State license

Oregon Journeyman Electrician License

✓Written by a licensed IBEW journeyman electrician

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Oregon licenses general journeyman electricians at the state level. The Building Codes Division issues the license after you pass its exam with 75% or better. The exam has 52 questions, runs 3 hours and is open book. You need an approved apprenticeship, or 8,000 hours plus 576 classroom hours from outside Oregon, or 16,000 hours. The license fee is $100.

The facts, from the source

Who licenses

Oregon Building Codes Division (DCBS), Electrical program. The exam is prepared by the Electrical and Elevator Board. (oregon.gov)

Exam vendor

State-administered. The exam is prepared and graded by the Building Codes Division. It is given at testing locations you choose on the application, listed in your Letter of Authorization. (apps.oregon.gov)

Exam (questions/time)

52 questions, 3 hours, single exam. Wait 30 days after each failure. The exam must be taken within 60 days of your Letter of Authorization. (apps.oregon.gov)

Open book / references

Open book. Approved list (BCD, Rev. September 2026): NEC with Oregon amendments and errata; NEC Handbook and errata; ORS Chapter 479; OAR Division 918; American Electrician's Handbook (Hartwell); Electrical Black Book (Rapp); Ugly's Electrical References; Ferm's Fast Finder; Tom Henry's Key Word Index; Briganti NEC and Oregon key-word indexes; a silent non-printing non-programmable calculator. Tabs, margin notes and highlighting are allowed. Practice tests, notes and extra pages are not allowed. (oregon.gov)

Passing score

75% or better (oregon.gov)

Code adopted (not necessarily the exam edition)

The 2026 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code (based on the 2026 NEC) takes effect Oct. 1, 2026. (oregon.gov)

Experience required

Completion of an approved Oregon apprenticeship; OR official transcripts of 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 on-the-job hours obtained outside Oregon, with at least 1,000 hours each in residential, commercial and industrial (the 300 percent rule applies); OR 16,000 on-the-job hours outside Oregon with at least 2,000 hours in each of the three categories. A high school diploma or GED is required. (apps.oregon.gov)

Fees

License fee $100. Renewal $100 every 3 years (Oct 1). The application fee varies based on license type. No separate exam fee is stated. (apps.oregon.gov)

Reciprocity

Reciprocal General Journeyman license (no exam) with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Washington applicants must have completed an apprenticeship in Oregon or Washington and passed the Washington exam. You must have qualified for the exam via 4 years of apprenticeship education (576 classroom hours) and 8,000 hours under a licensed journeyman. (oregon.gov)

Confirm these with the board

• Which NEC edition the exam tests: the approved materials list says NEC with Oregon amendments and gives no edition

Oregon Building Codes Division (DCBS), Electrical program; exam prepared by the Electrical and Elevator Board ↗

Partly verified October 24, 2026: some items couldn’t be confirmed from official sources and are listed above

Sparky AI app · iPhone & Android

Study the NEC with an AI that cites the article

Sparky AI answers code questions with exact NEC article citations and has electrical calculators for box fill, conduit fill and voltage drop. It’s a study aid, not a state exam simulator. Free 7-day trial.

All states · NEC exam study guide · NEC practice test

Facts on this page trace to primary sources or first-hand IBEW Local 134 experience — see sources & methodology.