LicensebyState

Texas to Oregon: general contractor license reciprocity

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

Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas has nothing to transfer

Texas general contractor

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 13 sources

Texas has no statewide general, commercial or building contractor license and no state board that examines or qualifies builders, so there is nothing at the state level for an out-of-state general contractor's license to transfer into. The trades are licensed instead: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians and electrical contractors, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, elevator and boiler work, water well drillers and industrialized housing and buildings; the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers; and the Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal's Office licenses fire alarm and fire sprinkler contractors. Commercial building is controlled through city permitting: Dallas registers general contractors and says its category expressly includes commercial general contractors, Fort Worth requires a Building Contractor registration for any building permit, El Paso requires a general contractor registration with a blanket construction bond and liability insurance for new commercial work and tenant improvements, and Austin requires the general contractor named on a building permit to register with Building and Trade Contractor Services first. Houston and San Antonio require nothing at all of a commercial general contractor: San Antonio states that 'there are no license or registration requirements for commercial general contractors', and Houston's permitting guides state that general contractors are not required to be licensed. None of these city registrations involves a trade or business-law exam, a qualifying party, a financial statement or an experience review, and none of them recognizes a license from another state, so a general contractor arriving in Texas registers city by city, carries the insurance and bonds each city demands, and makes sure the electrical, HVAC and plumbing work is performed under the correct state trade licenses.

How local licensing works in Texas

How it works in Texas. No Texas agency issues a general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license, and there is no Texas equivalent of a qualifying party, a NASCLA route or a business-and-law exam. Cities control commercial construction through the building permit. Where a city registers contractors, registration is an annual (or biennial) filing backed by insurance, bonding and identity documents - never a competency exam - so out-of-state experience, an out-of-state license and a NASCLA Accredited Examination score all carry the same weight in Texas, which is none. What does matter is holding, or employing, the state trade licenses for any electrical, HVAC or plumbing scope, and registering those licenses with the city as well.

Dallas. Building Inspection's contractor registration form covers General Contractor and notes that the category 'includes, but is not limited to, the following: residential general contractor, commercial general contractor, roofing contractor, fence contractor, foundation contractor, demolition contractor and pool contractor.' The form prints an annual registration or renewal fee of $120.00. A company with a Dallas address must supply a Certificate of Occupancy number or have a home office form on file. The responsible party lists and assigns PINs to the staff who may sign permit applications, and registrations are suspended or revoked under Chapter 52 of the Dallas City Code, the Administrative Procedures for the Construction Codes. Renewals go through DallasNow or any Building Inspection office; (214) 948-4480.

Fort Worth. 'Any firm, business, individual or organization obtaining a permit related to the building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical provisions' of the city codes must have a valid Contractor Registration on file with Development Services. A commercial builder registers as a Building Contractor for $168.75, submitting the application and a copy of a valid driver's license; 'the Contractor Registration, unless revoked or suspended, shall expire one year from the date of issuance.' The Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing registration types require the matching Texas state license; the Building type does not require any license or exam. Parkway and Utility contractors are the exception that carries a bond ($25,000 commercial or $10,000 residential) and a certificate of liability insurance naming the City as additional insured, at $562.50. Call 817-392-2222.

El Paso. Planning and Inspections registers a General Contractor for 'New Commercial & Tenant Improvements'. The filing is an Assumed Name Certificate or corporate documents, the Contractor Registration Application, a certificate of general liability insurance of at least $100,000 with the City of El Paso as certificate holder, and a blanket building construction bond; the city's current application states $50,000 for general contractors while its requirements sheet lists $25,000, so confirm the figure with the One Stop Shop before buying the bond. Stated minimum liability limits are $250,000 bodily injury per person, $500,000 aggregate, and $100,000 property damage per occurrence and in the aggregate. The requirements sheet lists a $102.00 annual fee, and the application 'must be filed annually to be eligible to obtain permits from the City of El Paso in accordance with Section 18.02.104.5 of the El Paso City Code.' Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, irrigation and fire contractors register on their state licenses at no annual fee. One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Avenue, 915-212-0104.

Austin. Development Services states plainly that 'in Texas, anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required.' The general contractor named on a building permit must still register with Building and Trade Contractor Services before the permit is activated: create an Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal account, submit the registration web form and a Letter of Authorization. General contractors register once and update only on a change of name, address or authorized agents, while trade contractors must hold the state license and refresh their registration annually with the license information. Austin publishes no fee for general contractor registration.

San Antonio. Development Services registers residential builders and home improvement contractors under Chapter 10-115 of the Code of Ordinances, but for commercial work it states: 'There are no license or registration requirements for commercial general contractors.' A commercial builder in San Antonio pulls permits without any city credential; the electrical, mechanical and plumbing subcontractors must be registered with Development Services on their state licenses before permits are issued.

Houston. Houston requires no general contractor credential of any kind. Its Commercial Permitting 101 guide states that 'the building permit may be purchased by the owner, agent, contractor. General Contractors are not required to be licensed', and the city's plan review page repeats that 'a general contractor's license is not required to obtain building permits.' The city instead registers the licensed trades: a TDLR Master Electrician, a TDLR Class A or B air conditioning contractor, a TSBPE Master Plumber, and fire alarm and fire sprinkler contractors licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal's Office, each of whom must also be registered with the City of Houston to buy a trade permit. Commercial projects over $50,000 additionally need a TDLR project registration under the Architectural Barriers Act.

Everywhere else. Other Texas cities set their own rules, and outside city limits and extraterritorial jurisdictions there is usually no building permit authority at all. Ask each city's building or development services department what it registers before you bid work there.

Moving to TexasLeaving Texas

Common questions

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