Oregon HVAC license requirements at a glance
- Issued by
- Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), with CCB contractor registration
- License required
- Yes, BCD trade/business license plus CCB registration to operate
- Experience
- 8,000 supervised hours (≈4 yrs)
- Exam
- Individual specialty exams via BCD/PSI; the LHR business license itself is application-based
- State fees
- $75 (LHR) or 375 (CRE) to BCD; CCB registration separate
- Renewal
- Every license cycle set by BCD (confirm current cycle)
- Avg. OR HVAC salary
- $64,210/yr (2025)
- Federal
- EPA Section 608 required
How do you get an HVAC license in Oregon?
- Obtain EPA Section 608 certification for refrigerant handling (federal requirement)
- Enter a registered HVAC/R apprenticeship or accumulate documented trade hours approved by the Building Codes Division, paid work the entire time
- Earn the individual credential your scope requires (HVAC/R work in Oregon runs through the electrical specialty system, confirm your exact scope with BCD)
- Going independent: complete the 16-hour CCB pre-license course, register your business with the Secretary of State, secure your bond and insurance, and register with the CCB
- Apply for the BCD contractor/business license (form 440-2888: LHR $75 or CRE $375) and designate a qualified signing supervisor
What license tiers does Oregon offer?
Oregon layers two license systems. On the business side, the $75 LHR (Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R) covers HVAC/R maintenance work, while the $375 CRE (Restricted Energy Contractor) covers a broader energy scope, and combination licenses bundle plumbing, boiler, and HVAC/R for multi-trade shops. Underneath that, individual technicians carry their own credentials through the electrical specialty system. Business license and individual credential are separate requirements, not alternatives.
What is the Oregon HVAC exam like?
The LHR business license itself is application-based, the exam requirement sits at the individual-credential level, administered through BCD and PSI for the electrical specialties that cover HVAC/R work. Businesses must also designate a qualified signing supervisor, with experience verified on form 2570a. Confirm your specific credential and exam with BCD, because the required license depends on your exact work scope.
How much does an HVAC license cost in Oregon?
From the state application itself: $75 for the Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R (LHR) license or $375 for the Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE). The CCB side adds the 16-hour pre-license course, registration fees, a surety bond (amounts vary by endorsement), and general liability insurance. The trade hours are paid apprenticeship work, so training debt is minimal.
How long does it take to become an HVAC tech in Oregon?
The clock is the 8,000 supervised hours, roughly 4 years of full-time paid work. Oregon splits HVAC licensing across two agencies, individual trade credentials through the Building Codes Division and contractor registration through the CCB. Most techs come up through a 4-year paid apprenticeship, then add the business licenses if they go independent.
Is HVAC a good career in Oregon?
Oregon average from state wage data (2025 estimate). National median from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023). Verify current figures with BLS.
What does it take to start your own HVAC business in Oregon?
Going independent in Oregon means clearing both agencies: the CCB requires the 16-hour law-and-business pre-license course, business registration with the Secretary of State, a surety bond, general liability insurance, and workers comp if you hire. The BCD license application (440-2888) requires your CCB number, and LHR/CRE applicants must submit an employee list. Applications go by mail or fax in a single packet, the state explicitly says not to email them.
What most guides get wrong about Oregon
Oregon's trap is the two-agency split: the CCB makes you a contractor, but only the BCD license authorizes HVAC/R work, and applicants routinely finish one and think they're done. Two more form-level details most guides miss: LHR and CRE contractors must submit employee lists with the application, and experience credit for a qualifying person is capped at 2,000 hours per year under OAR 918-030-0030(4), you cannot compress the clock by claiming overtime.
Oregon HVAC license: frequently asked questions
Do I need both a CCB and a BCD license in Oregon?
To run an HVAC business, yes, and this is the trap that catches most applicants. CCB registration makes you a legal contractor in general; the BCD license (like the LHR) authorizes the HVAC/R trade work itself. Registering with one agency and skipping the other is one of the most common enforcement issues in Oregon.
How long does it take to become an HVAC tech in Oregon?
The standard route is a 4-year registered apprenticeship, roughly 8,000 paid on-the-job hours plus classroom training. Alternative documented-experience paths exist through BCD, and every hour is paid work, so there is no tuition-debt phase.
How much does an Oregon HVAC license cost?
The BCD business license is inexpensive, $75 for the LHR or $375 for the broader CRE, per the state application. The real costs sit on the CCB side: the 16-hour pre-license course, registration fees, a surety bond, and liability insurance. Budget several hundred to roughly a thousand dollars all-in to go independent.
Does Oregon accept HVAC or electrical licenses from other states?
Oregon maintains reciprocal agreements for certain electrical licenses through the Building Codes Division. Which states and which credentials qualify changes, so check the BCD reciprocal licenses page against your specific license before assuming your hours transfer.
HVAC licensing in every state
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