Continuing Education

Expired or lapsed license?

If your license expired or lapsed (lack of bond or insurance) more than two years ago, do not take continuing education classes. You must re-apply for a license and take the pre-license training and test. Application materials are available. Call CCB licensing staff at (503) 378-4621 if you have further questions.

Endorsed for both residential and commercial work?

You meet requirements for the commercial continuing education program. Be sure to review the requirements for a Commercial endorsement.

Specialty licenses

Persons with these specialty (limited) licenses do not have to complete continuing education:

Home services contractors
Residential locksmith services contractors
Home energy performance score contractors

Residential Requirements

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Unless exempt, all residential contractors need the following continuing education every two-year license period:

3 hours of CCB laws, regulations and business practices classes PLUS
5 hours of other approved courses (see catalog below) if you have been licensed by the CCB six or more years OR
13 hours of other approved courses (see catalog below) if you have been licensed by the CCB less than six years

Note: You will not get credit for more than three hours of CCB classes.

Generally, only courses listed in the Course Catalog on this website are approved for credit.

The exception: Courses from accredited colleges and universities or state or federal government agencies. These courses may not be listed in the Course Catalog. However, if they pertain to business practices or help you improve your trade and are at least an hour in length, the CCB accepts them for credit.

There are two ways to satisfy the requirement:

Take one of our live 3-hour classes (options include live webinars). See the schedule and register online, OR
Take three one-hour classes through your online services account.

Requirements

As a home inspector, you must complete 30 continuing education units in the 24 months prior to your certification expiration date. These classes must be from approved providers in approved subject areas.

Accredited colleges and universities, as well as federal, state or local government agencies, are all approved. Additionally, certain private education businesses are approved to offer courses.

FAQ

How can I earn home inspector continuing education credits?

These are ways to earn continuing education as a home inspector:

Complete classes in approved subject areas from approved providers. One unit is granted for each clock hour of instruction.
Accompany a plumbing, electrical or heating/air conditioning contractor who is licensed with the Oregon Building Codes Division on a repair or maintenance job that lasts a minimum of four hours.
Host ride-alongs with home inspector applicants.
Serve as an officer for an Oregon or a national home inspector professional trade association. One unit is granted for each year of service.

Can I take online courses?

Yes.

What are the approved subject areas for home inspector credit?

These are approved subject areas: Home inspection, report writing, communication skills, business practices, construction, renovation, lead-based paint, legal issues, ethics, building codes, and home inspector standards.

Classes in approved subjects must be relevant to your work as a home inspector. For example, classes in mold and wood-destroying organisms (termites and other pests) are approved because they are relevant to your work. No classes in pesticides are approved because the standards do not require home inspectors to apply pesticides.

How do I prove completed education?

When you receive your certification renewal notice, complete the renewal form and submit copies of your course completion certificates. Detailed instructions are included with the renewal form.

Acceptable documentation

College courses: Send a copy of the college transcript (official or unofficial) with the appropriate course(s) highlighted. The document should indicate the name of the school, course title, name of the home inspector, passing grade, number of credit hours, and when the course was completed.

Other courses/workshops/seminars: Send a copy of the completion certificate. The certificate should contain the name of the school/organization, specific course title (not “July workshop”, “Bend seminar”, etc.); name of the home inspector; date the course was completed; and actual hours of the course or the number of education units granted. Also acceptable is a letter on the providers’ letterhead with the same information.

Ride along: Submit the Home Inspector Continuing Education Ride-Along Credit form if you:

accompanied a licensed Building Codes Division (BCD) plumbing, electrical or heating/air conditioning contractor on a repair or maintenance job or
hosted a ride-along for a home inspector applicant

Officer of a home inspector trade association: If you served as an officer of an Oregon or national home inspector professional trade association, submit a copy of a letter from the association that states the office held and dates served (month/year to month/year). The letter must be on the association’s letterhead and signed by another officer.

What happens if I don't complete home inspector continuing education?

If you do not document at least 30 education units:

Your certification will expire.
The CCB may fine you up to $5,000 for each home inspection performed while the inspector is not certified.

Many contractors get advertisements from businesses offering continuing education. This is a list of businesses and other groups that the CCB approved to offer courses.

The CCB only has records of the three hours of courses you take from us.

You may need to send the CCB course completion certificates from courses you take through other approved providers. Some course providers notify us when you complete a course; others do not. If you are uncertain, ask the education provider or send the certificate to the CCB.

Send course completion proof to cecerts@ccb.oregon.gov. Make sure your CCB number is on the certificate or in the email!

You may send the certificates as soon as you complete the class or wait until closer to renewal. However, residential contractors cannot renew a license until the CCB has proof they met the continuing education requirements.

Contractors who mail in license renewal forms may submit certificates at that time.

Contractors licensed for both commercial and residential work are subject only to the commercial education requirements.

If your license expired or lapsed (lack of bond or insurance) more than two years ago, do not take continuing education classes. You must re-apply for a license and take the pre-license training and test. Call the CCB at 503-378-4621 with questions.

Some residential and commercial contractors with other Oregon licenses are exempt from CCB continuing education. Here's a list:

Architects (if an owner or officer is an Oregon-licensed architect)
Developers
Engineers (if an owner or officer is n Oregon-licensed engineer)
Electricians (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed electrician)
Plumbers (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed plumber)
Boiler contractors
Elevator contractors
Renewable energy contractor
Pump installation contractors
Limited sign contractors
Landscape contractors who are construction contractors
Home inspectors (must still complete continuing education for the home inspector certification but no longer for the CCB license)

Commercial Requirements

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Education requirements for commercial contractors are based on their Level 1 or Level 2 status.

You must meet these educational requirements every two years. When you renew your license, you will be asked to certify that you did so, and the CCB may audit your records.

If audited, the CCB sends a letter requesting certain information. For Level 1 contractors, this includes the number of key employees at the business specified on the last renewal.

Level 2 commercial general or specialty contractors need: 32 hours of education completed by key employees.
Level 1 commercial general or specialty contractors need: (Based on key employees specified on the last renewal)

5 or more key employees: 80 hours
4 key employees: 64 hours
3 key employees: 48 hours
2 key employees: 32 hours
1 key employee: 16 hours

A key employee is an owner or employee who is one of the following:

Corporate officer
Manager
Superintendent
Foreperson
Lead person
Any other person who supervises construction activities

One key employee or multiple key employees can complete class requirements.

Commercial contractors can take a variety of courses on construction methods or business practices to meet their continuing education requirements. The CCB does not need to pre-approve courses.

Courses should be a minimum of one hour long.

The CCB does not approve individual education providers for commercial continuing education. By law, providers can be:

Community colleges, colleges, universities
Trade schools
Trade or business associations*
Professional societies
Private companies
Public agencies
In-house training

*This can include workshops and trainings held at trade shows but you must provide the CCB with a course completion certificate.

Keep a record of all the education completed in case of audit. The CCB can ask to see proof that you completed all required hours. Some education providers will report course completions to the CCB; in that case, we may be able to verify you met the requirements without asking you to send documents.

Contractors licensed for both commercial and residential work are subject only to the commercial continuing education requirements.

Some residential and commercial contractors with other Oregon licenses are exempt from CCB continuing education. Examples include:

Architects (if an owner or officer is an Oregon-licensed architect)
Developers
Engineers (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed engineer)
Electricians (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed electrician)
Plumbers (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed plumber)
Boiler contractors
Elevator contractors
Renewable energy contractor
Pump installation contractors
Limited sign contractors
Landscape contractors who are construction contractors
Home inspectors (must still complete continuing education for the home inspector certification but no longer for the CCB license)

Commercial Contractor CE Audits

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On the first of every month, a portion of recently renewed contractors are randomly selected for continuing education audit. When you are audited, you will be asked to fill out a worksheet, and you may be required to send actual certificates. Each audit is for the previous two-year licensing cycle.

Download the Continuing Education Worksheet and the Exemption Declaration (below) and send signed copies (both pages) to our office. The forms cannot be filled unless they are downloaded.

Exemption Declaration Form
Commercial Continuing Education Worksheet

If you are unable to download these forms from our website, send an email to ccbaudits@ccb.oregon.gov or call us at (503) 934-2227 to have the forms sent to you by email. If all classes do not fit on one Continuing Education Worksheet, you may send as many copies as you need to report your hours.

Some contractors are also asked to send proof of continuing education (certificates of completion) with their forms. Your letter will indicate whether you are expected to send in your certificates or not.

Please return your form to our office at:

Education Audits

PO Box 14140

Salem OR 97309

You may also scan your documents and email them to: ccbaudits@ccb.oregon.gov or send your documents by fax to (503) 373-2155.

Level 1 commercial contractors:

During the audit, Level 1 commercial general and specialty contractors are asked to produce records of CE based on the number of key employees specified on the renewal form from 2 years ago.

5 or more key employees: 80 hours
4 key employees: 64 hours
3 key employees: 48 hours
2 key employees: 32 hours
1 key employee: 16 hours

Level 2 commercial contractors:

32 hours

Continuing education must be taken by key employees. Key employees are corporate officers, managers, superintendents, forepersons, lead persons and anyone else who supervises construction activities.

Multiple key employees may complete training. Example: three supervisory workers attend the same five-hour safety training. That counts as 15 hours' worth of continuing education.

Nearly any course taken by key employees to advance their business or trade may count. This includes but is not limited to classes offered by:

Community colleges, colleges, universities
Trade schools
Trade or business associations
Professional societies
Public agencies
In-house trainings, including safety meetings. You may be asked to produce a form with a date, name of provider, topic, sign-in sheet, and/or start and end times

Courses should be a minimum of one hour long.

Some residential and commercial contractors with other Oregon licenses are exempt from continuing education. Here's a list:

Architects (if an owner or officer is an Oregon-licensed architect)
Developers
Engineers (if an owner or officer is an Oregon-licensed engineer)
Electricians (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed electrician)
Plumbers (if an owner, officer or employee is an Oregon-licensed plumber)
Boiler contractors
Elevator contractors
Renewable energy contractors
Pump installation contractors
LImited sign contractors
Landscape contractors who are construction contractors
Home inspectors (must still complete continuing education for the home inspector certification, but no longer for the CCB license)

ORS 701.086: This state law outlines minimum continuing education requirements for level 1 and level 2 commercial contractors, requires contractors to certify continuing education hours when renewing, and requires contractors to keep records of education.

ORS 701.098: This state law authorizes license suspension for violating regulations, including a rule or order of the board, and for knowingly providing false information to the board.

OAR 812-020-0072: This rule requires contractors to keep records of key employee participation in continuing education for at least 24 months after renewal, allows the agency to request to see the records, and authorizes license suspension for failure to comply.

Contact the education section to discuss next steps if you did not complete your education during the renewal period.