Oregon Electrician License Lookup: Verify the Credential Before Work Starts
Use the Oregon electrical license lookup when you need to verify an electrician, supervising electrician, limited electrician or electrical contracting business. Start with the Oregon Building Codes Division License Holder Search, match the exact person or business, and confirm that the license classification fits the work being offered.
If you are hiring a company rather than checking only one electrician, verify the appropriate Building Codes Division electrical contractor license and the separate Oregon Construction Contractors Board registration. The business credential and the individual electrician credential answer different questions.
Quick Answer: How to Check an Oregon Electrician License
Open the Oregon Building Codes Division License Holder Search. Search by the license number when possible, or use the person’s name, business name, profession or location. Open the matching record and confirm the identity and electrical classification instead of relying only on a name match.
Oregon’s BCD search covers business contractor licenses, individual licenses and inspector certifications. For an electrical worker, make sure the result is the individual electrical credential you intended to verify. For an electrical contracting company, check the appropriate BCD contractor credential and the company’s CCB registration as well.
Checking an electrician
Verify the individual BCD credential, license number and classification. General Journeyman, General Supervising, Limited Residential and limited-energy licenses do not all authorize the same work.
Checking an electrical contractor
Verify the BCD electrical contractor license and then check the Oregon Construction Contractors Board record for the contracting business.
Another licensing board needs verification
Use BCD’s License Verification Request Form when another state requires formal verification of Oregon license status and testing scores.
Choose the Correct Oregon Electrical Credential Search
The phrase “Oregon electrician license lookup” can refer to an individual electrician, an electrical contracting company, continuing-education credits or formal interstate verification. Use the source that matches the task.
| What you need | Official route | What to confirm | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual electrician | BCD License Holder Search | Name, license number and electrical classification. | Checking only the employer’s business license. |
| Electrical contracting business | BCD License Holder Search | Correct electrical contractor license and business identity. | Assuming a CCB registration alone proves authority to perform electrical contracting. |
| Construction contractor registration | Oregon CCB License Search | Contractor registration and business identity. | Treating a BCD electrical license and a CCB registration as the same credential. |
| Continuing-education credits | BCD CE credit check | Reported hours and the required ORL, code-change and code-related categories. | Looking only at total hours. |
| Verification for another state | BCD Form 440-6065 | License status and testing-score verification. | Sending only a screenshot from the public search. |
Oregon Electrical License Lookup: Step-by-Step
Use this workflow before hiring an electrician, assigning regulated electrical work, accepting a subcontractor or relying on an old license card.
Collect the strongest identifier
Ask for the Oregon electrical license number and the person’s legal name. For a company, collect the exact business name and contractor information shown on the bid, contract or advertisement.
Open the official BCD License Holder Search
Start with the State of Oregon Building Codes Division search instead of a private directory, old certificate image or search-engine snippet.
Search by license number when possible
A license number normally gives you the cleanest match. If you do not have it, BCD also provides searches by individual name, business name, profession or location.
Match the electrical classification
Finding the correct name is only part of the verification. Confirm whether the credential is General Journeyman, General Supervising, Limited Residential, Limited Energy or another classification appropriate to the work.
Check the contracting business separately
When a company is bidding or contracting for the work, verify the applicable BCD contractor license and check the company’s CCB registration.
Keep dated verification information
For a hiring, onboarding or compliance file, record the source, date checked, legal name, license number, classification and relevant status information shown in the official record.
Common Oregon Electrical License Types
Oregon issues multiple individual electrical credentials. The correct question is not only “Is this person licensed?” but also “Does this license classification fit the work?”
| License | Code | Practical scope | Verification point |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Supervising Electrician | S | Designs, plans and lays out electrical work, signs permits and provides the required supervising authority. | Do not treat a journeyman credential as a supervising license. |
| General Journeyman Electrician | J | May perform general electrical installations under the applicable supervision requirements. | Check the individual’s J license, not only the business credential. |
| Limited Supervising Electrician | PS | Supervising authority is limited to the facilities and work covered by this classification. | Confirm that the actual project falls within the limited scope. |
| Limited Journeyman Manufacturing Plant Electrician | PJ | Electrical work in an existing operable manufacturing or industrial plant within the license limits. | Do not treat PJ as an unrestricted general journeyman credential. |
| Limited Residential Electrician | LR | Electrical installations in qualifying one- and two-family and multifamily dwellings not exceeding three floors above grade, under required supervision. | LR does not equal unrestricted commercial or industrial authority. |
| Limited Energy Technician Class A | LEA | Installs, alters and repairs limited-energy systems within the Class A scope. | Confirm LEA rather than assuming all low-voltage credentials are identical. |
| Limited Energy Technician Class B | LEB | Performs limited-energy electrical activity within the narrower Class B scope. | Check whether the proposed system falls inside the LEB limits. |
| Limited Maintenance Electrician | LME | Limited maintenance work within qualifying facilities and employment conditions. | Do not treat maintenance authority as unrestricted contracting authority. |
| Limited Journeyman Sign Electrician | SIG | Installs and services electrical signs and outline lighting within the classification. | Confirm the required contractor relationship for sign work. |
| Limited Journeyman Stage Electrician | ST | Temporary feeders, branch circuits and equipment used for productions, shows and similar events. | Stage authority is not general-building electrical authority. |
| Limited Building Maintenance Electrician | BME | Specific maintenance and replacement work in qualifying buildings and systems within statutory voltage limits. | Verify the facility and work fit the limited maintenance scope. |
| Limited Renewable Energy Technician | LRT | Limited renewable-energy electrical work within the classification’s authorized scope. | Check the exact license and project type rather than relying on a generic “solar electrician” description. |
Hiring an Oregon Electrical Contractor? Check BCD and CCB
Oregon’s official consumer guidance says electrical contractors are required to have the appropriate Building Codes Division electrical contractor license and a Construction Contractors Board license.
Electrical contractor authority
Use the BCD License Holder Search to confirm the electrical contracting business has the appropriate trade credential for the work being offered.
Construction contractor registration
Use Oregon’s separate CCB search to verify the company’s construction contractor record. A CCB registration and a BCD trade license serve different purposes.
Worker credential when required
If the job requires a licensed electrician or supervising electrician, verify the individual worker’s BCD credential separately from the business.
Compare the legal business name and the relevant license records before work begins. A valid business registration does not automatically prove that every individual worker holds the electrical license required for a specific task.
Oregon Electrician License Renewal
BCD’s renewal process begins with continuing-education credits and the license record itself. Do not wait for an old paper license or a mailed notice to tell you whether a credential is still usable.
Online renewal opens within 45 days
BCD states that division-issued licenses become eligible for online renewal within 45 days of the expiration date.
Keep the license record current
Renewal notices are mailed to the address BCD has on file. Update your address before the renewal period if it has changed.
Required credits must be registered
When continuing education applies, the required credits must appear in BCD’s system before the license can be renewed.
Expired-renewable is not active authority
BCD says a license that is not renewed by its expiration date falls into expired-renewable status and the holder is not eligible to work under that license until all renewal requirements are met.
More than one year expired
BCD requires retesting when a license has been expired for more than one year.
Many individual electrical licenses renew every 3 years
Current Oregon licensing-directory records for major individual classifications such as General Journeyman, General Supervising and Limited Residential use three-year renewal cycles tied to October 1.
Oregon’s current directory lists the Electrical Contractor (C) license on a three-year cycle tied to July 1. Check the actual license record rather than assuming every electrical credential expires on the same date.
Oregon Electrical Continuing Education Requirements
BCD separates electrical continuing education into Oregon rule and law, code change and code-related credits. A licensee can have enough total hours and still be short of the required code-change category.
| License | Oregon rule & law | Code change | Code related | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Supervising Electrician (S) | 4 | 12 | 8 | 24 hours |
| Limited Supervising Electrician (PS) | 4 | 12 | 8 | 24 hours |
| General Journeyman Electrician (J) | 4 | 8 | 12 | 24 hours |
| Limited Journeyman Manufacturing Plant (PJ) | 4 | 8 | 4 | 16 hours |
| Limited Residential Electrician (LR) | 4 | 8 | 4 | 16 hours |
| Limited Energy Technician Class A (LEA) | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 hours |
| Limited Energy Technician Class B (LEB) | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 hours |
| Limited Maintenance Electrician (LME) | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 hours |
| Limited Renewable Energy Technician (LRT) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 hours |
| Limited Journeyman Sign Electrician (SIG) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 hours |
BCD currently lists Limited Building Maintenance Electrician, Limited Elevator Journeyman Electrician, Limited Stage Electrician and Limited Maintenance Manufactured Structures Electrician as exempt from the electrical continuing-education requirement.
Approved course providers report credits to BCD. The general CE guidance says to contact the provider when credits have not appeared within two weeks of course completion.
Applying for an Oregon Electrical Individual License
Applicants generally submit the Electrical License Application and documented qualifications before BCD authorizes an examination. The exact work-experience and training requirements depend on the classification.
Prepare the required information
- Completed Electrical License Application.
- Complete work history for the selected classification.
- Signed applicant affidavit.
- Preferred examination location.
- Electrical Experience Verification form from each employer when required.
- Training, apprenticeship and transcript documentation applicable to the license.
- Required photograph and supporting education documents listed in the application instructions.
- Nonrefundable application fee for the selected classification.
Do not email the application packet
BCD tells electrical applicants to mail or fax completed application documents in a single packet. The division specifically warns applicants not to email documents containing personal information.
Work experience must be documented using BCD’s required employer-verification process. Use the official application instructions for the classification rather than assuming experience for one license automatically qualifies for another.
Choose the correct license classification
Review the scope and qualification requirements for the actual work you want to perform.
Submit the complete application packet
Include all required work-history, experience-verification, training, education, photo and payment information.
Receive BCD exam authorization
After BCD approves the application, the division mails a Letter of Authorization with examination-location information and approved testing materials.
Schedule the exam within the authorization period
BCD states that the examination must be taken within 60 days of the Letter of Authorization date.
Score at least 75 percent
Oregon requires a passing score of 75 percent or better for BCD licensing examinations.
Wait for mailed results
BCD does not provide exam results by telephone and advises applicants to allow up to two weeks for the result.
BCD states that an applicant who fails must wait 30 days after each failure before retaking a licensing examination.
Oregon Electrical License Application Fees
The current BCD Electrical License Application lists the following nonrefundable application fees. Recheck the live form immediately before payment because state fees can change.
| License type | Code | Application fee |
|---|---|---|
| General Supervising Electrician | S | $100 |
| General Journeyman Electrician | J | $100 |
| Limited Supervising Electrician | PS | $100 |
| Limited Journeyman Manufacturing Plant Electrician | PJ | $100 |
| Limited Energy Technician Class A | LEA | $50 |
| Limited Energy Technician Class B | LEB | $50 |
| Limited Maintenance Electrician | LME | $100 |
| Limited Residential Electrician | LR | $100 |
| Limited Journeyman Sign Electrician | SIG | $50 |
| Limited Journeyman Stage Electrician | ST | $50 |
| Limited Building Maintenance Electrician | BME | $50 |
| Limited Renewable Energy Technician | LRT | $50 |
Oregon’s current licensing directory lists the General Journeyman Electrician renewal fee as $100. For other credentials, confirm the amount in the current renewal notice or state system before paying.
Oregon Electrician License Reciprocity
Oregon reciprocity is limited to specific electrical classifications and specific states. Holding an out-of-state electrician license does not automatically authorize electrical work in Oregon.
J reciprocity states
Oregon currently lists General Journeyman Electrician reciprocity with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
BCD’s current reciprocity guidance also requires the applicant to meet the qualifying training, work-experience and examination conditions rather than relying only on possession of the source-state license.
S reciprocity states
Oregon currently lists General Supervising Electrician reciprocity with Arkansas and Utah.
Eligible reciprocal applicants use the reciprocal-license application route instead of taking the Oregon examination for that reciprocal credential.
Oregon states that Washington applicants must have completed an apprenticeship program in Oregon or Washington and passed the Washington licensing examination.
Oregon’s reciprocity guidance requires qualifying J applicants to have used four years of electrical apprenticeship vocational education with at least 576 classroom hours and at least four years, or 8,000 hours, in the electrical trade under direct supervision of a licensed journeyman electrician.
Formal Oregon License Verification for Another State
A public BCD lookup is useful for ordinary credential checks. Another licensing authority may instead require BCD to send or certify Oregon license-status and examination-score information.
Use Form 440-6065
BCD’s License Verification Request Form is specifically used to request verification of license status and testing scores.
No BCD verification fee
The January 2026 form states that BCD does not charge a fee for this verification service.
Email, fax or mail
The form lists bcd.verifications@dcbs.oregon.gov, fax 503-378-2322 and mail to BCD Attn: Verifications, P.O. Box 14470, Salem, OR 97309.
Oregon’s January 2026 verification form says to allow two weeks for completion, while the current BCD licensing FAQ and reciprocity page state a processing time of 4–6 weeks. Because the live guidance is longer, use the 4–6 week estimate for planning and confirm directly with BCD if another state has a hard deadline.
No Oregon Electrician License Result? Troubleshoot It in This Order
A missing record is a reason to investigate, but it does not automatically prove the person or business has never held a license.
| Problem | Possible reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No result by name | Spelling, legal-name variation or search formatting. | Try the exact license number or a simpler name search. |
| Several similar names | Common name or multiple credential holders. | Compare license number, profession and location instead of trusting the first result. |
| Business appears but worker does not | You found the contractor entity rather than the individual electrician. | Run a separate individual-name or individual-license-number search. |
| CCB record exists but no BCD electrical record | CCB contractor registration and BCD electrical licensing are separate. | Verify the correct BCD electrical business and individual credentials before electrical work starts. |
| Old license card is available | The credential may have expired or changed. | Use the number on the old card to find the live BCD record. |
| CE credits are missing | The approved provider has not yet reported the course or the submission needs correction. | Contact the course provider first, then BCD CE staff if the issue remains unresolved. |
For unresolved lookup or licensing questions, BCD lists 503-373-1268 and license.bcd@dcbs.oregon.gov for licensing assistance.
What if the Electrician or Contractor Appears Unlicensed?
Oregon separates trade-code complaints, permit issues and ordinary contractor disputes. Use the complaint route that matches the problem.
Unlicensed or unsafe trade work
BCD accepts complaints involving work without required licenses, allowing unlicensed individuals to perform regulated work, unsafe building conditions and knowingly deficient materials or equipment.
Permit-only problems
Oregon directs permit-only complaints to the local building department when the issue is simply failure to obtain a required permit and no other BCD violation is alleged.
Contract, negligence or payment disputes
Residential and commercial contractor disputes involving licensure, breach of contract, negligence or nonpayment may belong with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board.
BCD says an enforcement investigation generally requires about 90 days, although the time varies with the alleged violations and evidence.
Oregon Building Codes Division Electrical Licensing Contact
Use BCD’s Licensing Department for license-search, application and renewal questions. The Salem office is open during state business days.
| Contact item | Current detail | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing phone | 503-373-1268 | Electrical license lookup, application and renewal questions. |
| Licensing email | license.bcd@dcbs.oregon.gov | General licensing assistance. Follow BCD’s separate security instructions when submitting applications containing personal information. |
| Office location | 1535 Edgewater St. NW, Salem, OR 97304 | BCD Salem office visits. |
| Licensing mailing address | P.O. Box 14470, Salem, OR 97309-0405 | Licensing correspondence when BCD’s applicable form directs mail to this address. |
| General BCD mailing address | P.O. Box 14470, Salem, OR 97309-0404 | General BCD correspondence and forms that specifically list the 0404 ZIP extension. |
| Office hours | 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on state business days | Planning a call or Salem office visit. |
| Main BCD phone | 503-378-4133 | General Building Codes Division assistance. |
| Toll-free BCD | 800-442-7457 | General division assistance. |
Official Oregon Electrical License Resources
Public lookup, contractor verification, renewal, continuing education, reciprocity and formal license verification are separate tasks. Use the official resource that matches what you need to complete.
Oregon Electrician License Lookup FAQs
How do I verify an Oregon electrician license online?
Use the Oregon Building Codes Division License Holder Search. Search by license number when available, or use the individual’s name, business name, profession or location. Match the returned record to the correct person and confirm the electrical license classification before relying on it.
What is the official Oregon electrical license lookup?
The official public lookup is the Oregon Building Codes Division License Holder Search. It covers BCD business contractor licenses, individual licenses and inspector certifications.
Do I need to check both BCD and CCB for an Oregon electrical contractor?
Yes when you are hiring an electrical contracting business. Oregon’s consumer guidance says electrical contractors are required to have the appropriate BCD electrical contractor license and a Construction Contractors Board license. Verify an individual electrician separately when the job also requires an individual electrical credential.
How often are Oregon electrician licenses renewed?
Many Oregon individual electrical classifications use coordinated three-year renewal cycles. Current state directory records for major classifications including General Journeyman, General Supervising and Limited Residential use an October 1 cycle. Check the actual license record because the first cycle or another credential type can differ.
What continuing education does an Oregon General Journeyman Electrician need?
BCD currently requires 24 hours for a General Journeyman Electrician: 4 hours of Oregon rule and law, 8 hours of code change and 12 hours of code-related education.
What happens if an Oregon electrical license expires?
BCD states that an unrenewed license becomes expired-renewable and the holder is not eligible to work under that license until renewal requirements are met. If the license has been expired for more than one year, the license holder must retest.
What score is required to pass an Oregon electrical licensing exam?
The Oregon Building Codes Division requires a score of 75 percent or better on its licensing examinations. BCD does not provide examination results by telephone and advises allowing up to two weeks to receive results.
Which states have Oregon electrician reciprocity?
Oregon currently lists General Journeyman Electrician reciprocity with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. General Supervising Electrician reciprocity is listed with Arkansas and Utah. Applicants must still meet Oregon’s reciprocity qualifications.
How do I get formal Oregon license verification for another state?
Use BCD Form 440-6065 to request verification of Oregon license status and testing scores. The form states that BCD does not charge a fee. Current live BCD guidance says processing can take 4–6 weeks, so submit early when another state has a deadline.
What should I do if an Oregon electrician does not appear in the license search?
Try the exact license number, simplify the name search and make sure you are checking the correct individual or business credential. If the record still cannot be resolved, contact BCD Licensing at 503-373-1268 or license.bcd@dcbs.oregon.gov before relying on the claimed license.
Verify the Oregon Electrical Credential Before You Hire, Work or Renew
Start with the Oregon Building Codes Division License Holder Search and match the exact person or business. Confirm the electrical classification instead of stopping at a name match, and check the separate CCB record when a contracting company is involved. Licensees should also verify continuing-education credits and expiration before renewal, while out-of-state applicants should use Oregon’s dedicated reciprocity or formal-verification route.