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Quick answer
Oregon requires a CCB license from the Construction Contractors Board, plus a residential or commercial endorsement, to undertake, offer or bid on work as a contractor, except as ORS 701.010 provides. The Responsible Managing Individual completes at least 16 hours of pre-license training and passes the Oregon exam; NASCLA exam passers skip only the training, and the CCB lists neither for commercial developers.
Oregon · Contractor licenseVerified 2026-10-04
State license
CCB license (residential and commercial)
Oregon law requires a person or joint venture that undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor to have a current license issued by the Construction Contractors Board (a CCB license) and an appropriate residential or commercial endorsement, except as ORS 701.010 provides.
The Responsible Managing Individual completes at least 16 hours of pre-license training from an approved provider and passes the Oregon exam: 80 multiple choice questions, a passing score of 70 percent (56 correct answers), three hours, at a cost of $60; applicants who have passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors do not complete the 16-hour pre-license training but pass the Oregon exam; the CCB page lists no pre-license training or test for the commercial developer endorsement
CCB license (residential and commercial). Oregon law requires a person or joint venture that undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor to have a current license issued by the Construction Contractors Board (a CCB license) and an appropriate residential or commercial endorsement, except as ORS 701.010 provides.
Threshold. The licensing chapter exempts a person working on one structure or project, under one or more contracts, when the aggregate price of all of that person’s contracts for labor, materials and all other items is less than $1,000 and the work is of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature. The exemption does not apply to a person who advertises or puts out any sign, card or other device that might indicate to the public that the person is a contractor.
(1) Except as provided in ORS 701.010, a person or joint venture that undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor must have a current license issued by the Construction Contractors Board and possess an appropriate endorsement as provided in this section.
To obtain a CCB license, you must: Be at least 18 years old. Complete at least 16 hours of pre-license training from an approved pre-license education provider and pass the Oregon exam.
(2) A person or joint venture that undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor in preparation for or in connection with a residential structure must have one of the following endorsements: (a) Residential general contractor. (b) Residential specialty contractor. (c) Residential limited contractor. (d) Residential developer. (e) Residential locksmith services contractor. (f) Residential restoration contractor. (g) Home inspector services contractor. (h) Home services contractor. (i) Home energy performance score contractor.
means a licensed contractor that holds an endorsement as a: (a) Commercial general contractor level 1; (b) Commercial specialty contractor level 1; (c) Commercial general contractor level 2; (d) Commercial specialty contractor level 2; or (e) Commercial developer.
(4) A person working on one structure or project, under one or more contracts, when the aggregate price of all of that person’s contracts for labor, materials and all other items is less than $1,000 and such work is of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature. This subsection does not apply to a person who advertises or puts out any sign or card or other device that might indicate to the public that the person is a contractor.
Exam. The Responsible Managing Individual completes at least 16 hours of pre-license training from an approved provider and passes the Oregon exam: 80 multiple choice questions, a passing score of 70 percent (56 correct answers), three hours, at a cost of $60; applicants who have passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors do not complete the 16-hour pre-license training but pass the Oregon exam; the CCB page lists no pre-license training or test for the commercial developer endorsement. Source: Oregon CCB, CCB License page
Bond. A surety bond in the amount for the endorsement: residential general contractor $25,000; residential specialty contractor $20,000; residential limited contractor $15,000; commercial general contractor level 1 $80,000; commercial general contractor level 2 $25,000; commercial specialty contractor level 1 $55,000; commercial specialty contractor level 2 $25,000; commercial developer $25,000. License bond in Oregon. Source: Oregon CCB, CCB License page
Liability insurance. General liability insurance: residential general contractor $500,000 per occurrence; residential specialty contractor $300,000 per occurrence; residential limited contractor $100,000 per occurrence; commercial general contractor level 1 $2,000,000 aggregate; commercial general contractor level 2 $1,000,000 aggregate; commercial specialty contractor level 1 $1,000,000 aggregate; commercial specialty contractor level 2 $500,000 per occurrence; commercial developer $500,000 per occurrence. Source: Oregon CCB, CCB License page
Workers' compensation. Workers compensation insurance if the business has employees; commercial contractors are required to have workers compensation insurance. Source: Oregon CCB, CCB License page
The person who takes the training and passes the test is the Responsible Managing Individual (RMI) for the license.
There are 80 multiple choice questions; a passing score is 70 percent (56 correct answers). You have three hours to complete the test, and the cost is $60.
Applicants who have passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors do not have to complete the 16-hour pre-license training, but they do need to pass the Oregon exam covering laws, rules and business practices.
Residential contractors Residential General Contractor: $500,000 per occurrence Residential Specialty Contractor: $300,000 per occurrence Residential Limited Contractor: $100,000 per occurrence
Term and renewal. The CCB license is a two-year license, renewed every two years
Contracting without a license
Violation of the license requirement in ORS 701.021 is a Class A misdemeanor. Except as subsections (4) and (5) of the civil penalty section provide, a person who violates any provision of the chapter or any board rule forfeits a civil penalty, in an amount the board determines, of not more than $5,000 for each offense. Except as subsection (2) of that section provides, a contractor may not perfect a construction lien, file a complaint with the board, or commence an arbitration or a court claim for compensation for work subject to the chapter unless the contractor had a valid license, properly endorsed for the work, when it bid or entered into the contract and continuously while performing the work.
(1) Violation of ORS 701.021 is a Class A misdemeanor.
(1) Except as provided in subsections (4) and (5) of this section, any person who violates any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted by the Construction Contractors Board shall forfeit and pay into the General Fund of the State Treasury a civil penalty in an amount determined by the board of not more than $5,000 for each offense.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a contractor may not perfect a construction lien, file a complaint with the Construction Contractors Board or commence an arbitration or a claim in a court of this state for compensation for the performance of any work or for the breach of any contract for work that is subject to this chapter, unless the contractor had a valid license issued by the board and properly endorsed for the work performed: (a) At the time the contractor bid or entered into the contract for performance of the work; and (b) Continuously while performing the work for which compensation is sought.
In Oregon, a person or joint venture that undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor has to hold a current license from the Construction Contractors Board, known as a CCB license, together with an appropriate endorsement, except as ORS 701.010 provides [1][2]. The license itself is one credential; the endorsement attached to it is what ties it to residential or commercial work.
Among the exemptions in ORS 701.010 [1] is one for a person working on one structure or project, under one or more contracts, when the aggregate price of all of that person's contracts for labor, materials and all other items is less than $1,000 and the work is of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature [1]. That exemption does not extend to anyone who advertises or puts out a sign, card or other device that might indicate to the public that the person is a contractor [1].
Endorsements and what an applicant brings
The endorsements fall on two sides. For work in preparation for or in connection with a residential structure, the statute names residential general contractor, residential specialty contractor and residential limited contractor among its endorsements [1]. On the commercial side, a commercial contractor is defined by holding a commercial general contractor or commercial specialty contractor endorsement at level 1 or level 2, or a commercial developer endorsement [1].
The board's license page sets out the path to a license. The applicant is at least 18 years old [2]. The person who completes at least 16 hours of pre-license training from an approved provider and passes the Oregon exam becomes the Responsible Managing Individual, or RMI, for the license [2]. The exam has 80 multiple choice questions, a passing score of 70 percent (56 correct answers) and a three-hour time limit [2]. Anyone who has passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors skips the 16-hour training but still has to pass the Oregon exam [2]. For the commercial developer endorsement, the page lists no pre-license training or test [2].
Beyond the exam, the endorsement drives the money side. Each endorsement in the requirements list carries its own surety bond amount, such as $25,000 for a residential general contractor and $80,000 for a commercial general contractor level 1 [2], and its own general liability insurance amount, stated per occurrence for some endorsements and as an aggregate for others. Workers compensation insurance is required when the business has employees, and commercial contractors are required to have it [2]. The requirements list on this page gives each endorsement's figures.
Cost and renewal
As of October 4, 2026, the CCB initial application (beginning 7/1/2025) fee is $400 per two-year license [2]. The exam fee is paid directly to the exam provider, and the renewal fee is listed in the fee table with its date.
The CCB license runs for two years and is renewed every two years [2].
Penalties and lost remedies
Violating the license requirement in ORS 701.021 is a Class A misdemeanor [1]. Separately, except as subsections (4) and (5) of the civil penalty section provide, a person who violates any provision of the chapter or any board rule forfeits a civil penalty, in an amount the board sets, of not more than $5,000 for each offense [1].
The chapter also reaches a contractor's ability to collect. Except as subsection (2) of ORS 701.131 provides, a contractor may not perfect a construction lien, file a complaint with the board, or commence an arbitration or a court claim for compensation for work subject to the chapter unless it held a valid license, properly endorsed for the work, when it bid or entered into the contract and continuously while performing the work [1].
