How to get an HVAC license in Oregon

Licensing office Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) for HVAC businesses; Building Codes Division (BCD) for electrical licenses [1][2]

The license pathway in Oregon

1. 1

   HVAC/R apprentice or employee

   • At least 144 hours a year in a registered HVAC/R apprenticeship

   You work for a licensed contractor; as an employee you don't need a CCB license. In a registered HVAC/R apprenticeship you train on both the mechanical and the limited energy (controls) side of the trade. [3][6]

2. 2

   Class B limited energy technician (LEB)

   • 4,000 hours on the job
   • 288 hours (equivalency route)
   • Yes, 2 hours, 28 questions, open book
   • $50
   • 3-year cycle; 8 hours CE including 2 hours of code change

   A BCD license for limited energy electrical work other than protective signaling, including HVAC controls. You qualify through a board-approved apprenticeship, or with 4,000 hours of equivalent experience (2,000 in occupation-specific work such as HVAC controls), 288 classroom hours and a 32-hour training program; BCD also accepts 8,000 hours of experience in place of the classes. You must work for an electrical, limited energy or other qualifying contractor. [4][7][8][9]

3. 3

   HVAC contractor (CCB, plus BCD electrical contractor license if needed)

   • 16 hours of pre-license training
   • Yes, CCB exam: 80 questions, open book, 3 hours, 70% to pass
   • $400 CCB application (two-year license); $60 exam
   • Every 2 years; $400

   To contract for HVAC work you need a CCB license with the right endorsement, bond and insurance. HVAC electrical work also needs a BCD license such as the restricted energy contractor (HVAC only) or limited maintenance specialty contractor HVAC/R, each of which requires two years of experience. [1][2][7]

Who licenses HVAC work in Oregon

Oregon law generally requires anyone who does construction work for pay, including heating and air conditioning, to hold a Construction Contractors Board license, but people who work as employees of a contractor are exempt. So there is no state license for an HVAC mechanic who works for wages.

The electrical part of HVAC work is regulated by the Building Codes Division. BCD's restricted energy contractor license (CRE) is limited to HVAC activities, and its limited maintenance specialty contractor HVAC/R license (LHR) lets a company maintain, service, repair or replace commercial and industrial heating, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. An LHR contractor may run thermostat or control wiring beyond the equipment in buildings other than one- and two-family homes only by employing a general journeyman electrician, general supervising electrician, or Class A or Class B limited energy technician. [1][2][6][7]

The limited energy technician (LEB) license

The Class B limited energy technician license covers limited energy electrical work that doesn't include protective signaling, such as HVAC controls. You qualify through a board-approved apprenticeship or with 4,000 hours of lawful experience: 100 hours of stock room and materials, 1,650 hours of limited energy installations, 250 hours of troubleshooting and maintenance, and 2,000 hours of occupation-specific work, which can be HVAC controls. The equivalency route also needs 288 hours of classes and a board-approved 32-hour training program.

BCD also accepts 8,000 hours of documented experience in the same work categories instead of the classes and course.

The exam is 2 hours, 28 questions and open book, BCD sets 75% as the passing score for all its license exams, and the application fee is $50. Each three-year cycle you need 8 hours of continuing education, including 2 hours of code change. An LEB must work for an electrical contractor, limited energy contractor, or one employer in an industrial plant. [4][7][8][9][10]

HVAC/R apprenticeships

Oregon's statewide HVAC/R Service and Systems Installer/Technician standard runs 8,000 hours: 4,000 for the LEB license and 4,000 mechanical hours covering refrigeration, heating, air conditioning and ventilation, duct design and airflow, and piping, brazing and soldering. Related classes are at least 144 hours a year.

BOLI lists registered HVAC/R programs, including Chemeketa's Mid-Valley HVAC/R program in Salem. UA Local 290's 290 Tech also trains HVAC/R technicians. [3][11][12][13]

Starting an HVAC business

To get a CCB license you must be at least 18, and your responsible managing individual (RMI), an owner or employee who manages the construction work, must complete 16 hours of pre-license training and pass the open-book CCB exam (80 questions, 70% to pass, 3 hours, $60). You also file a surety bond and liability insurance for your endorsement (for example a $20,000 bond and $300,000 insurance as a residential specialty contractor), get workers' compensation if you have employees, and pay $400 for a two-year license.

The BCD restricted energy contractor license requires a qualifying person with training and at least two years of experience in the trade; the LHR license requires two years (4,000 hours) of experience plus specialized training. [1][7][14]

EPA Section 608: the federal certification you'll need

Federal rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerant to be certified under Section 608. You earn it by passing an EPA-approved test, and it doesn't expire. Apprentices are exempt while closely and continually supervised by a certified technician. Read our EPA 608 certification guide. [5]

Steps to get licensed in Oregon

1. Get hired or join an HVAC/R apprenticeship

   Work for a licensed contractor as an employee, or apply to a BOLI-registered HVAC/R program. [6][11]

2. Get EPA Section 608 certification

   Pass an EPA-approved test before you handle refrigerant on your own. Type II covers high-pressure equipment; Universal covers all types. [5]

3. Qualify for the LEB license

   Complete the apprenticeship's 4,000 limited energy hours, or document 4,000 hours plus 288 classroom hours and a 32-hour course, then pass BCD's 2-hour open-book exam ($50 application). [3][4][7][8]

4. To run your own business, get a CCB license

   Your responsible managing individual completes 16 hours of training and passes the CCB exam; then file a bond, liability insurance and the $400 application. Add a BCD restricted energy or HVAC/R contractor license for electrical work. [1][2]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train HVAC technicians in or for Oregon, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• State program

  BOLI Apprenticeship and Training Division: HVAC/R programs

  Oregon's apprenticeship agency lists the registered HVAC/R programs, their contacts and whether they are taking applications. [11]

• School

  Chemeketa Community College HVAC/R Technician Apprenticeship (Mid-Valley HVAC/R Committee)

  Chemeketa teaches and administers this BOLI-registered HVAC/R apprenticeship in Salem: 8,000 on-the-job hours leading to the limited energy license. [12][16]

• Union

  UA Local 290 (290 Tech, Tualatin)

  The union training center for plumbers, steamfitters and HVAC/R technicians in the Portland area. [13]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask