Oregon HVAC Contractor License — Requirements, Fees & Exam

Oregon licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual HVAC technicians. PSI exam — verified from Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) - primary.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) - primary; with the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division (BCD) for the HVAC electrical/energy contractor licenses (official site) and last verified July 24, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must be licensed - the CCB contractor license: 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 CCB license and an appropriate endorsement (ORS 701.021). Installing, altering, repairing or servicing HVAC systems for compensation is contracting work, so an HVAC business needs a CCB license with a residential and/or commercial endorsement. Oregon licenses the CONTRACTING BUSINESS, not each technician: an individual who performs contracting work as an employee of a contractor is exempt from licensure (ORS 701.010(10)). There is no CCB HVAC-specific endorsement - HVAC contractors register under the general residential/commercial or specialty endorsements.
Oregon does NOT issue an individual HVAC / mechanic / journeyman license: The Building Codes Division issues individual trade licenses only in electrical (e.g., General Journeyman and Supervising Electrician, Limited Energy Technician Class A/B, Limited Maintenance/Residential Electrician), plumbing (Journeyman Plumber, Residential Water-Heater Installer, Solar Heating and Cooling Installer, Water-Treatment Installer), boiler (Class 1-6, including a Refrigeration Piping Mechanic), elevator, and manufactured dwelling. None of these is an 'HVAC,' 'mechanical,' 'air conditioning' or 'refrigeration' technician license, and the Business Xpress directory lists no individual HVAC/mechanical license at all - only business/contractor licenses (CCB, plus BCD's CRE and LHR). An HVAC technician employed by a CCB-licensed contractor therefore needs no personal Oregon HVAC license, though the electrical or plumbing portion of a job may require an appropriately licensed electrician or plumber.
Responsible Managing Individual (RMI), training and exam: Every CCB licensee must have an RMI - an owner or employee who manages or supervises the business's construction activities - who completes at least 16 hours of pre-license training on Business Practices and Law from a CCB-approved provider and passes the Oregon Contractor exam (80 questions, open-book, 70% to pass, $60 test fee, scheduled through PSI). The exam is based on the Oregon edition of the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, 2nd edition (CCB License page; Business Xpress; ORS 701.091).
Surety bond: A CCB surety bond in the amount set by endorsement must be filed and maintained for the life of the license (ORS 701.068). Amounts: Residential $20,000; Commercial Level 1 $75,000; Commercial Level 2 $20,000 (Business Xpress). The bond is not liability insurance - it secures certain claims - and is separate from the license fee.
Liability insurance and workers' compensation: Licensees must carry liability insurance covering work subject to ORS Chapter 701 (ORS 701.073): Residential $500,000; Commercial Level 1 $2 million aggregate; Commercial Level 2 $1 million aggregate (Business Xpress). Proof of bond and insurance must be submitted with the initial application and kept valid through the license term. A contractor hiring employees must also obtain Oregon workers' compensation coverage (CCB License page).
The BCD electrical-side HVAC licenses (CRE and LHR): For the restricted-energy/electrical portion of HVAC work, a business may need a Building Codes Division contractor license in addition to its CCB license: the Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE, $375, limited to HVAC activities) or the Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R (LHR, $75, for maintaining/servicing/repairing/replacing commercial and industrial electrical HVAC/R products). Both require an active CCB license underneath and a full-time signing supervisor, take no exam, are exempt from continuing education, and renew every three years on July 1 (Business Xpress). General electrical connections require an appropriately licensed electrical contractor and electrician.
Mechanical permits and the Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code: HVAC/mechanical installations must comply with the Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code (OMSC) and require a mechanical permit from the state or a delegated local building department. The 2025 OMSC (based on the 2024 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code) is in effect, with a phase-in period during which the 2022 OMSC or 2025 OMSC may be used (BCD Mechanical Code Program). Permits and inspections are administered under Oregon's building code (ORS Chapter 455).
Federal refrigerant certification (context, not an Oregon license): Technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants must separately hold federal EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (Clean Air Act; 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F). It is a federal credential held by the individual technician - not issued by Oregon and not a substitute for the CCB contractor license or the BCD electrical licenses.

Legal basis

Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) - primary; with the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division (BCD) for the HVAC electrical/energy contractor licenses administers HVAC contractor licensing in Oregon. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

Oregon licenses HVAC as a CONTRACTOR (business) credential, not an individual technician license. The primary credential is the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) contractor license, held by the business; there is NO Oregon ‘HVAC license,’ ‘HVAC journeyman’ or individual HVAC technician license. ‘HVAC license,’ ‘AC license’ and ‘HVAC certification’ are common informal search terms that, in Oregon, map to the CCB contractor license (plus, for the electrical side, the Building Codes Division’s Restricted Energy Contractor or Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R business license). The Building Codes Division ‘Limited Energy Technician, Class A’ is an individual ELECTRICAL license covering low-voltage/HVAC-control wiring - not an HVAC trade license - so it is a common point of confusion, not the HVAC credential. Separately, federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant-handling certification is a nationwide requirement held by the individual technician and is not an Oregon HVAC license.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
CCB Construction Contractor license - RESIDENTIAL endorsement (the business/contractor credential; endorsements include Residential General, Residential Specialty, Residential Limited, and Residential Developer). This is the credential most HVAC contractors hold; HVAC is not a separate CCB trade endorsement.	Held by the business (a person or joint venture that undertakes, offers or bids to do contracting work), not by each technician (ORS 701.021). The business must designate a Responsible Managing Individual (RMI) - an owner or employee who manages or supervises the construction activities - who completes 16 hours of pre-license training on Business Practices and Law from a CCB-approved provider and passes the Oregon exam. No trade-experience hours are required to obtain a residential license.	The RMI passes the Oregon Contractor exam. Per the Business Xpress license record, the test fee is $60 each time taken, it has 80 multiple-choice questions, is open-book, and the passing score is 70%. The exam is based on the Oregon edition of the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (2nd edition) and is scheduled through PSI after the 16-hour training.	$400 for a two-year license per the CCB's own CCB License page (the fee rose from $325; the new fee applies to renewals from July 1, 2024 and to new applications from July 1, 2025). NOTE: the state Business Xpress License Directory record for Residential General (last updated 01/28/2026) still lists a $250.00 license fee - an outdated figure; both are cited. A $20,000 residential surety bond and $500,000 liability insurance are required and paid separately (Business Xpress; ORS 701.068, 701.073, 701.081).
CCB Construction Contractor license - COMMERCIAL endorsement (Commercial General or Commercial Specialty, at Level 1 or Level 2; for HVAC contracting on commercial structures)	Held by the business. Requires an RMI (16-hour Business Practices and Law training + Oregon exam) and key employees with construction experience: Level 1 requires key employees with 8 years of construction-related experience; Level 2 requires 4 years (Business Xpress; ORS 701.050, 701.084). There is no difference in the type or amount of work Level 1 and Level 2 may perform.	Same Oregon Contractor exam through the RMI (see residential).	$400 for a two-year license (CCB License page; Business Xpress lists $250 - see the residential note). Bond and insurance by level: Level 1 - $75,000 commercial bond + $2 million aggregate liability; Level 2 - $20,000 commercial bond + $1 million aggregate liability (Business Xpress; ORS 701.068, 701.073, 701.084).
BCD Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE) - a Building Codes Division electrical/energy contractor license 'limited to HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air-conditioning) activities'	A business license, not an individual credential. Prerequisites: register the business name with the Secretary of State; hold an ACTIVE Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license; and employ an appropriate full-time signing supervisor for the license. The CRE covers the restricted-energy (low-voltage/energy) electrical side of HVAC work unless BCD approves additional endorsements (Business Xpress).	No exam.	$375.00 license fee. License renews every three years on July 1; bonding and insurance are as required by the CCB (Business Xpress). Exempt from continuing education.
BCD Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R (LHR) - a Building Codes Division limited electrical-maintenance contractor license for HVAC/R	A business license. The holder 'may maintain, service, repair or replace commercial and industrial electrical products that use fuel or other forms of energy to produce heat, power, refrigeration or air conditioning.' Prerequisites: register the business name with the Secretary of State; hold an active CCB license; employ a full-time signing supervisor (Business Xpress).	No exam.	$75.00 license fee. License renews every three years on July 1; bonding and insurance as required by the CCB (Business Xpress). Exempt from continuing education.

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Oregon licenses HVAC only at the business/contractor level, so the operative exemptions are from the CCB contractor-license requirement. ORS 701.010 (‘Exemptions from licensure’) provides that the following persons are exempt from licensure under ORS Chapter 701 (the list runs to 20 subsections; the ones most relevant to HVAC follow): (1) ‘A person who is constructing, altering, improving or repairing personal property’; (2) a person doing such work ‘within the boundaries of any site or reservation under the jurisdiction of the federal government’; (3) ‘A person who furnishes materials, supplies, equipment or finished product and does not fabricate them into, or consume them, in the performance of the work of a contractor’; (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’; (5) ‘An owner who contracts for work to be performed by a licensed contractor’ - but NOT a person who builds/remodels/repairs (or arranges it) with intent to sell the structure, and non-occupancy after completion is prima facie evidence of such intent; (6) ‘An owner who contracts for one or more licensed contractors to perform work wholly or partially within the same calendar year on not more than three existing residential structures of the owner’ - inapplicable to permit-requiring work unless it is performed by or under the direction of a residential general contractor; (7) ‘A person performing work on a property that person owns or performing work as the owner’s employee … or a person performing work on that person’s residence’ - not applicable to work done in the pursuit of an independent business with intent to sell; (8) ‘A person licensed or registered in one of the following trades or professions when operating within the scope of that license or registration’ - registered architects, professional engineers, water-well contractors, sewage-disposal-system installers, licensed landscape contracting businesses, certain pesticide operators, and certified/licensed appraisers (HVAC is NOT among these listed trades); (9) a landscape contracting business within its ORS 671.510-671.760 scope; (10) ‘A person who performs work subject to this chapter as an employee of a contractor’ - the key carve-out that lets an HVAC technician work for a CCB-licensed contractor without a personal license; (11) a manufacturer of a HUD-code manufactured home; (12) persons moving certain modular/manufactured structures; (13) certain surety companies and commercial lending institutions arranging completion/repair by licensed contractors on property in which they hold an interest; (14) a real estate licensee managing rental real estate (and their employees) working on a managed structure under contract; (15) units of government other than those specified in ORS 701.005(5)(c),(d); (16) a qualified intermediary in a Section 1031 property exchange not performing construction; (17) a worker-leasing company or temporary service provider supplying personnel to a licensed contractor under the contractor’s direction; and (18) city or county inspectors acting under ORS 701.225 or ORS 455.715; with two further narrow categories closing the list: (19) certain agricultural work and (20) certain forestland work. The CCB may also adopt rules making licensure optional for work ‘peripheral to construction.’ Because Oregon issues no individual HVAC license, there is no individual-license exemption to state; the exemptions above govern who may do HVAC contracting work without a CCB contractor license.

Fees

PRIMARY CCB CONTRACTOR LICENSE: $400 for a two-year license, per the CCB’s own CCB License page. The fee rose from the $325 rate set in 2010; under the CCB’s fee-increase schedule the $400 renewal fee took effect July 1, 2024 and the $400 new-application fee took effect July 1, 2025, so as of 2026 both new and renewal are $400. (The state Business Xpress License Directory record for Residential General, last updated 01/28/2026, still shows a $250.00 license fee - an outdated figure carried in the directory; the operative CCB page controls.) Oregon Contractor exam $60 per attempt (PSI). Surety bond and liability insurance are separate and set by endorsement: Residential $20,000 bond + $500,000 insurance; Commercial Level 1 $75,000 bond + $2M aggregate; Commercial Level 2 $20,000 bond + $1M aggregate. BCD HVAC ELECTRICAL LICENSES: Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE) $375; Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R (LHR) $75 - each a three-year license, no exam.

Exam

For the primary CCB contractor license, the business’s Responsible Managing Individual (RMI) completes at least 16 hours of pre-license training on Business Practices and Law from a CCB-approved provider and passes the Oregon Contractor exam - 80 multiple-choice questions, open-book, 70% to pass, $60 per attempt, administered by PSI and based on the Oregon edition of the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, 2nd edition (CCB License page; Business Xpress license record). There is no HVAC trade exam because Oregon does not license individual HVAC technicians. The BCD HVAC-related contractor licenses (Restricted Energy Contractor and Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R) require no exam.

Renewal & continuing education

The CCB contractor license is valid for two years and renews on submission of the renewal application, the $400 fee, and proof of completed continuing education, bond and insurance (ORS 701.063; CCB License page). A lapsed CCB license may be renewed within two years of lapse. The BCD HVAC electrical licenses (CRE and LHR) renew every three years on July 1; BCD mails a renewal notice about six weeks before expiration (Business Xpress). The CCB requires continuing education each two-year renewal for the primary contractor license (there is no HVAC-trade CE because Oregon licenses HVAC only at the business/contractor level). RESIDENTIAL contractors, unless exempt, complete per two-year period: 3 hours of CCB Laws, Regulations and Business Practices (LRB) classes PLUS either 5 hours of other approved courses (if licensed by the CCB six or more years) or 13 hours of other approved courses (if licensed less than six years) - i.e., 8 hours total for established contractors, 16 hours for newer ones (CCB Continuing Education page; ORS 701.082). COMMERCIAL requirements are based on Level: Level 2 general/specialty contractors need 32 hours completed by key employees; Level 1 requirements scale with the number of key employees (for example, 5 or more key employees: 80 hours) (CCB Continuing Education page; ORS 701.086). Contractors licensed for both commercial and residential follow the commercial requirements, and residential/commercial contractors who hold certain other Oregon licenses are exempt from CCB CE. The BCD CRE and LHR licenses are exempt from continuing education (Business Xpress).

How to apply

Applications are handled by Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) - primary; with the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division (BCD) for the HVAC electrical/energy contractor licenses. Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to do HVAC work in Oregon?

Yes - a business one, not an individual HVAC license. Any business that installs, alters, repairs or services HVAC systems for compensation must hold an Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license with a residential and/or commercial endorsement (ORS 701.021). Oregon does not issue an individual ‘HVAC technician,’ ‘mechanical’ or ‘journeyman’ license, so an HVAC worker employed by a CCB-licensed contractor needs no personal Oregon HVAC license (ORS 701.010(10)). Depending on the work, a business may also need a Building Codes Division electrical license (Restricted Energy Contractor or Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R), and electrical or plumbing portions of a job require appropriately licensed electricians or plumbers.

Is there an Oregon HVAC journeyman or technician license?

No. The Building Codes Division licenses individuals in electrical, plumbing, boiler, elevator and manufactured-dwelling trades, but there is no individual HVAC, mechanical, air-conditioning or refrigeration technician license in Oregon. The ‘Limited Energy Technician, Class A’ is an electrical license (covering low-voltage/HVAC control wiring), not an HVAC trade license. HVAC contracting is licensed at the business level through the CCB, plus BCD’s Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE) or Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R (LHR) for the electrical side.

How do you get an Oregon CCB contractor license for HVAC work?

Choose an endorsement (residential and/or commercial), designate a Responsible Managing Individual (RMI) who completes 16 hours of Business Practices and Law pre-license training and passes the Oregon Contractor exam (80 questions, open-book, 70% to pass, $60, via PSI), file a CCB surety bond and liability insurance in the amounts set for your endorsement, get workers’ compensation coverage if you will hire employees, and submit the application with the $400 two-year license fee. If you will do the restricted-energy electrical side of HVAC, also apply to the Building Codes Division for the Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE) or HVAC/R limited-maintenance (LHR) license.

How much does an Oregon HVAC contractor license cost?

The CCB contractor license is $400 for a two-year license on the CCB’s own page (up from $325; the state Business Xpress directory still lists an outdated $250). Add the $60 exam fee and the cost of the required surety bond and liability insurance, which vary by endorsement (Residential: $20,000 bond + $500,000 insurance; Commercial Level 1: $75,000 bond + $2M aggregate; Level 2: $20,000 bond + $1M aggregate). The Building Codes Division HVAC electrical licenses cost $375 (Restricted Energy Contractor) or $75 (Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor HVAC/R), each a three-year license.

Does Oregon require continuing education for HVAC contractors?

Yes, for the CCB contractor license. Residential contractors complete, each two-year renewal, 3 hours of CCB Laws, Regulations and Business Practices classes plus 5 hours of other approved courses (if licensed 6+ years) or 13 hours (if licensed under 6 years). Commercial requirements are based on Level (Level 2: 32 hours by key employees; Level 1 scales with key-employee count). Contractors who hold certain other Oregon licenses are exempt. The Building Codes Division CRE and LHR licenses are exempt from continuing education. EPA Section 608 is a separate federal refrigerant certification, not Oregon CE.

Is EPA 608 certification an Oregon HVAC license?

No. Federal EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F) is required nationwide for technicians who could release refrigerants and is held by the individual technician. It is not issued by Oregon and does not substitute for the CCB contractor license or the Building Codes Division electrical licenses.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Oregon.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 24, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.