How to check a contractor license in Oregon

Start with the CCB number

To check a contractor in Oregon, get the license number and look it up on the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license search or in our Oregon directory. Then confirm the license is active, the endorsement fits your job, and the bond, insurance and workers' comp status make sense.

CCB says the number is the most accurate way to search, and that contractors must put it on their advertising. You can also search by business name or last name, but a miss proves little. Spelling and punctuation can hide a match, so try a shorter version of the name.

What our data shows and what it leaves out

Our Oregon pages come from CCB's open dataset, which lists active licenses only. If a business isn't here, it may be expired, suspended or simply never licensed. Our copy can also trail CCB, which says its records update every six hours. Confirm on CCB's search before you sign or pay, and use its All Records option to look past active licenses.

CCB's license record can also tell you something we can't: whether complaints or disciplinary actions were filed in the past 10 years. You can call CCB at 503-378-4621 to ask about complaint history.

Match the endorsement to the job

A residential endorsement covers homes and small commercial structures. A commercial endorsement alone doesn't cover a house. Our license types page explains each one, and three matter most for homeowners:

Residential General: any number of unrelated trades. Residential Specialty: one or two unrelated trades, or three or more if the whole contract is $2,500 or less. Residential Limited: contracts up to $5,000, with annual gross sales up to $40,000.

Some endorsements are narrow. Home inspection, locksmith, home services, energy score and restoration holders can't do other contractor work. CCB's search page also points elsewhere for some trades: the Building Codes Division for electrical and plumbing, the Landscape Contractors Board for landscaping, and DEQ for asbestos.

Bond and liability insurance

Since January 1, 2024, the bond is $25,000 for Residential General, $20,000 for Residential Specialty and $15,000 for Residential Limited. Minimum liability insurance is $500,000, $300,000 and $100,000 per occurrence. Commercial bonds run from $25,000 to $80,000.

Neither is a full safety net. Liability insurance is for property damage and bodily injury, not contract disputes or poor workmanship. The bond is a limited amount, so on a large project, ask about a separate performance bond.

Workers' comp: Exempt or Nonexempt

CCB sorts licenses into two classes. Exempt generally means no employees, so workers' comp isn't required, though commercial contractors must carry it anyway. Nonexempt generally means the business hires or leases workers and needs coverage.

Our data doesn't name a carrier. To verify coverage, use Oregon's Proof of Coverage Search or ask for a certificate. The search is sensitive to spelling, so a miss isn't proof of no coverage. If an Exempt business shows up with a crew, ask why.

Homes built before 1978

Renovation in pre-1978 housing generally takes a Lead-Based Paint Renovation license on top of the CCB license. That applies when work disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint per room inside or 20 square feet outside. Replacing windows counts. Check for it before you accept a bid.

Before you sign

Residential jobs over $2,000 must have a written contract. It must show the contractor's name, address, phone and CCB number, your name and address, the job address, a description of the work, price and payment terms, and your rights, including your right to file a complaint with CCB. The contract can require mediation or arbitration, but it can't limit that right.

On or before the contract date, you should also get the Consumer Protection Notice, the Notice of Procedure and the Information Notice to Owner About Construction Liens.

You can usually cancel an initial contract in writing until midnight at the end of the next business day. That right doesn't apply if you both agreed to start sooner or the work has substantially begun.

Tie payments to a schedule and don't pay in full up front. On a home improvement, CCB can put a contractor on probation if it takes a deposit of more than 50 percent and then fails to do the work as agreed, or fails to return the deposit within 10 days of a reasonable demand.

If something goes wrong

CCB must receive an owner's complaint on time. On an existing structure, that's one year after the work was substantially completed. On a new structure, it's one year after first occupancy or two years after substantial completion, whichever comes first. If the contractor never started, it's one year from the contract date. If the contractor quit, it's one year from when work stopped.

For most home jobs, you must first send the contractor a Pre-Complaint Notice by certified mail at least 30 days before filing. Then use the complaint forms on CCB's site. Most complaints carry a $50 fee.

CCB mediates but can't order payment. If mediation fails, the bond pays only with a court judgment or arbitration award. CCB's dispute process is only for contractors who were licensed during your project. For unlicensed work, report it to CCB's enforcement staff.

This is general information, not legal advice. Contractor Lookout is an independent site and is not affiliated with CCB.

Frequently asked questions

Does a missing listing mean the contractor is unlicensed?

No. Our data lists active licenses only, and a name search can miss on spelling. Check the license number on CCB's search before you decide.

Can I see complaints against an Oregon contractor?

Not on our site. CCB says its license record can show complaints and disciplinary actions from the past 10 years, and you can call 503-378-4621 to ask.

Does every small job need a licensed contractor?

There is a narrow exemption for casual, minor or inconsequential work totaling under $1,000, and it doesn't apply to anyone who advertises as a contractor.

Sources

Source: CCB public data · Updated November 3, 2026 This file lists active licenses only, and license details can change at any time. Verify on CCB's license search.