Oregon Statutes and Administrative Rules for Electrical Work
The legal framework
Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 479 is the electrical safety law; it establishes licensing, permitting, inspection, and enforcement authority. ORS chapter 455 supports the Building Codes Division structure. The detailed requirements live in Oregon Administrative Rules, chapter 918, which cover licensing qualifications, contractor responsibilities, permits, inspections, and disciplinary procedures. Statutes set the framework; rules supply the operational detail that exam questions usually test.
Licenses and businesses
Oregon separates the individual license from the business license. Individual credentials include apprentice, journeyman, master, and several limited licenses whose scope is restricted by rule, such as residential or sign work. An electrical contractor is a business licensed to contract for electrical work and must have a designated supervising electrician holding the appropriate master-level credential. Apprentices must work under supervision, and supervision ratios and scope limits come from rule, not from habit.
Permits and inspections
Electrical work generally requires a permit obtained before work begins, with inspection required before concealment and again at completion. Permit responsibility rests on the person doing the work, not the inspector. Work without a permit can trigger civil penalties, license discipline, and problems at sale or insurance. Continuing education is required for renewal, and the hour count and subject mix are set in rule and change over time, so verify the current requirement rather than memorizing a number.
Traps
Questions love the difference between a journeyman and a contractor, between a license and a permit, and between a limited license scope and general work. Unlicensed practice and hiring unlicensed workers are violations even when the installation itself is code-compliant. Owner-builder provisions are narrow; confirm current statute and rule before relying on them.
Rule of thumb
Ask three questions: is the person licensed for this scope, is the business a licensed contractor, and is there a permit with inspections scheduled?