Oregon and Washington Journeyman Electrician Reciprocal License Agreement

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Oregon and Washington Journeyman Electrician Reciprocal License Agreement

The Oregon Building Codes Division, on behalf of the Electrical and Elevator Board (board), has been exploring implementing a reciprocity agreement for electrical journeyman licensees with the State of Washington. This issue is scheduled to be discussed by the board at its May 28, 2020, meeting. In preparation for that meeting the division is soliciting public feedback.

This agreement and associated rule change is intended to allow journey level licensing reciprocity under the following terms:

  • Completion of an approved apprenticeship program that included working a minimum of four (4) years (8,000 hours) in the electrical trade under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyman electrician and completion of a minimum of four (4) years of electrical apprenticeship vocational education (576 classroom hours minimum).
  • Received their Oregon journeyman electrician license or Washington journey level electrician certification through examination. (Passing score in Washington is 70%. Passing score in Oregon is 75%.).

In addition to these terms the agreement will also recognize journey level reciprocity for licensed Oregon supervising electricians and Washington certified master electricians.

There are also some additional administrative differences between the states, these are:

  • Oregon requires a reciprocal applicant to have worked a minimum of 6 months (1,000 hours) in the reciprocal state, Washington requires a minimum of 1 year (2,000) hours.
  • Oregon requires that a reciprocal applicant not have taken and failed the Oregon journeyman exam in the last 2 years, whereas Washington requires an applicant to not have ever taken and failed the Washington journeyman exam.

View the draft reciprocity agreement and draft rule.

The division, on behalf of the board, will be accepting written public comment on this issue until 5:00 p.m. on May 22, 2020. Written comments can be submitted via email to Debi Barnes-Woods, at Debra.J.Woods@oregon.gov, or mailed to the division at the address below. Written comments that are timely received will be provided to the board prior to the May 28 meeting.

Oregon Building Codes Division
P.O. Box 14470
Salem OR 97309-0404


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