How to get a plumbing license in Oregon: the official requirements
The Journeyman Plumber license license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Oregon Building Codes Division.
In Oregon, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Oregon Building Codes Division. The journeyman plumber license from the Oregon Building Codes Division. To qualify as a journeyman plumber you meet the requirements of one of the license pathways on the application. Experience and training: Either 3,850 hours of lawful commercial and 3,850 hours of lawful residential on-the-job experience as an apprentice or journeyman plumber (with the classroom training below), or 7,700 hours each of commercial and residential work while holding a license with a similar scope in another jurisdiction. The division counts at most 2,000 hours of work experience per year, and each employer completes an experience verification form. Licensing exam: The state journeyman plumber licensing exam. After your application is approved, the division mails a letter of authorization explaining how to schedule it; results come by mail within two weeks, and if you pass the license is mailed to you. How to apply: Mail the Journeyman Plumber License Application as one packet with all documents (experience verification forms, transcripts, diploma proof, passport-style photo) and payment. Do not email documents; incomplete applications may be delayed or rejected.
Oregon plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Oregon |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The journeyman plumber license from the Oregon Building Codes Division. To qualify as a journeyman plumber you meet the requirements of one of the license pathways on the application. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Oregon Building Codes Division. |
| Experience and training | Either 3,850 hours of lawful commercial and 3,850 hours of lawful residential on-the-job experience as an apprentice or journeyman plumber (with the classroom training below), or 7,700 hours each of commercial and residential work while holding a license with a similar scope in another jurisdiction. The division counts at most 2,000 hours of work experience per year, and each employer completes an experience verification form. |
| Classroom hours | For the on-the-job pathway, at least 576 hours of plumbing-related classroom training, shown by official transcripts; applicants also prove a high school diploma, GED or equivalent (a college degree substitutes). |
| Licensing exam | The state journeyman plumber licensing exam. After your application is approved, the division mails a letter of authorization explaining how to schedule it; results come by mail within two weeks, and if you pass the license is mailed to you. |
| How to apply | Mail the Journeyman Plumber License Application as one packet with all documents (experience verification forms, transcripts, diploma proof, passport-style photo) and payment. Do not email documents; incomplete applications may be delayed or rejected. |
| Background check | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Oregon Building Codes Division. |
| State fees | Application fee: $100, nonrefundable. |
| License term | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Oregon Building Codes Division. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Oregon Building Codes Division. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Oregon
- Complete at least 576 hours of plumbing-related classroom training.
- Log 3,850 hours of commercial and 3,850 hours of residential on-the-job experience as an apprentice or journeyman plumber.
- Get an experience verification form from each employer.
- Mail the complete application packet with the $100 fee to the division.
- When approved, schedule and pass the licensing exam using the division's letter of authorization.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salary in OregonWhat plumbers earn.
Open →CareerPlumber career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →ResumePlumber resumeHow to present your hours and licenses.
Open →InterviewPlumber interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Oregon Building Codes Division (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Oregon Building Codes Division's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Oregon Building Codes Division, Journeyman plumber license, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division, Journeyman Plumber License Application (440-2571, 02/24), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.