Electrician License from Montana to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Oregon accept a Montana electrician license?
Yes — Oregon has a reciprocity arrangement covering Montana license holders. Apply to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Oregon's remaining requirements.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Montana is on Oregon's journeyman reciprocity list, which puts this move on the fast track: Oregon waives its journeyman exam for electricians who earned a qualifying Montana license by examination, held it at least a year, and meet the experience hours. Two conditions decide whether you actually qualify — your Montana license must have come from an exam, not a grandfather clause, and it must be current. The list is also revocable; the verification date on this page is when we last confirmed Montana on it, and the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services is the live source.
What's different between Montana and Oregon
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Oregon. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Montana to Oregon (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Oregon to Montana (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The two directions differ: Montana and Oregon do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Montana matter?
Coming from Montana matters here: only 7 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Oregon.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (30) and no state license to transfer (13).
- Reciprocity agreements
Oregon's reciprocity agreement list names 7 states (Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming), including Montana.
Montana's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
- Application fee
Oregon lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Montana lists $190 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Experience hours
Oregon's first-time-applicant standard is 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license; Montana's is 8,000.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Oregon and Montana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Oregon (this move): Oregon waives its General Journeyman exam for applicants who hold an equivalent license from a reciprocal state and passed that state's exam with 75 percent or better; applicants from non-reciprocal states must qualify for and pass the Oregon exam
- Montana (the reverse move): No Montana journeyman exam is required if your existing out-of-state license is substantially equivalent (the other state required passing an electrical exam PLUS an approved apprenticeship, bona fide union/trade training, 8,000 hours of practical experience, or 20,000 hours in electrical maintenance); if it is not substantially equivalent, you must pass the Montana journeyman exam (75% to pass)
What changes, Montana → Oregon
| Montana (current) | Oregon (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience hours | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Application fee | $190 ($190 application fee for licensure by reciprocity or endorsement (same as by exam); a $50 temporary work permit is available to exam candidates only) | $100 ($100 nonrefundable reciprocal electrical license application fee; same fee for General Journeyman (J) and General Supervising/Master (S)) |
| Processing time | The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time | BCD does not publish a processing time for reciprocal license applications |
| Licensing authority | Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) | Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an equivalent or higher electrical license from a reciprocal state, current and active with no violations or conditions within the past 3 years.
- Have qualified for and passed that state's licensing exam with a score of 75 percent or better.
- Have worked at least 1,000 hours (6 months) under the reciprocal-state license.
- Not have failed the Oregon licensing exam for that license type within the past 2 years.
- Submit a completed License Verification Form and Affidavit of Employment Experience.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What could disqualify me even though Montana is on Oregon's list?
A Montana license you were grandfathered into rather than earning by exam, a license held less than a year, or falling short of the experience-hour minimum. Oregon's reciprocity is conditional, not automatic.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal licenses ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal Electrical License Application (form 440-4794e: states, $100 fee, OAR 918-030-0045 qualifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana State Electrical Board - Journeyman Electrician Application & Checklist (Rev. 07/22/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana State Electrical Board - Journeyman Electrician license information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com