2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 14 - Drugs and Alcohol, Fire Protection, Natural Resources › Chapter 479 - Protection of Buildings From Fire; Electrical Safety Law › Section 479.630 - Requirements for obtaining licenses; rules.

If a person pays the applicable application fee required under ORS 479.840 and complies with ORS 479.510 to 479.945 and the rules adopted under ORS 455.117 and 479.510 to 479.945, the Department of Consumer and Business Services shall issue:
(1) An electrical contractor’s license to a person engaging in or carrying on a business of making electrical installations.
(2) A general supervising electrician’s license to a person who:
(a) Passes a written examination prepared by the Electrical and Elevator Board and administered by the department; and
(b) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had at least four years of experience as a general journeyman electrician or its equivalent, as determined by the board by rule, in installing, maintaining and repairing electrical wires and equipment.
(3) A limited supervising electrician’s license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to supervise the class of electrical work included in the branch of the electrical trade and for which the person has passed the examination administered by the department. A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(a) Passes a written examination prepared by the board and administered by the department; and
(b) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had at least four years of specialized experience in a recognized branch of the electrical trade on the journeyman level.
(4) A general journeyman electrician’s license to a person who:
(a) Passes a written examination prepared by the board and administered by the department; and
(b) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that:
(A) The person has had at least four years of general experience as an apprentice or its equivalent, as determined by the board by rule, in installing, maintaining and repairing electrical wires and equipment, including not fewer than 1,000 hours in wiring on single or multifamily dwelling units; or
(B) If the person is licensed as a limited residential electrician under subsection (14) of this section, subsequent to receiving that license, the person has worked for at least two years as a limited residential electrician and subsequent to those two years has completed an additional two years’ experience as an apprentice or its equivalent, as determined by the board by rule, for that period of apprenticeship time worked exclusively in installing, maintaining and repairing electrical wires and equipment in the commercial and industrial branches of the electrical trade under the supervision of a licensed electrical contractor.
(5) A limited journeyman electrician’s license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to perform the class of electrical work included in the branch of the electrical trade for which the person has passed the examination administered by the department. A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(a) Passes a written examination prepared by the board and administered by the department; and
(b)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had at least four years of specialized experience as an apprentice or its equivalent, as determined by the board by rule, in a recognized branch of the electrical trade; or
(B) If applying for licensing as a limited journeyman sign electrician or limited journeyman stage electrician, submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had at least two years of specialized experience as an apprentice or its equivalent, as determined by the board by rule, in the sign or stage branch of the electrical trade.
(6) A limited elevator journeyman license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to install, maintain and repair elevators, including all electrical and mechanical systems. A person qualifies under this subsection if the person has completed an elevator apprenticeship program, including both electrical and mechanical training components, approved by the board by rule and the person submits an application for licensure to the board in writing. A person issued a license under this subsection is exempt from continuing education requirements established under ORS 455.117 and 479.680.
(7) An electrical apprentice’s license to a person who has complied with ORS 660.002 to 660.210 as an electrical apprentice.
(8) An electrical apprentice’s license to a trainee toward a limited residential electrician’s license who has complied with ORS 660.002 to 660.210 as an electrical apprentice.
(9) An electrical apprentice’s license to a trainee toward a limited journeyman’s license in a recognized branch of the electrical trade who is employed by an employer who also:
(a) Employs a holder of either a general journeyman electrician’s license or a limited journeyman electrician’s license; and
(b) Conducts an electrical training program in a recognized branch of the electrical trade approved by the board as being a training program that will adequately prepare the trainee for the limited journeyman’s license.
(10) A limited maintenance electrician’s license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to maintain, repair and replace electrical installations, including electrical components, required on the premises of industrial plants, and maintain, repair and replace electrical installations on systems that are less than 600 volts phase to phase, including electrical components, required on the premises of commercial office buildings, buildings occupied by the state or a local government entity or facilities designated by the board. The following apply to this subsection:
(a) A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(A) Passes a written examination prepared by the board and administered by the department on repair, replacement and maintenance of equipment of the type and nature normally used in an industrial plant, commercial office building or government building and on the use of testing equipment; and
(B)(i) Completes a two-year training program approved by the board that provides for training and supervision of the trainee or apprentice; or
(ii) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had sufficient experience and related educational training in the repair, replacement and maintenance of electrical wiring and equipment of the type and nature used in an industrial plant, commercial office building or government building, as determined by the board or by an appropriate local apprenticeship committee recognized by the State Apprenticeship and Training Council.
(b) An annual inspection of the premises upon which electrical work is performed by persons licensed under this subsection must be made by the electrical inspector for an annual fee determined by the board by rule, based upon the time required for the inspection, payable to the department.
(c) A person licensed under this subsection may be employed directly by the owner, or owner’s agent, of any government building or commercial office building. A building owner or owner’s agent need not be licensed under this section to supervise a limited maintenance electrician.
(d) The department, in consultation with the board, shall adopt rules defining government buildings and commercial office buildings subject to this subsection.
(11) A limited building maintenance electrician’s license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. The following apply to this subsection:
(a) A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to maintain, repair and replace the following electrical installations required on the premises of commercial office buildings, buildings occupied by the state or a local government entity or facilities designated by the board in electrical systems not exceeding 300 volts to ground:
(A) Electrical appliances;
(B) Light switches;
(C) Light fixtures;
(D) Fans;
(E) Receptacles; and
(F) Fluorescent ballasts.
(b) A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(A) Passes a written examination prepared by the board and administered by the department on maintenance, repair and replacement of equipment of the type and nature normally used in a commercial office building or government building and on the use of testing equipment; and
(B) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has:
(i) Had sufficient experience in the maintenance, repair and replacement of electrical wiring and equipment of the type and nature normally used in a commercial office building or government building; or
(ii) Completed a one-year training course, with classroom and on-the-job training components approved by the board, on the maintenance, repair and replacement of electrical wiring and equipment of the type and nature normally used in a commercial office building or government building.
(c) An annual inspection of the premises upon which electrical work is performed by persons licensed under this subsection must be made by the electrical inspector for an annual fee determined by the board by rule, based upon the time required for the inspection, payable to the department, or the inspection must be performed under an electrical master permit program.
(d) Building owners may perform work regulated by this subsection and for which a license is required under this subsection without obtaining a license.
(e) A person who owns more than 50 percent of a corporation that controls a building is a building owner.
(f) A person licensed under this subsection may be employed by the owner of a commercial office building or the owner’s agent. A building owner or owner’s agent need not be licensed under this section to supervise a limited building maintenance electrician.
(12) A limited maintenance specialty contractor license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to engage in the electrical work related to the repair, service, maintenance, installation or replacement of existing, built-in or permanently connected appliances, fluorescent ballasts or similar equipment and to employ individuals to engage in that work. This subsection does not authorize the installation of appliances, ballasts or other equipment if there is no existing installation of similar equipment. A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(a) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had sufficient experience in the type of work permitted under the license issued under this subsection; and
(b) Maintains with the board a current list of all individuals employed by the person to engage in work permitted under this subsection.
(13) A limited pump installation specialty contractor license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to engage in electrical work related to the testing, repair, service, maintenance, installation or replacement of new or existing pump equipment for potable or irrigation water systems, sump pumps, effluent pumps and ground water pumps on residential and agricultural property and to employ individuals to engage in such work. A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(a) Submits proof satisfactory to the board that the person has had sufficient experience in the type of work permitted under the license issued under this subsection; and
(b) Maintains with the board a current list of all individuals employed by the person to engage in work permitted under this subsection.
(14) A limited residential electrician’s license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person licensed under this subsection is authorized to perform the class of electrical work included in the branch of the electrical trade for which the person has passed the examination administered by the department and approved by the board. However, a person licensed under this subsection shall perform the electrical work allowed by the license only on single and multifamily dwelling units not exceeding three floors above grade. For purposes of this subsection, the first floor of a building is the floor that is designed for human habitation and that has 50 percent or more of its perimeter level with or above finished grade of the exterior wall line. A person qualifies under this subsection if the person:
(a) Has received the same number of hours of electrical safety training as required by rule for an electrical apprentice or its equivalent and has received training in electrical theory;
(b) Submits documented proof to the board of at least two years of apprenticeship or trainee experience in residential wiring of single and multifamily dwelling units or its equivalent, as determined by the board by rule; and
(c) Passes a written examination prepared by the board and administered by the department.
(15) A limited renewable energy contractor license to a person who:
(a) Employs at least one full-time renewable energy technician; and
(b) Does not engage in electrical work other than work that may be performed by a limited renewable energy technician. A limited renewable energy contractor may not make, direct, supervise or control the making of an electrical installation unless the contractor is licensed for that activity.
(16) A limited renewable energy technician license to a person who qualifies under this subsection. A person qualifies for licensing as a limited renewable energy technician if the person completes a two-year apprenticeship program and passes an examination approved by the board. A person licensed under this subsection may, while in the employ of a licensed electrical contractor or a limited renewable energy contractor:
(a) Install, maintain, replace or repair electrical wiring and electrical products that convey energy from or operate on renewable electrical energy generation systems that use wind, solar energy systems, microhydroelectricity, photovoltaic systems or fuel cells that do not exceed 50 kilowatts AC, as measured by the sum of the manufacturer’s rated generating capacity; and
(b) Make the following connections on renewable energy generation systems described in paragraph (a) of this subsection:
(A) All DC wiring and DC connections up to the load side of an inverter;
(B) All AC wiring and AC connections to the termination of the final factory-provided interconnecting cable that are made on the exterior of a structure, extending a maximum distance of 10 feet from the renewable energy system, or a longer distance that the board specifies by rule, and extending not more than three feet within an accessible space of a structure, but not including connection to the structure’s wiring system; and
(C) Connections to generators that are sized to facilitate the inverter in an off-grid system. [1959 c.406 §11; 1961 c.693 §2; 1963 c.151 §1; 1971 c.753 §19; 1981 c.815 §15; 1983 c.733 §3; 1987 c.874 §4; 1993 c.744 §121; 1995 c.715 §1; 1997 c.139 §1; 1997 c.209 §1; 1999 c.609 §1; 1999 c.1031 §2; 2001 c.104 §218; 2001 c.392 §1; 2003 c.14 §326; 2005 c.758 §29; 2007 c.71 §157; 2007 c.271 §4; 2007 c.548 §2; 2021 c.42 §1]