South Dakota to Oregon: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Oregon has no reciprocity agreement with South Dakota. Your South Dakota experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Oregon exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Examination with credit for out-of-state experience (all non-reciprocal states)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An electrician licensed in a state without an Oregon reciprocity agreement applies for the General Journeyman license on the standard Electrical License Application and must pass the Oregon journeyman exam (52 questions, three hours, open book; 75 percent to pass). Out-of-state experience counts toward eligibility: either official transcripts showing 576 classroom hours plus verified 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience with at least 1,000 hours each in residential, commercial and industrial work, or 16,000 verified on-the-job hours with at least 2,000 hours in each category. Experience is documented with one Electrical Experience Verification Form per employer. Under ORS 479.632 the board may decline to examine an applicant whose out-of-state training or experience it finds not equivalent to Oregon's.
The Oregon journeyman exam is a single open-book exam; no separate law or rules exam is published. The $100 fee paid with the Electrical License Application (form 440-2570) is the only fee: under ORS 479.840 it is both the application fee and the fee for the three-year license, and no separate exam fee is charged.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 21 days
What you must already have
- 576 classroom hours of electrical training plus 8,000 verified on-the-job hours obtained outside Oregon (minimum 1,000 hours each in residential, commercial and industrial), OR 16,000 verified on-the-job hours obtained outside Oregon (minimum 2,000 hours in each category).OAR 918-282-0170 also sets minimum hours in the other work categories: stock room and material handling 100; intercommunication, signal and control systems 500; underground construction 100; troubleshooting and maintenance 250; finishing and fixture hanging 50. Together with the 1,000 hours each of residential, commercial and industrial work, that is 4,000 minimum subject hours, and no category may be credited at more than three times its minimum.
What you'll do to get licensed in Oregon
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Application and three-year General Journeyman license fee, paid with the Electrical License Application (form 440-2570); nonrefundable. No separate exam fee..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Oregon General Journeyman Electrician exam: 52 questions, 3 hours, open book; minimum score 75 percent.
Published fees on this path total $100, 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.
- Trade exam
How Oregon licenses journeyman electricians
Oregon journeyman electrician · “General Journeyman Electrician (J)”
Statewide license
Issued by Oregon Building Codes Division (Department of Consumer and Business Services)
Oregon issues a statewide General Journeyman Electrician (J) license through the Building Codes Division. An applicant without a reciprocal license must document either an approved apprenticeship, or 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience earned outside Oregon, or 16,000 out-of-state on-the-job hours, and then pass the Oregon journeyman exam. Under ORS 479.630 an Oregon Limited Residential Electrician may also qualify after two years under that license plus two more years of apprenticeship-level commercial and industrial work. Oregon has signed journeyman reciprocity agreements with Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming; qualifying holders of those licenses are licensed without taking the Oregon exam. Licenses renew every three years on October 1 and require 24 hours of continuing education.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Oregon journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?
- Yes. Oregon requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Oregon journeyman electrician license from South Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $100, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Dakota 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 21 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Oregon to South Dakota?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Oregon to South Dakota, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Electrical License Application (form 440-2570), with Experience Verification (440-2570A) · Oregon Building Codes Division (DCBS) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Oregon Building Codes Division - Apply for an electrical license · Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Building Codes Division - Reciprocal licenses · Oregon Building Codes Division (DCBS) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- OAR chapter 918, division 30 - General Licensing Requirements · OAR 918-030-0010, 918-030-0015, 918-030-0020, 918-030-0030, 918-030-0060, 918-030-0120, 918-030-0150, 918-030-0210, 918-030-0230 · Oregon Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- OAR chapter 918, division 282 - Electrical licensing · OAR 918-282-0140, 918-282-0170 · Oregon Secretary of State · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- ORS chapter 479 - Protection of Buildings from Fire and Electrical Hazards · ORS 479.630, 479.632, 479.840 · Oregon Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Oregon License Directory - General Journeyman Electrician (J) · Oregon Secretary of State / Building Codes Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.