-hour yearly limit.
5. Complete your classroom training. Keep transcripts; graded classes need a C or better.
6. Apply for the general journeyman license. Submit Form 440-2570 with proof of apprenticeship completion, your diploma or GED, a photo, and the $100 fee.
7. Pass the exam within 60 days of your authorization letter. You need 75 percent.
8. Renew every three years. Complete 24 hours of continuing education, including code change and the Oregon rule and law course.
9. Go further if you want to. After 8,000 hours as a journeyman, apply for the general supervising license; to run a business, add the BCD electrical contractor and CCB licenses.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

Becoming an electrician in Oregon comes down to a clear sequence: join a registered apprenticeship, hold your apprentice license from day one, log 8,000 hours across the required categories, and pass the state exam with 75 percent. Because the state issues every license and no city adds its own, the path is the same whether you train in Portland or Pendleton. And the pay at the end is well above the national median for the trade. For the current forms and any rule changes, start with the Building Codes Division’s electrical licensing page. Godspeed!

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Licensing requirements, fees, and code editions change, and they can differ by license type and program. Confirm current requirements with the Oregon Building Codes Division, the Bureau of Labor and Industries, and your apprenticeship program before making decisions about training or employment.