Oregon Plumber License Requirements (2026)

The Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) licenses individual Journeyman Plumbers, who may perform plumbing installations, alterations, and remodels. The standard qualification path is completion of a registered four-year apprenticeship or referral from an Oregon Plumbing Board-approved training program. Other BCD pathways require documented classroom training and separate commercial and residential experience; do not rely on a single 3,850-hour total. After BCD approves the application, the journeyman exam is open book with 64 questions in four hours. A business contracting for plumbing work needs the appropriate BCD Plumbing Business license and a Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license; local permits remain project-specific.

Regulatory Body

Oregon Building Codes Division — Plumbing Program (BCD) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under ORS Chapter 693; OAR Chapter 918, Division 695. Licenses individual and business plumbing work; CCB separately licenses construction businesses.

• Official portal: https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/plumbing-apply.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. No Oregon residency requirement.

Good moral character

Complete the current BCD affidavit and prior-license information truthfully. BCD may review disciplinary history; do not assume an automatic result from an older license issue without the division’s decision.

Background investigation

BCD’s current journeyman application requires the affidavit, prior-license information, education/experience documents, photo identification, and payment. It does not describe a universal fingerprint prerequisite.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 4 years of the standard path is a certificate of completion from a registered four-year apprenticeship or a referral from an Oregon Plumbing Board-approved training program. Alternate paths require 576 classroom hours plus 3,850 lawful commercial and 3,850 lawful residential hours, or 7,700 commercial and 7,700 residential hours while holding a similar out-of-state individual installer license, and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Registered four-year apprenticeship completion certificate or Oregon Plumbing Board-approved training-program referral
• A BCD Plumbing Experience Verification Form for each employer when using an experience pathway
• Official classroom-training transcripts when required
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent (a college degree may substitute) and passport-style photograph

Education substitution

BCD publishes specific alternate pathways rather than a general sliding-scale education credit. Verify whether your apprenticeship, classroom training, commercial/residential experience, or reciprocal license fits the current application.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Oregon Building Codes Division at approved examination locations after BCD application approval. 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:

• Oregon Journeyman Plumber examination — 64 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 75%

Examination fee: BCD lists a $100 Journeyman Plumber application/examination fee. Confirm the current payment instructions and approved reference list after BCD authorizes testing.

Retake policy: BCD’s reapplication form says an applicant may reapply at any time, but retakes are scheduled no less than 30 days after the prior exam. Pay the current reapplication fee and follow the authorization instructions.

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

BCD does not list a general-liability minimum for the individual Journeyman Plumber license. A plumbing business’s CCB coverage depends on its endorsement: for example, residential specialty is $300,000 per occurrence; commercial specialty coverage and any combined endorsements must follow CCB’s current endorsement chart.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation is a separate Oregon employment-law question. A CCB applicant must provide workers’ compensation information or a valid exemption as part of the business-license process.

Additional financial requirements

The individual journeyman license has no bond. CCB bond requirements apply to the business endorsement selected: residential specialty is $20,000; commercial specialty is $25,000 (Level 2) or $55,000 (Level 1). A business with both endorsement types needs the required bond(s).

Fee Schedule

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 plumber.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Oregon Journeyman Plumber and Plumbing Business (PB) License runs on a 3 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $180. Journeyman Plumber licenses renew every three years on April 1. The current plumbing fee rule lists a $180 renewal fee, including a $30 continuing-education tracking fee; confirm the renewal form before filing.

Continuing education: BCD lists 24 total continuing-education hours for Journeyman Plumbers. The plumbing CE rules require the applicable code-change credits; check the live BCD record before renewal.

Reciprocity

For this classification, Oregon does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Current BCD reciprocity for Journeyman Plumbers is Idaho and Montana only. Applicants need an active equivalent-or-higher license with no violations or conditions in the preceding three years, qualifying experience, a 75% or higher reciprocal-state exam score, at least 1,000 hours under that license, and no Oregon exam failure for that license type in the prior two years.

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

Plumber 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 Plumber License Requirements — California Class C-36 — Plumbing Contractor
• Idaho Plumber License Requirements — Idaho Journeyman Plumber and Plumbing Contractor
• Nevada Plumber License Requirements — Nevada C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contractor
• Washington Plumber License Requirements — Washington Journey Level Plumber (PL01)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Choose the BCD qualification path. The standard path is a registered four-year apprenticeship. Compare any alternate experience path against BCD’s required separate commercial and residential hours before applying.
2. Gather BCD experience and education records. Submit the complete application, employer experience verification for each employer when applicable, training records, high-school equivalency evidence, photo, affidavit, and fee.
3. Obtain BCD exam authorization. After BCD approves the application, use the authorization letter to schedule the journeyman examination and obtain the current approved-reference list.
4. Pass the Journeyman Plumber examination. The current BCD licensing directory describes a four-hour, 64-question open-book examination. Meet the current passing standard and follow BCD’s results instructions.
5. Maintain the individual license. A Journeyman Plumber license renews every three years on April 1 and requires the current BCD plumbing continuing education, including required code-change credits.
6. Add business licensing before contracting. A plumbing business needs the appropriate BCD Plumbing Business license and a CCB license. Select the CCB endorsement, bond, insurance, responsible managing individual, training, and test path that matches the business work.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to BCD, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

• Registered four-year apprenticeship completion or the complete documents for a BCD alternate pathway
• BCD Plumbing Experience Verification Form for each employer when applicable
• Official transcripts, high-school equivalency proof, photo, and signed affidavit
• BCD Journeyman Plumber application and current $100 fee
• BCD-authorized 64-question, four-hour open-book exam result
• Appropriate BCD Plumbing Business and CCB licenses before contracting
• CCB bond, insurance, responsible managing individual, training/test, and workers’ compensation information as applicable

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Oregon Plumber applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Skipping the registered apprenticeship

A four-year apprenticeship is the standard route, but BCD’s alternate routes require different commercial and residential experience totals. Match the application documents to the route you actually qualify for.

Underestimating the Oregon amendments

BCD now describes a 64-question, four-hour open-book test and supplies the current reference list after approval. Do not study from historic PSI details or an outdated code edition.

Confusing journeyman with business license

The individual journeyman credential is different from business contracting licenses. Before contracting, align the BCD Plumbing Business license, CCB endorsement, bond, insurance, and responsible managing individual requirements.

Letting continuing education lapse

BCD currently lists 24 total Journeyman Plumber CE hours over the renewal cycle, with required code-change content. Verify credits before the April 1 renewal date.

Treating CCB coverage as a single flat requirement

CCB bond and insurance depend on the business endorsement. Residential specialty, commercial specialty Level 1, commercial specialty Level 2, and a combined business have different requirements.

Study and Reference Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

• BCD Journeyman Plumber application and approved-reference list — Oregon Building Codes Division. BCD provides the current approved exam references after it authorizes testing.
• Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code — Oregon Building Codes Division. Use the current adopted code and Oregon amendments required by the BCD reference list.
• ORS Chapter 693 and OAR Chapter 918 — State of Oregon. Plumbing licensing law and administrative rules.

Other Oregon Trade Licenses

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

• Oregon General Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Electrician License Requirements
• Oregon HVAC Technician License Requirements
• Oregon Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Painting Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Solar Installer License Requirements
• Oregon Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• Oregon Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Home Inspector License Requirements
• Oregon Pool Contractor License Requirements
• Oregon Handyman License Requirements
• Oregon Pest Control License Requirements
• Oregon Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a licensed plumber in Oregon?

The standard path is completion of a registered four-year apprenticeship, then BCD application approval and examination. BCD also has alternate pathways, but they require separate commercial and residential experience totals—not a single 3,850-hour total.

What is the difference between a Journeyman Plumber and a Plumbing Contractor Business License?

The Journeyman Plumber license authorizes an individual to perform plumbing installations, alterations, and remodels. A business contracting for plumbing work needs the appropriate BCD Plumbing Business license and a CCB license. Confirm the business structure and endorsement requirements before bidding.

Does Oregon reciprocate plumber licenses?

Current BCD Journeyman Plumber reciprocity is limited to Idaho and Montana. The applicant must meet BCD’s current active-license, experience, examination-score, work-hours, and recent-Oregon-exam requirements; Washington is not on the current plumber list.

Which code does Oregon use for plumbing?

Use the current BCD approved-reference list supplied after exam authorization. Oregon adopts and amends its Plumbing Specialty Code, so confirm the current edition and any Oregon-specific material rather than relying on an older national-code list.

How often does the Oregon journeyman plumber license renew?

Every three years on April 1. BCD’s current licensing directory lists 24 total continuing-education hours for a Journeyman Plumber; its plumbing CE page also requires the applicable code-change credits.

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