LicensebyState

Ohio to Oregon: general contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 13 sources

Ohio does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Oregon's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

CCB application with the NASCLA examination in place of the pre-license training (every state)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

Oregon has no contractor reciprocity at the commercial level either. OAR 812-006-0300(6) states that there are no reciprocal agreements with other states or with organizations that test contractors, and ORS chapter 701 contains no provision recognizing a license issued elsewhere, so an out-of-state general contractor license buys nothing on its own. The Board does accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors: under OAR 812-006-0310 an RMI who has passed it satisfies the 16-hour pre-license training requirement, regardless of when the exam was taken, and needs only the Oregon contractor test, with the pass established by the RMI's entry in the NASCLA National Examination Database rather than by a transcript from the candidate. An RMI without it completes 16 hours of approved training and then takes the same Oregon test, which is the state's only examination: 80 scored questions in 180 minutes, 70 percent to pass, open book on Oregon laws, rules and business practices, and never waived. Out-of-state work does count in one place at this level: the eight combined years for Level 1 or four for Level 2 are certified by the contractor for its key employees and the statute nowhere requires the experience to have been earned in Oregon, so years spent as a licensed contractor, journeyman, foreperson or supervisor in another state count toward the endorsement. The remaining steps are the same for every applicant: registration with the Oregon Secretary of State, an $80,000 or $25,000 commercial bond and $2 million or $1 million of aggregate liability insurance on the Board's own forms according to the level chosen, workers' compensation cover if the business has employees, and the $400 application fee.

Level 1 and Level 2 are licensed to perform identical work, so the choice between them is a choice about experience, bond size, insurance limit and continuing education rather than about scope. The key-employee experience is certified by the contractor on the application and again at renewal; the Board publishes no verification form for it and no list of documents it will accept, so confirm with the licensing call center on 503-378-4621 what evidence it wants for years worked outside Oregon. Two other RMI routes exist but rarely help an inbound contractor: continuous association with an Oregon-licensed business from before 1 July 2000 with no lapse over 24 months, and a sole proprietor exemption under Oregon Laws 2018 chapter 46, which in any case only produces a residential endorsement. OAR 812-003-0265 separately gives the spouse of an active-duty servicemember stationed in Oregon a temporary authorization of up to two years, available for both commercial general levels, on a current out-of-state general, commercial or residential contractor license in good standing, with competency shown by the NASCLA examination, the Oregon examination, or eight years of licensed contracting in another state, plus three hours of Board education. The license must be applied for within two years of passing the Oregon test, and the Board charges no separate fee for the endorsement on a new application.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility
Typical processing
About 42 days

What you must already have

  • You must have passed a licensing exam in Ohio that the destination considers comparable.OAR 812-006-0310 accepts the pass whenever it was earned and proves it by the RMI's name appearing in the NASCLA National Examination Database. The NASCLA examination is an exam credential rather than a license or an interstate agreement, so it is open to a candidate from any state and confers no advantage tied to where the applicant is licensed. It does not waive the Oregon contractor test, the key-employee experience, the bond, the insurance or the fee. An applicant without it takes 16 hours of approved training instead.
  • For Commercial General Contractor Level 1, one or more key employees with a combined total of at least eight years of construction experience; for Level 2, a combined total of at least four years. A key employee is an owner or employee who is a corporate officer, manager, superintendent, foreperson or lead person.The qualifying years are time worked as a licensed contractor, journeyman, foreperson or supervisor or as any other employee engaged in construction work for a licensed contractor, and ORS 701.050 does not confine that to Oregon, so out-of-state years count. Completion of an apprenticeship substitutes for up to three years, a bachelor's degree in a construction-related field for up to three, a bachelor's or master's degree in business, finance or economics for up to two, and an associate's degree in construction or building management for one. The contractor certifies the total on the application and at every renewal.
  • The business must designate at least one Responsible Managing Individual: an owner or an employee who exercises management or supervisory authority over the construction activities of the business. An RMI who is not an owner may serve only one licensee at a time, and a business that loses its RMI must appoint a replacement immediately or a temporary RMI for no more than 14 days, or the license is suspended.
  • You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.ORS 701.098(1)(d). The application also requires five years of construction-related court judgments, administrative orders, pending complaints, convictions and indictments from any state, and unsatisfied construction debt blocks a new license for the business owners and for the RMI until it is paid.

What you'll do to get licensed in Oregon

  1. 1Other. At least 16 hours of pre-license training on business practices and law from a CCB-approved education provider, taken by the RMI. It is required of every applicant except an RMI who has passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, and except the narrow RMI route based on continuous Oregon licensure from before July 2000. Providers set their own prices, so the Board publishes no figure; the approved provider list is on the CCB site and the education team can be reached on 503-934-2227. (if applicable).
  2. 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. The Oregon contractor test, administered by PSI at test centers in Oregon and other states or by remote proctor: 80 scored questions in 180 minutes, plus 8 unscored questions and 20 minutes, with 70 percent needed to pass. It is open book against the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management for Oregon Construction Contractors, 2nd edition, which may be highlighted, tabbed and annotated beforehand. The subjects are Oregon contractor laws and regulations, business structure, employees, subcontractors, contracts, lien law, bidding and estimating, project management, building codes, jobsite safety, environmental factors, exterior shell, financial management and tax basics. There is no separate commercial or trade examination. A failed test may be retaken without limit, though not the same version on consecutive attempts, and the license application must follow within two years of the pass..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($60). PSI examination fee, payable when the test is scheduled. It covers first-time and repeat takers and stays valid for one year from the date of payment..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($400). CCB license application fee for a new license, set at $400 for applications received from 1 July 2025. It covers the two-year license; renewal is a further $400 every two years, and changing or adding an endorsement later costs $20. Application fees are not refunded. A licensee who is a sole proprietor or general partner on active duty in the armed forces does not pay a renewal fee falling due during that service..
  5. 5Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($25,000). A commercial surety bond sized to the level chosen: $25,000 for Commercial General Contractor Level 2 and $80,000 for Level 1. The Board accepts only its own CCB Commercial Surety Bond form, signed by an authorized agent of the surety or an attorney-in-fact, bearing a bond number, and filed within 60 days of the date the surety executed it. A commercial bond answers only for small and large commercial work, so a contractor also taking a residential endorsement posts a second, residential bond. Commercial Specialty Level 1 is $55,000 and Level 2 $25,000..
  6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($1,000,000). General liability insurance sized to the level chosen: at least $1 million aggregate for Commercial General Contractor Level 2 and at least $2 million aggregate for Level 1, covering products and completed operations, with the certificate naming Construction Contractors Board, PO Box 14140, Salem, OR 97309 as certificate holder. Proof is filed with the application and again at every renewal. A contractor holding both a commercial and a residential endorsement carries a single policy at the higher of the two amounts..
  7. 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). Workers' compensation coverage, required of any business that is non-exempt, meaning it has employees. A sole proprietor with no employees, and a business in which every owner, officer or member is a family member, may file as exempt; the Board defines family as parents, spouses, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and grandchildren. A non-exempt applicant supplies its carrier, policy number, Workers' Compensation Division compliance number and employer tax identification numbers, and any change between exempt and non-exempt status must be reported to the Board within 10 days..
  8. 8Business license. Obtain a business license. A business entity that is required to register with the Oregon Secretary of State's Corporation Division must be registered, active and in good standing before the license issues, and every assumed business name used by the applicant must be registered as that entity's assumed business name. An out-of-state entity registers in Oregon in the same way. A joint venture is licensed and endorsed for bidding purposes if a named partner or joint venturer holds the license and endorsement..
  9. 9Background check. Complete a background check. The RMI clears a background check after the application is filed. The application itself asks the business and its owners and officers to disclose, for the five years before the application and from any state, unsatisfied construction-related court judgments and administrative orders, pending complaints alleging money owed, and judgments of conviction or indictments for the crimes listed in ORS 701.098, along with unpaid workers' compensation penalties and unpaid employee wages. Unsatisfied construction debt keeps both the owners and the RMI from obtaining a new CCB license until it is paid..
  10. 10Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($30,000) (if applicable). A separate $30,000 public works bond, filed with the Board before work starts on a qualifying public works project over $100,000. It is not part of the licensing application, but it is the second bond most commercial general contractors in Oregon end up posting. Disadvantaged, minority, women-owned, service-disabled veteran and emerging small businesses certified by the state may apply for an exemption..
  11. 11Continuing education. Complete continuing education (if applicable). Not required to obtain the license. Each two-year license period a Commercial General Contractor Level 2 must certify that one or more key employees completed at least 32 hours of continuing education; a Level 1 contractor's requirement scales with the lowest number of key employees it had during the period, at 16 hours for one, 32 for two, 48 for three, 64 for four and 80 for five or more. Hours count only if the key employee was employed by the contractor when the course was taken, and hours credited at one renewal cannot be reused at the next. Contractors who also hold certain Oregon licenses, including architect, engineer, electrician and plumber, are exempt..
  12. 12Other. A contractor whose Oregon work will include boiler, electrical, elevator or plumbing installation also needs the matching Building Codes Division contractor license, and OAR 918-030-0015 requires an active CCB license before the division will issue or renew one. The CCB license comes first, and it does not replace the division license..

Published fees on this path total $460, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Other · if applicable
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $60

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · $25,000
  • Surety bond · $30,000 · if applicable

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance · $1,000,000
  • Insurance · if applicable

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education · if applicable

How Oregon licenses general contractors

Oregon general contractor · “Construction contractor license with the Commercial General Contractor Level 1 or Level 2 (CGC1/CGC2) endorsement”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB)

Oregon's unlimited tier is the Commercial General Contractor endorsement, carried on the same single construction contractor license the Construction Contractors Board issues to everyone: ORS 701.021 requires a current CCB license plus the endorsement that matches the work, and the endorsement is what sets the bond and the insurance. A Commercial General Contractor may bid or perform work involving an unlimited number of unrelated building trades on small or large commercial structures, and it comes in two levels that are allowed to do exactly the same work and differ only in what stands behind them. Level 1 requires one or more key employees with a combined total of at least eight years of construction experience, an $80,000 commercial bond and general liability insurance of at least $2 million aggregate; Level 2 requires four combined years, a $25,000 commercial bond and at least $1 million aggregate. A key employee is an owner or employee who is a corporate officer, manager, superintendent, foreperson or lead person, the qualifying years are time as a licensed contractor, journeyman, foreperson or supervisor or as another employee doing construction work for a licensed contractor, and an apprenticeship or a construction-related bachelor's degree substitutes for up to three years, a bachelor's or master's in business, finance or economics for up to two, and an associate's degree in construction or building management for one. Alongside it sit Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 1 and Level 2 for one or two unrelated trades and Commercial Developer; a license may carry one commercial endorsement, one residential endorsement, or one of each, and a contractor holding both posts two bonds and carries one liability policy at the higher amount. As at every level the license belongs to the business and must at all times have at least one Responsible Managing Individual, an owner or employee with management or supervisory authority over its construction activities, who has completed 16 hours of CCB-approved pre-license training and passed the Oregon contractor test. Oregon imposes no net worth, working capital or financial statement test; the key-employee experience certification, the bond and the insurance are the only financial gates.

Moving to OregonLeaving Oregon

Why Ohio has nothing to transfer

Ohio general contractor · “General / building contractor registration (city-issued)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 20 sources

Issued by No state authority; cities and counties register commercial building contractors

Ohio has no statewide general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, so there is nothing at state level for an out-of-state general contractor's license to transfer into and no NASCLA route to take. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses individual contractors in five specialty trades only - electrical, HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing and hydronics - under R.C. Chapter 4740, and its board has an electrical section, a plumbing and hydronics section and an HVAC and refrigeration section but no building section. Those five licenses are also the only ones Ohio's reciprocity agreements reach: OCILB's published partner list names Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, and every entry is scoped to one or more of the five trades. Commercial building is instead controlled through city permitting, and the requirements are administrative rather than technical: Columbus registers a General Contractor on a $25,000 bond and a liability certificate with no exam, Cincinnati registers a Building Construction Contractor on insurance and workers' compensation for $131.25 a year, Cleveland requires general contractors to be bonded, insured and registered under Chapter 3107 of its Codified Ordinances, and Akron requires anyone whose work needs a permit to register. Toledo and Dayton license only the trades and have no commercial building contractor license at all, and Summit County, which issues Akron's building permits, replaced annual contractor registration with a permit-based process in 2024. None of these registrations involves a trade or business-law exam, a qualifying party, a financial statement or an experience review, and none of them recognizes another state's license, so a general contractor arriving in Ohio registers jurisdiction by jurisdiction and makes sure the electrical, HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing and hydronics scope is performed under the correct OCILB state licenses.

How local licensing works in Ohio

How local licensing works. No Ohio agency issues a general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license, and there is no Ohio equivalent of a qualifying party, a NASCLA route or a state business-and-law exam for builders. Ohio has around 800 certified building departments, each with its own contractor rules, so identify the department with jurisdiction over the site - the Board of Building Standards map at com.ohio.gov/JurisdictionMap does this by address - and register there before bidding. One statewide rule shapes what those departments ask for: R.C. 4740.12 provides that "no political subdivision, district, or agency of the state may adopt an ordinance or rule that requires contractor registration and the assessment of a registration or license fee unless that ordinance or rule also requires any contractor who registers and pays the registration or license fee to be licensed in the contractor's trade pursuant to this chapter", which OCILB describes as requiring building and health departments with a registration program to demand the state license before issuing commercial permits.

Columbus. Building and Zoning Services registers a General Contractor under Chapter 4114 of the Columbus Building Code. The registration "can be associated with all permits to build new 1, 2, or 3 family, multi-family (4 or more dwelling units), and commercial structures, as well as alter or add to existing multi-family and commercial structures." The filing is a notarized application, "a Bond in the amount of $25,000" on the city's own bond form under C.C. 4114.515, and a certificate of liability insurance with "limits of liability no less than $300,000.00 for damages to a single person and $500,000.00 for one occurrence", naming Building and Zoning Services as certificate holder. There is no exam, experience, reference or financial requirement, and no board hearing - the General Contractor registration is one of the few Columbus categories that does not go before a review board. The 2026 fee schedule sets a $350 annual contractor license and registration fee, with $100 for a change of assignment or elective suspension; the registration runs to "the end of the twelfth month from the date of issuance." 111 North Front Street, (614) 645-7433, [email protected].

Cleveland. The Department of Building & Housing requires that contractors "must be bonded, insured, and registered" and that "contractors must be registered with the City of Cleveland within their trade in order to obtain permits. Separate permits are required for each separate trade, i.e. general, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and elevator." Registration sits in Chapter 3107 of the Codified Ordinances, Registration of Contractors, which provides for a Certificate of Registration and a Limited Certificate of Registration with separate qualifications for each. A General Contractor Registration Application package is published in the Contractor Packages section of the city's construction permitting resources page, and the bond, insurance and fee figures are stated in that package and in Chapter 3107 rather than on the department's web pages - confirm them with Building & Housing on 216-664-2910 before filing. Registration status is verified on 216-664-2884, and electrical, plumbing and HVAC registrations require the OCILB state license first.

Cincinnati. Buildings & Inspections registers contractors under Chapter 1106 of the Municipal Code, and commercial builders fall in the Building Construction Contractor class, the catch-all that "will apply to all other contractors that are not addressed in the two previous descriptions" and covers specialties such as crane operations, demolition, carpentry, masonry and glazing alongside new one-, two- and three-family construction. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, hydronic and refrigeration firms register in the separate OCILB Licensed Specialty Contractor class on their state licenses, and that city registration runs to the state license's expiry date. The filing is the signed application, liability insurance with "minimum liability limits of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for damages to a single person, and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for one (1) occurrence" (crane operators carry $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate and a $4,000,000 or $10,000,000 umbrella depending on lift capacity), proof of Ohio workers' compensation, an assignment form listing everyone authorized to sign permit applications, and a federal tax ID. The fee is $125.00 plus surcharges, $131.25 a year, for up to three years; same-day processing is $208 extra. There is no exam and no bond. A company operating under more than one business name needs a separate registration for each legal entity, and where a company holds several OCILB licenses through different people, each license holder registers separately. 805 Central Avenue, Suite 500, (513) 352-3271.

Akron and Summit County. Akron requires "all contractors regardless of trade to register as a contractor if the work they are performing requires a permit to do the work", on a contractor registration application with an Akron Tax Registration Number, a certificate of liability insurance, state licenses where the trade needs one, and workers' compensation coverage unless there are no employees. No exam or fee is published. Ohio Building Code permits for Akron projects come from the Summit County Department of Building Standards, which since March 2024 has run "a permit-based process" in place of annual contractor registration: "the $135 annual fee for contractors and the requirement for a $10,000 bond are now eliminated", while "contractors will still be required to provide liability insurance, State license if applicable, and a Tax ID Number", and commercial application fees rose by $10. Akron Plans & Permits, 1030 E. Tallmadge Ave., 330-375-2010; Summit County Building Standards, same address, 330-630-7280.

Toledo. Toledo licenses Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Home Improvement and Remodeling, Sign and Sidewalk contractors, plus journeymen and apprentices in the electrical, HVAC, plumbing and refrigeration trades. There is no commercial or general building contractor license, so a commercial builder in Toledo pulls permits without a city contractor credential while the trades hold theirs. All Toledo licenses renew annually and expire December 31. Division of Building Inspection, One Government Center, Suite 1600, 419-245-1220.

Dayton. The Division of Building Inspection publishes registration and bond forms only for electrical, plumbing, warm air heating and pipe-laying contractors. Dayton has no general or building contractor registration; a commercial builder works through the registered trades. Building Inspection, 937-333-3979; One Stop Center, 371 West Second Street, 937-333-3883.

Cuyahoga County. A Division of Building Standards was created in 2025 to serve partner communities with contractor registration, plan review, permitting and inspections, with registration "completed through a secure online portal" on its site. The partner community list is still being announced and "an approved fee schedule will be released by December 1, 2026", so check the state's building department look-up tool for a specific address before assuming which department has jurisdiction. [email protected].

What does and does not travel. An out-of-state general contractor license, a NASCLA Accredited Examination and out-of-state project experience carry no weight in any of these jurisdictions, because none of them tests or qualifies commercial builders at all. What does matter is holding, or employing someone who holds, the OCILB license for each of the five state-licensed trades in scope, then registering that license with the city as well. OCILB's own reciprocity list is the only place an out-of-state license shortens the path, and every entry on it - Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia - is scoped to the electrical, HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing or hydronics trades, so those routes belong on this site's electrical, HVAC and plumbing pages rather than here.

Moving to OhioLeaving Ohio

Common questions

Do I have to take the Oregon general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Ohio?
The trade exam is waived, but Oregon requires a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a Oregon general contractor license from Ohio?
Published fees on this path total $460, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Ohio work hours count in Oregon?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Oregon's eligibility requirements.
How long does the application take?
The board's published or typical processing time is about 42 days.
Does it work the other way, from Oregon to Ohio?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Oregon to Ohio, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  2. CCB Frequently Asked Questions (application), updated 3/2026 · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  3. Construction Contractors Board - Continuing education · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  4. CCB License Endorsements chart (11/2024) · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Oregon Construction Contractors Board Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · Oregon Construction Contractors Board / PSI Services LLC · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Construction Contractors Board - How to get a CCB license (9 steps) · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  7. CCB Sole Proprietorship License Application · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  8. Construction Contractors Board - Licensing (bonds, insurance, public works bond) · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  9. OAR chapter 812, division 3 - Construction Contractors Board licensing · OAR 812-003-0131, 812-003-0142, 812-003-0152, 812-003-0153, 812-003-0260, 812-003-0265, 812-003-0270 · Oregon Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  10. OAR chapter 812, division 6 - Responsible Managing Individual, pre-licensure training, and testing · OAR 812-006-0100, 812-006-0110, 812-006-0150, 812-006-0160, 812-006-0300, 812-006-0310, 812-006-0450 · Oregon Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  11. OAR chapter 812, division 20 - Continuing education for construction contractors with commercial endorsements · OAR 812-020-0030 · Oregon Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  12. OAR 918-030-0015 - Contractor licenses (Building Codes Division requires a CCB license) · OAR 918-030-0015 · Oregon Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  13. ORS chapter 701 - Construction Contractors and Contracts (2025 edition) · ORS 701.005(16)-(17), 701.021, 701.042, 701.046, 701.050, 701.056, 701.063, 701.068, 701.073, 701.081, 701.084, 701.091, 701.098, 701.122 · Oregon Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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