LicensebyState

Pennsylvania to Oregon: general contractor license reciprocity

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

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer

Pennsylvania general contractor · “General Contractor License / Contractor License (city-issued)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 10 sources

Issued by No state contractor authority; city building and licensing departments

Pennsylvania issues no general, commercial or building contractor license, and the Department of Labor and Industry says so on its own contractor licensing page: "The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania currently has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors (or their employees)." The statewide registration that does exist, the Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Office of Attorney General, is no help on commercial work, because the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act reaches only private residences of one or two units and expressly excludes the construction of a new home, services for commercial or business use performed away from a private residence, and the conversion of commercial buildings to residential use. What Pennsylvania licenses at state level is a short list of specific activities: crane operators through the State Board of Crane Operators, asbestos and lead removal through Labor and Industry, and manufactured housing installers through the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act. Commercial building is controlled by the city instead. Philadelphia requires a Contractor License of any business doing construction, demolition or repair that does not need a specialized trade license, Pittsburgh requires a General Contractor License for all work under a Commercial Building Development Application, and Scranton requires a General Contractor License for multi-family residential of three or more units, commercial, demolition and industrial work. Because there is no state contractor examination, there is nothing for the NASCLA Accredited Examination to stand in place of: no Pennsylvania authority publishes acceptance of it, and none of the three city programs mentions it. There is likewise no reciprocity anywhere in Pennsylvania at this level, so a commercial contractor moving here applies city by city and carries the insurance each city demands.

How local licensing works in Pennsylvania

How it works in Pennsylvania. No state board licenses, examines or qualifies building contractors, so there is no qualifying party, no state trade or business-law exam, no state bond, no financial-responsibility test and no state credential for another state's license to convert into. Cities that license do it under their own ordinances through a licenses and inspections department, and their credentials are valid only inside their own boundaries. Two of the three largest programs test nothing at all: they turn on insurance, tax compliance, identification and, in one case, a federal lead-safety certification. Only Scranton asks for a passing score, and even that has an experience-and-references alternative.

Philadelphia. A Contractor License from the Department of Licenses and Inspections "is required for any business doing work that: Involves construction, demolition, or repair [and] Does not require a specialized company license." Complete demolition, electrical, fire suppression and plumbing each need their own specialized license instead. The company must hold a Business Income and Receipts Tax ID and a Commercial Activity License, be current on all City taxes, and file a Certificate of Insurance showing general liability of $500,000 per occurrence, automobile liability of $300,000 and workers' compensation of $100,000 per accident, $100,000 per employee and a $500,000 policy limit. The one competency element is safety training: "You must identify the supervisors responsible for construction projects. A supervisor can only be employed by one company. They must also show proof of completion of an approved OSHA 30 safety training course taken within five years of application date." The license fee is $126 and the renewal fee is $126, with a non-refundable $20 application fee applied to the license fee and the balance due on approval; renewing more than 60 days late costs 1.5% of the license fee for every month since expiry. Renewal keeps the same conditions, except that a supervisor whose OSHA 30 certificate L&I has already accepted may take 30 hours of construction or demolition safety continuing education instead of retaking the course. Apply through eCLIPSE or at the Permit and License Center, 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd.; applications are reviewed within five business days. The governing ordinance is Philadelphia Code Title 9-1004.

Pittsburgh. The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections issues just two contractor licenses, General Contractor and Sign Contractor, and they do not overlap. A General Contractor License is required for all work performed under a Commercial Building Development Application, for new one- or two-family dwellings, for renovations and additions to rental or investment residential properties, and for commercial and residential demolition permits. Bring a valid photo ID, a general liability certificate of at least $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, a workers' compensation certificate, a Tax Compliance Letter from the City's Department of Finance, and an EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting certification in lead-safe construction practices, which lasts five years. The 2026 fee schedule prices the General Contractor license at $90.00 for the initial application and $90.00 for each annual renewal, with a $50.00 late fee. Licenses expire 365 days from the date of issuance, with a 60-day grace period and late fees from day 31, after which the license lapses and you start again. Applications are handled entirely through OneStopPGH; PLI is at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 412-255-2175.

Scranton. Code Enforcement requires a General Contractor License for "any other work done on a multi-family residential (3+ units), commercial, demolition, industrial, et. al." The license is issued to a named individual rather than a company, runs the calendar year, and takes two possible routes. Option A is the minimum paperwork plus "Exam Results demonstrating a passing score on a UCC exam or ICC exam in the relevant subject" - for a builder, the ICC General Construction Contractor category - and costs $225.00. Option B replaces the exam with four years of practical experience documented by W-2s or 1099s (or two years plus four years of relevant post-secondary education, counting each year of education as half a year of experience) and three reference letters: one from a contractor who employed the applicant, one from an ICC- or UCC-certified inspector who has inspected the applicant's work, and one from a licensed design professional. Option B costs $250.00. Renewal is $175.00 with a $50.00 late fee, due before your first permit of the calendar year or by March 31, whichever comes first. Everyone files identification, an indemnification statement, a disclosure statement covering litigation and any license revocation or suspension "by the City or any other jurisdiction," general liability, property damage and public liability insurance of $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation or an affidavit of no employees, an unsworn affidavit under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, and a Single Tax Office registration number. Scranton enforces the 2018 ICC series.

Allegheny County. The county licenses no contractors. Its permits and licenses are road and bridge, dog, food facility, lead and asbestos abatement, marriage, passports, plumbing, swimming pool and facility rentals, so outside Pittsburgh city limits a commercial contractor deals with the municipality's own code office.

Everywhere else. Most Pennsylvania municipalities enforce the Uniform Construction Code through permits, plan review and third-party inspection agencies without licensing contractors at all, and the Act allows them to charge a reasonable fee for that. Check each municipality's code office before bidding.

Arriving from another state. Nothing transfers. There is no state application to file, no endorsement or reciprocity route to ask about, and no Pennsylvania authority that accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination or any other out-of-state contractor examination in place of a requirement, because the Commonwealth sets no examination requirement at all. The practical work is registering the business in Pennsylvania, buying the liability and workers' compensation cover each city specifies, getting the supervisor's OSHA 30 card for Philadelphia and the EPA lead-safe certification for Pittsburgh, and applying separately in every city where you will pull permits. If you also do home improvement work on one- and two-unit homes, register with the Office of Attorney General as well; that requirement is described at the residential level.

Moving to PennsylvaniaLeaving Pennsylvania

Common questions

Do I have to take the Oregon general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
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 Pennsylvania?
Published fees on this path total $460, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Oregon to Pennsylvania, 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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