Oregon Low Voltage License Requirements

Oregon regulates limited-energy electrical work through the Building Codes Division (BCD). The business credential is the Limited Energy Contractor (CLE), which requires an active Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license and a full-time signing supervisor. The individual technician credential is either Class A (LEA), which may install, alter, and repair all limited-energy systems, or Class B (LEB), which may perform limited-energy activity except protective signaling. This is not a residential-versus-commercial split: protective signaling includes fire alarm, nurse call, burglar alarm, and other fire/life-safety systems, and requires the Class A scope. Local permits, plan review, inspection, and code requirements remain separate.

Regulatory Body

Authority over this credential rests with Oregon Building Codes Division — Electrical Program (BCD), which issues and polices it under ORS Chapter 479; OAR 918-282. BCD licenses limited-energy technicians and contractors, while CCB licenses construction contracting businesses and local building departments administer project permits and inspections.

Official portal: https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/pages/index.aspx
Address: 1535 Edgewater Street NW, Salem, OR 97304
Phone: (503) 373-1268

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The current BCD materials do not state an Oregon residency requirement. A CLE business must register its business name, hold an active CCB license, and employ an appropriate full-time signing supervisor.

Good moral character

BCD requires a signed applicant affidavit and work history. Use the current application for any disclosure questions rather than assuming a separate alarm-business background credential.

Background investigation

The current BCD LEA/LEB and CLE sources do not list a fingerprint requirement. CCB has its own responsible-managing-individual background process for the CCB license.

Experience and Education

The cited source set does not publish a fixed year-based experience threshold for this credential. The controlling requirement is LEA qualification is by an approved Oregon apprenticeship, or by 432 classroom hours plus 6,000 documented on-the-job hours in required categories, or by 12,000 hours of lawfully obtained out-of-state experience including protective signaling. LEB qualification is by approved apprenticeship, or by 288 classroom hours plus 4,000 documented hours and a board-approved 32-hour program, or by 8,000 lawfully obtained out-of-state hours plus the 32-hour program..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Electrical License Application (Form 2570)
Electrical Experience Verification Form for each employer
High-school diploma, GED, or equivalent evidence
Approved apprenticeship-completion evidence or required transcripts and work-category documentation

Education substitution

The BCD application publishes specific apprenticeship, classroom-hour, and work-hour alternatives. This guide does not claim a generic NICET or military substitution.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: BCD authorizes testing after it approves the application and sends a letter explaining scheduling and approved materials.. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

LEA licensing examination — 52 questions, 180 minutes, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
LEB licensing examination — 28 questions, 120 minutes, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: $50 BCD license application fee for either LEA or LEB. The current sources do not support the prior PSI provider, $85 fee, 75% score, or retake claims.

Retake policy: Use the current BCD examination instructions received after application approval.

Insurance and Bonds

No license surety bond is mandated statewide here under the cited sources, though project-specific or public-works bonding obligations can still attach to a given job.

General liability

Individual LEA and LEB licenses have no BCD bonding or insurance requirement. A CLE business must satisfy the bond and insurance requirements of its active CCB license, which depend on the selected CCB endorsement.

Workers' compensation

CCB requirements depend on the business and endorsement. Confirm the company’s workers’ compensation status while applying for the CCB license.

Additional financial requirements

No financial-statement requirement is stated for the individual technician or CLE credential in the current BCD materials.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$50
Initial license	$375
Renewal (every 3 years)	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Oregon low voltage.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Oregon Limited Energy Contractor (CLE) and Limited Energy Technician (LEA or LEB) must be renewed every 3 years. A standalone statewide renewal fee is not published in the cited record. Technician licenses renew every three years on October 1. The CLE also has a three-year term; its prerequisite CCB license renews every two years.

Continuing education: BCD lists eight total continuing-education hours for LEA and LEB. The CLE is exempt from BCD continuing education; use the renewal notice for current fees.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Oregon Low Voltage License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Oregon grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

BCD lists reciprocal agreements for General Supervising and General Journeyman electricians, not for LEA or LEB. Out-of-state LEA/LEB applicants should use the published experience pathways and BCD application process.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Low Voltage license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Low Voltage Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Oregon's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

California Low Voltage License Requirements — California C-7 Low Voltage Systems Contractor
Idaho Low Voltage License Requirements — Idaho Limited Energy Electrical Contractor License
Nevada Low Voltage License Requirements — Nevada C-2d Low-Voltage Contractor and Fire-Alarm Licensing Requirements
Washington Low Voltage License Requirements — Washington limited-energy and telecommunications electrical specialties — L&I

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Classify the system and technician scope. Choose LEA for protective signaling, including fire alarm, nurse call, burglar alarm, and other fire/life-safety systems. LEB may perform limited-energy work that does not include protective signaling.
Meet an LEA or LEB qualification path. Use an approved apprenticeship or document the applicable classroom and work hours described in BCD Form 2570. Submit experience verification for each employer.
Apply to BCD and take the correct exam. File the electrical license application, work history, required supporting documents, and $50 fee. After approval, BCD sends exam scheduling information.
Get the individual technician license. LEA and LEB licenses renew every three years on October 1. BCD lists eight total continuing-education hours for each credential.
Form the contracting business. If the business will make, direct, supervise, or control limited-energy installations, it needs a CLE contractor license, an active CCB license, and an appropriate full-time signing supervisor.
File the CLE application. Register the business name, provide the CCB number, identify the signing supervisor, and pay the $375 CLE fee. BCD lists no separate CLE examination or CE requirement.
Obtain local project approvals. Confirm the local electrical permit, plan review, inspection, and adopted-code requirements. Limited-energy work on one- and two-family dwellings has special installer exceptions in particular BCD rules, but does not eliminate project permitting requirements.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to BCD, confirm every item on this short list:

Classify whether protective signaling is part of the scope
LEA: approved apprenticeship, or published LEA hours/training alternative
LEB: approved apprenticeship, or published LEB hours/training alternative
BCD electrical application, employer experience verification, and $50 fee
Pass the BCD-authorized LEA or LEB exam
For a contracting business: active CCB license
For a contracting business: $375 CLE application and full-time appropriate signing supervisor
Local permits, plan review, and inspections

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Oregon Low Voltage application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Treating LEB as residential-only

LEB is defined by the exclusion of protective signaling, not by dwelling type. It can cover other limited-energy activity within its scope.

Using LEB for protective signaling

Fire alarm, nurse call, burglar alarm, and other fire/life-safety protective signaling require LEA or another properly licensed electrical scope.

Skipping the CLE for the contracting business

The CLE business license requires active CCB licensure and a full-time signing supervisor; the individual technician credential alone does not license a company to contract.

Inventing a NICET prerequisite

BCD’s current LEA/LEB materials list apprenticeship and specific education/experience paths, not the former universal NICET fire-alarm requirement.

Study and Reference Materials

These materials are drawn from the regulator's own citations and the references applicants commonly use to prepare. CLR receives no compensation for listing them.

OAR 918-282 and BCD Form 2570 — Oregon BCD. Current LEA/LEB qualifications, work categories, and application process.
BCD approved exam materials — Oregon BCD. BCD provides the current materials after application approval.
Local adopted electrical and fire codes — Authority having jurisdiction. Confirm permits and project-specific requirements locally.

Other Oregon Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Oregon licensing guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Oregon LEA and LEB?

LEA may install, alter, and repair all limited-energy systems. LEB may perform limited-energy electrical activity except protective signaling. It is not a residential-only credential.

Which license is needed for fire alarm or burglar alarm work?

Protective signaling—fire alarm, nurse call, burglar alarm, and other fire/life-safety systems—is within the LEA scope, not LEB. The contractor also needs the correct business and permit credentials for the project.

Does a technician need a contractor license?

An LEA or LEB must either be licensed as an electrical contractor, work for an electrical or limited-energy contractor, or work for one employer in an industrial plant. A business making or supervising limited-energy installations needs the CLE pathway.

What does the CLE require?

BCD requires the business to register its name, hold an active CCB license, employ an appropriate full-time signing supervisor, submit the contractor application, and pay the $375 fee. The CLE scope follows the signing supervisor’s license limitations.

How often do Oregon limited-energy licenses renew?

LEA and LEB renew every three years on October 1 and BCD lists eight continuing-education hours. CLE has a three-year term, with CCB renewal separately required every two years.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.