Oregon's electrical licensing system runs through the Building Codes Division (BCD), a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) — and it works differently than most PSI-administered states we've covered. BCD grades its own exams and runs its own network of test sites around the state, rather than contracting the individual license exam out to PSI or Pearson VUE.
Quick Answer: What Do You Need?
| Licensing authority | Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), part of DCBS |
| Main license types | General Journeyman (J), General Supervising (S), plus limited-scope licenses (residential, plant, sign, stage, maintenance, limited energy) |
| Testing provider | BCD itself, at its own network of local test sites — not PSI or Pearson VUE |
| General Journeyman experience | Oregon apprenticeship completion, OR 576 classroom hours + 8,000 OJT hours, OR 16,000 OJT hours (category minimums apply) |
| General Journeyman exam | 52 questions, 3 hours, open book, 75% to pass |
| NEC edition | 2023 NEC, as adopted into the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code effective October 1, 2023 |
| License/exam fee | $100 (J, S, PS, PJ, LME, LR) or $50 (LEA, LEB, SIG, ST, BME, LRT) — this single fee covers both the application and the exam |
Oregon's License Types
Oregon licenses individuals directly (through BCD) separately from electrical contracting businesses (through the Construction Contractors Board, CCB). This guide covers the individual trade licenses BCD issues. The two license types most electricians pursue:
- General Journeyman Electrician (J): makes electrical installations under the supervision of a General Supervising Electrician, unless doing work that requires no supervision.
- General Supervising Electrician (S): the closest Oregon equivalent to a "master" license — designs, plans, and lays out work; signs permits; and is the only license type authorized to direct, supervise, or control installation of an electrical service.
BCD also issues several limited-scope licenses tied to a specific setting or trade niche: Limited Residential Electrician (LR), Limited Supervising Electrician (PS) and Limited Journeyman Manufacturing Plant Electrician (PJ) (paired, plant-only), Limited Maintenance Electrician (LME), Limited Journeyman Sign Electrician (SIG), Limited Journeyman Stage Electrician (ST), Limited Building Maintenance Electrician (BME), Limited Renewable Energy Technician (LRT), and Limited Energy Technician Class A and B (LEA/LEB, low-voltage/signal systems). Each has its own experience pathway and exam — see BCD's Electrical License Application Instructions for the full breakdown.
Eligibility Requirements
General Journeyman Electrician (J) — one of three pathways:
- Completion of an approved Oregon apprenticeship program, OR
- 576 hours of classroom training (verified by official transcript) 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 (a "300 percent rule" caps how much of any one category can count), OR
- 16,000 hours of on-the-job experience obtained outside Oregon, with a minimum of 2,000 hours in each of the same three categories.
General Supervising Electrician (S) — one of two pathways:
- Currently hold an Oregon General Journeyman license and verify an additional 8,000 hours of on-the-job journeyman experience, OR
- Meet the qualifications for a General Journeyman license and separately verify an additional 8,000 hours of on-the-job journeyman experience.
All applicants also need a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent, and — critically — self-verification of hours is not accepted. A current or former employer must sign the Electrical Experience Verification form (440-2570A) for each place of employment; only if no employer can be located may a supervisor or, failing that, a co-worker with supporting documentation verify the hours.
Why This Isn't a PSI Exam
Several third-party licensing guides describe Oregon's electrical exam as PSI-administered with an $85 fee. We could not confirm this against BCD's own primary sources, and what we did find points the other way: BCD's official Electrical License Application (Form 440-2570, revised August 2025) lists a single flat fee — $100 for most full license types, $50 for the limited-energy and specialty licenses — that covers both the license application and the exam, with no separate testing-vendor fee mentioned anywhere in the form or instructions. The application also lists BCD's own exam locations directly (Bend, Eugene, Hermiston, Klamath Falls, Ontario, Pendleton, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, and White City) rather than directing applicants to PSI's national test-center network. BCD's separate Exam Information sheet confirms the same model: after approval, BCD mails you a Letter of Authorization naming a test site and its phone number, you schedule directly with that site, and BCD itself grades the exam and mails results — a self-administered process, structurally different from the internet-scheduling, pay-PSI-directly model used in states like Texas or Michigan. If you're told otherwise when you call, go with what BCD tells you directly at 503-373-1268.
Exam Format
| License | Format |
|---|---|
| General Journeyman (J) | 52 questions, 3 hours, open book, 75% to pass |
| General Supervising (S) | Two sections — 52 code questions plus 12 calculation questions — 4 hours total, open book, 75% to pass |
All BCD licensing exams use the same 75% passing threshold. Bring your own pencils; a silent, non-programmable, non-printing calculator is allowed. Scratch paper is provided in your test packet.
What NEC Edition Does Oregon Use?
Oregon adopts the 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) as the technical base of its Oregon Electrical Specialty Code (OESC), with state-specific amendments layered on top. This adoption took effect October 1, 2023, per BCD's Electrical Code Program page. BCD's exam-materials guidance references "National Electrical Code/NFPA-70 and errata with Oregon amendments" generically rather than pinning a specific edition in writing — so as the code cycle turns over, confirm you're studying the current adopted edition rather than assuming the newest NFPA release is automatically the one being tested.
What References Are Allowed?
Oregon's approved-materials list, set by the Electrical and Elevator Board, is unusually broad compared to most states in this series:
- National Electrical Code / NFPA-70 and errata with Oregon amendments
- National Electrical Code Handbook
- Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) chapter 479
- Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) division 918
- American Electrician's Handbook
- Electrical Black Book
- Ugly's Electrical References
- Ferm's Fast Finder Index
- Tom Henry's Key Word Index
- A silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator
Notably, both the NEC Handbook and Ugly's Electrical References are explicitly allowed here — a number of other states in this series (Texas, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Arizona) ban one or both from the exam room. Not allowed: practice tests, class prep materials, or any published material or electronic device not on the approved list — the proctor will remove anything that doesn't qualify.
Tabs, Highlighting, and Notes
Oregon's rule here is also more permissive than most: approved materials "may be altered for the use of the candidate, including the presence or attachment of tabs or personal, hand-written or printed notes within the margins." Unlike PSI-administered states, which typically require manufacturer-installed tabs and prohibit any writing during the exam itself, BCD's written guidance does not distinguish between notes added before versus during the session, nor does it require tabs to come from the codebook's publisher. Stick to the practical standard anyway — prepare your tabbing and notes in advance of exam day, since practice materials and anything not on the approved list will still be removed by the proctor.
Fees & Test Locations
| License | Fee |
|---|---|
| General Supervising (S), General Journeyman (J), Limited Supervising (PS), Limited Plant Journeyman (PJ), Limited Maintenance (LME), Limited Residential (LR) | $100 |
| Limited Energy Class A/B (LEA/LEB), Limited Journeyman Sign (SIG), Limited Journeyman Stage (ST), Limited Building Maintenance (BME), Limited Renewable Energy (LRT) | $50 |
Fees are nonrefundable and cover both the application and the exam. Test locations are Bend, Eugene, Hermiston, Klamath Falls, Ontario, Pendleton, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, and White City — you select one on your application, and BCD's Letter of Authorization gives you that site's direct contact information to schedule.
Retesting & Renewal
- Allow about two weeks for BCD to grade your exam.
- If you fail, you'll receive a strength/weakness report and a reapplication form by mail.
- All applicants must wait 30 days after a failed attempt before retesting.
- Licenses renew every three years, on October 1; renewal notices go out about six weeks ahead of expiration.
- 24 hours of continuing education are required per three-year renewal cycle — see BCD's electrical CE page for approved-course specifics.
Reciprocity
Oregon maintains bilateral journeyman and supervising electrician reciprocity with Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Qualifying applicants use the Reciprocal Electrical License Application rather than the standard exam-based route. Reciprocity agreements are limited to states with substantially similar licensing criteria, so confirm your specific state and license type against BCD's current reciprocal-agreement list before assuming you qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oregon use PSI for its electrical license exam?
We could not confirm this. BCD's own application form and exam-information sheet describe a self-administered exam at BCD's own network of test sites, with no separate testing-vendor fee — not the PSI internet-scheduling model used in many other states. Confirm directly with BCD if a third-party source tells you otherwise.
Can I bring Ugly's Electrical References into the exam?
Yes — it's explicitly on Oregon's approved-materials list, along with the NEC Handbook, which several other states in this series ban.
What NEC edition should I study?
The 2023 NEC, as adopted into the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code effective October 1, 2023.
How much on-the-job experience do I need for a Journeyman license?
Either complete an Oregon apprenticeship, or verify 8,000 hours of OJT plus 576 classroom hours (with category minimums), or verify 16,000 hours of OJT alone (with higher category minimums). Self-verification is not accepted.
Does Your Book Spot USA guarantee I'll pass?
No. We sell official, correctly-prepared reference materials — no book or study guide can guarantee an exam result, and we don't claim otherwise.
Get the Right Reference Materials
Since Oregon's exam guidelines explicitly allow both the NEC and Ugly's Electrical References together, a tabbed 2023 NEC bundle that includes Ugly's is a compliant, convenient choice:
Prefer to browse everything? See all NEC codebooks & electrical references. Ordering for a crew or training program? Request bulk pricing.
Official Sources
- Oregon Building Codes Division — Electrical License Application (Form 440-2570 / 440-2570I / 440-2570A), revised 8/25/2025
- Oregon Building Codes Division — Electrical License Exam Guidelines, revised July 2019
- Oregon Building Codes Division — Exam Information sheet
- Oregon Secretary of State Business Xpress License Directory — General Journeyman Electrician (J), last updated 01/23/2026, and General Supervising Electrician (S), last updated 01/23/2026
- Oregon Building Codes Division — Electrical Code Program page (oregon.gov/bcd/codes-stand/pages/electrical.aspx)
Your Book Spot USA is not affiliated with the Oregon Building Codes Division, DCBS, or NFPA. Licensing rules change — this page reflects our verification as of the date above. Spot something outdated? Let us know and we'll correct it.
