Electrician License from Oregon to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Washington accept an Oregon electrician license?
Yes — Washington has a reciprocity arrangement covering Oregon license holders. Apply to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Washington's remaining requirements.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Oregon is on Washington's journeyman reciprocity list, which puts this move on the fast track: Washington waives its journeyman exam for electricians who earned a qualifying Oregon license by examination, held it at least a year, and meet the experience hours. Two conditions decide whether you actually qualify — your Oregon 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 Oregon on it, and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program is the live source.
What's different between Oregon and Washington
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Washington. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Oregon to Washington (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Washington to Oregon (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Oregon matter?
Coming from Oregon matters here: only 1 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Washington.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (36) and no state license to transfer (13).
- Reciprocity agreements
Washington's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (Oregon), including Oregon.
Oregon's reciprocity agreement list names 7 states (Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming), including Washington.
- Application fee
Washington lists $114.60 for an out-of-state applicant and Oregon lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Experience hours
Washington's first-time-applicant standard is 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license; Oregon's is 8,000.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Washington and Oregon carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Washington (this move): Washington waives its (01) general journey level exam only for eligible Oregon licensees; applicants from every other state must meet Washington's 8,000-hour experience and classroom requirements and pass the Washington (01) examination
- Oregon (the reverse 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
What changes, Oregon → Washington
| Oregon (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience hours | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Application fee | $100 ($100 nonrefundable reciprocal electrical license application fee; same fee for General Journeyman (J) and General Supervising/Master (S)) | $114.60 ($114.60 reciprocal application fee ($44.20 non-refundable after submission); paid by check or money order (no online payment)) |
| Processing time | BCD does not publish a processing time for reciprocal license applications | L&I does not publish a decision timeframe for reciprocal certificates |
| Licensing authority | Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current Oregon General Journeyman (J) license earned through an Oregon 8,000-hour apprenticeship, or an Oregon Supervising Electrician License, obtained by Oregon examination.
- The Oregon license must be current and active with no violations or conditions within the past 3 years.
- Must never have held a Washington (01) certificate and must not have failed a Washington (01) exam in the last 2 years.
- License verification (Part C) must be completed by the Oregon Building Codes Division.
- 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 Oregon is on Washington's list?
An Oregon 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. Washington's reciprocity is conditional, not automatic.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- WA L&I - Electrician (licensing, exams, education) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WA L&I - Application for a Reciprocal 01 General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (F500-148-000) ↗ (accessed 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)
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