How Do You Get a Plumbing License in Oregon?
Yes: Oregon requires a state plumbing license for journeyman-level work — the Journeyman Plumber (JP), issued under the State Plumbing Board through the Building Codes Division (BCD).
You qualify with a registered 4-year apprenticeship or one of two hour paths, then pass a 4-hour, 64-question open-book exam.
Renewal takes 24 hours of continuing education, Oregon lists journeyman plumber reciprocity with Idaho and Montana only, and BCD's license holder search is the public place to check a JP license.
Our research found no state master plumber license above the JP — BCD's list adds three limited specialty installers.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Yes.
Oregon requires a state Journeyman Plumber (JP) license to work as a journeyman plumber, issued under the State Plumbing Board.
The State Plumbing Board, whose plumbing licenses, exams and CE rules the Building Codes Division (BCD) publishes.
Journeyman Plumber (JP) plus three limited specialty installers and the Plumbing Business (PB) license; our research found no state master plumber license above the JP.
A registered 4-year apprenticeship, or 576 classroom hours plus 3,850 commercial and 3,850 residential hours, or 7,700 commercial plus 7,700 residential hours.
A 4-hour, 64-question open-book exam.
All BCD licensing exams pass at 75 percent or better, and applicants who fail must wait 30 days to retake.
24 hours of CE: 4 Oregon rules and law, 4 code change, 16 other.
The renewal cycle length was not captured in our research — ask BCD.
Idaho and Montana only.
BCD's license holder search at oregon.gov/bcd/licensing.
The Oregon plumbing license ladder
- Apprentice plumberEntry level
Oregon law lets an apprentice plumber work at the trade only while in a state-registered apprenticeship under ORS 660, employed by a licensed plumbing contractor, and supervised by a licensed journeyman plumber.
- Journeyman Plumber(JP)Journeyman
The state license Oregon law requires to engage in the trade of journeyman plumber, issued under the State Plumbing Board.
- Residential Water-Heater InstallerSpecialty
A limited plumbing license to replace existing water heaters in one- and two-family dwellings.
- Water-Treatment InstallerSpecialty
One of BCD's limited plumbing specialty licenses; the sources we read name it without describing its scope.
- Solar Heating and Cooling InstallerSpecialty
A limited plumbing specialty license on BCD's list; the sources we read name it without describing its scope.
- Plumbing Business(PB)Contractor
The BCD business license a plumbing company needs to advertise and furnish labor and material for plumbing; it does not entitle its holder to work as a journeyman plumber without an individual license.
Does Oregon require a state plumbing license?
Yes.
Oregon statute says a person may not engage in the trade of journeyman plumber without a journeyman plumber license issued under ORS chapter 693, the State Plumbing Board's chapter, and the requirement runs statewide.
Among the statute's exceptions: property owners may do plumbing on their own property, and work on existing residential potable-water pump equipment not exceeding 7.5 horsepower sits outside plumbing licensing.
If you think your work falls in an exception, confirm it with the Building Codes Division before you rely on it.
“A person may not engage in the trade of journeyman plumber without a journeyman plumber license issued under this chapter.”
What are the Oregon plumbing license levels, and what can each legally do?
The ladder starts below the journeyman license: an apprentice plumber works only in a state-registered apprenticeship under ORS 660, employed by a licensed plumbing contractor and supervised by a licensed journeyman plumber.
The Journeyman Plumber license is the state credential the statute requires for journeyman work.
BCD's individual-license list adds three limited specialty licenses — Residential Water-Heater Installer, Water-Treatment Installer and Solar Heating and Cooling Installer — and our research found no state master plumber license above the JP.
On the business side, a plumbing company needs the BCD Plumbing Business (PB) license to advertise and furnish labor and material for plumbing, but that registration does not entitle its holder to work as a journeyman plumber without an appropriate individual license.
Plumbing contractors also need a Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license, and the statute bars a licensed plumbing contractor from letting anyone work as a journeyman without a valid JP license or charging journeyman wages for apprentice work.
BCD also offers combination business licenses — Plumbing and Boiler Business, and Plumbing and Boiler Business and Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R (PBH) — with one application, one renewal and one license number.
“This registration does not entitle the holder to work as a journeyman plumber without an appropriate individual license.”
What are the requirements for each level: hours, training and fees?
BCD gives three ways to qualify for the Journeyman Plumber license.
First, a certificate of completion from a registered 4-year apprenticeship program, or a training-committee referral.
Second, 576 hours of classroom instruction plus 3,850 hours of commercial and 3,850 hours of residential on-the-job work.
Third, 7,700 hours of commercial plus 7,700 hours of residential experience.
The apprentice route carries its own conditions: an apprentice plumber must be in an apprenticeship registered under ORS 660, employed by a licensed plumbing contractor and supervised by a licensed journeyman plumber.
Our research did not confirm the current application, examination or license fees — check BCD's licensing pages before you apply.
“A certificate of completion from a registered 4-year apprenticeship program”
Who gives the Oregon plumbing exam, and what is on it?
BCD's individual-license list gives the Journeyman Plumber exam as a 4-hour, 64-question open-book exam, and BCD's exam page sets the bar for all of its licensing exams: the passing score is 75 percent or better, and applicants who fail must wait 30 days before retaking.
Our research does not describe the exam's content outline or name a testing vendor — check BCD's exam pages before you schedule.
“The passing score for all licensing exams is 75 percent or better.”
How do you renew, and how many CE hours does Oregon require?
Oregon journeyman plumbers need 24 hours of continuing education to renew: 4 hours of Oregon rules and law, 4 hours of code change and 16 hours of other required topics.
Our research did not capture the length of the renewal cycle — BCD's CE table gives the hours, not the cadence, and the license table we read showed the next renewal date for all JP licenses as April 1, 2029 — so confirm your own cycle with BCD before you plan CE.
BCD's license table shows its business licenses, including the Plumbing Business license, next renewing July 1, 2029.
BCD takes online renewals within 45 days of expiration, and a license that has been expired for more than one year must be retested.
“License holders will need to retest if the license has been expired for more than one year.”
Does Oregon accept plumbing licenses from other states?
Yes, with two states only.
BCD's reciprocal-agreement page lists journeyman plumber reciprocity with Idaho and Montana, and no other states.
Our research does not spell out what each agreement waives — an exam, hours or something else — so if you hold an Idaho or Montana journeyman license, confirm the terms with BCD before you count on working under it.
If you hold any other state's license, ask BCD what applies to you.
How do you look up an Oregon plumbing license?
BCD's license holder search, at oregon.gov/bcd/licensing, is the public place to verify an Oregon plumbing license.
Search it before you take work arranged under someone else's license, and again once yours is issued to confirm it shows up.
One more rule to keep in mind when reading the results: BCD retests a license that has been expired for more than one year.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Oregon board pages, statutes, rules and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state plumbing licensing series, current as of September 2026.
It is not a substitute for the instructions the State Plumbing Board, Building Codes Division (BCD) publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Oregon, see HVAC licensing in Oregon, plumbing apprenticeships in Oregon, plumbing contractor licensing in Oregon, and plumber pay in Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a plumbing license in Oregon?
The qualification path sets the timeline: a registered 4-year apprenticeship, or 576 classroom hours plus 3,850 commercial and 3,850 residential on-the-job hours, or 7,700 commercial plus 7,700 residential hours.
After qualifying, the Journeyman Plumber exam itself runs 4 hours with 64 open-book questions.
Until then, the apprentice route has its own conditions: Oregon law requires an apprentice plumber to be in a state-registered apprenticeship, employed by a licensed plumbing contractor and supervised by a licensed journeyman plumber.
Is there a master plumber license in Oregon?
Our research found no state master plumber license.
Oregon's licensing runs from the statutory apprentice status to the Journeyman Plumber license, plus the three limited specialty installers on BCD's list, and a cross-state check placed Oregon among the states with a statewide journeyman-level plumber license and no state master license.
If a job posting asks for an Oregon master plumber, ask the Building Codes Division which credential it means.
Can I use an Idaho or Montana plumbing license in Oregon?
Oregon lists journeyman plumber reciprocity agreements with Idaho and Montana only.
Those are the only two states BCD's reciprocal-agreement page names for the JP license.
Our research does not spell out what each agreement waives, such as an exam or experience hours, so confirm the terms with BCD before you move on the strength of an out-of-state license.
Do I need a license to replace a water heater in Oregon?
Oregon licenses this work specifically: the Residential Water-Heater Installer is a limited plumbing license to replace existing water heaters in one- and two-family dwellings.
BCD also lists Water-Treatment Installer and Solar Heating and Cooling Installer as limited specialty licenses.
The statute's general rule requires a journeyman plumber license to engage in the trade of journeyman plumber, so confirm with BCD where your work fits.
How much does an Oregon journeyman plumber license cost?
Our research did not confirm a fee.
The BCD pages we read set out the qualification paths, exam format and CE hours, but we carry no verified application, examination or renewal fee for the Journeyman Plumber license.
Check BCD's licensing pages for current fees before you apply, and confirm the payment steps there rather than relying on a third-party figure.
More Oregon Resources
Sources
- Oregon Revised Statutes, chapter 693 (Plumbers) (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Oregon BCD: Individual plumbing licenses (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Oregon BCD: Plumbing continuing education requirements (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Oregon BCD: Reciprocal agreements (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Oregon BCD: License renewal (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Oregon BCD: Licensing exams (retrieved 2026-09-29)
Sourced from the documents listed above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal advice.
Confirm current rules with the State Plumbing Board, Building Codes Division (BCD).