Apply for Registration

Registrations

You can apply and track your registration online using the Board's Applicant Portal. Application and registration fees can also be paid through the portal. If you are unable to use the Applicant Portal, you can download the required application from the list at the bottom of this page. Submitting online is recommended since it lets you easily track your application's status.

Types of registration

There are three main types of registration offered by the Board:

Geologist-in-Training (GIT)
Registered Geologist (RG)
Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG)

See below for information about Temporary Military Spouse Registration and Temporary Permits.

Geologist-in-Training (GIT)

A Geologist-in-Training (GIT) is someone who has completed the Board’s minimum education requirements and passed the Fundamentals of Geology (FG) section of the national geology exam. Holding a GIT registration does not allow the individual to practice geology on their own; they must work under the supervision and direction of a Registered Geologist (RG) or Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG).

Registered Geologist (RG)

A Registered Geologist (RG) is someone approved by the Board to publicly practice geology in Oregon after meeting the Board’s education, examination, and experience requirements. An RG can be responsible for geological services and manage their own work.

Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG)

A Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG) is an individual who already holds an RG registration and has received a special certification from the Board to practice engineering geology. This certification is granted after reviewing the applicant’s education, exam scores, and experience in the specialty.

An RG cannot provide engineering geology services unless they also have a CEG certification or are working under the supervision of a CEG. In other words, only a CEG or someone supervised by a CEG can be the responsible professional geologist on a civil works project.

Regulation of practice

The Board does not regulate geotechnical engineering, although that work may sometimes overlap with engineering geology. In Oregon, all engineering, including geotechnical engineering, is regulated by the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS). However, if a Geotechnical Engineer or other Professional Engineer does engineering geology work that’s outside their area of expertise, the Board will regulate that practice.

Registration maintenance

You can renew your registration or update your contact information online.

Additional licensure information

A Registered Geologist (RG) is also eligible to apply for a Certified Water Rights Examiner license. OSBEELS manages the exam and registration process for this license type. The Board can verify your RG status to support your application with OSBEELS.

Minimum standards and application process

The minimum standards for each type of registration are detailed on the Qualify & Apply for Exams page of this website. An applicant must submit the application form for the type of registration sought and include all fees plus supporting documentation, as appropriate.

Application for initial registration

If you are applying for initial registration, you can submit your application through the Board's Applicant Portal. If you've already applied to take an exam with the Board in the past, your supporting documents—like your official transcript or work experience—should already be on file. For example, if you applied for Geologist-in-Training (GIT) registration and took the Fundamentals of Geology (FG) exam, you would have submitted your transcript when you applied for the exam. If you applied for Registered Geologist (RG) registration and sat for the Practice of Geology (PG) exam, you would have sent both your transcript and your work experience records.

If you applied to take the exam within the last five years, you usually won't need to send these documents again. The Board will review your application and reach out if any more information is needed.

Application for cooperative (comity) registration

To apply for cooperative registration, use the Board's Applicant Portal. For this type of registration, you need to submit all supporting documents with your application—proof of your education, exam results, and professional experience. The Board must confirm that you meet Oregon's requirements in these areas, and cannot do that without your documents.

The Board will also need official verification of your exam scores and your current license from your primary registration board. It's a good idea to ask your licensing board to send this verification before you submit your application for Oregon registration. This can help make sure your application is complete and may speed up the process.

Review timeline

The Board reviews registration applications all year on a first-come, first-served basis. Processing times vary, but a complete application is usually reviewed within three to four weeks.

Registration for active military and military spouses

If you are an active military member stationed in Oregon or a spouse or domestic partner of one, there may be other options for registration. Please see Board rule 809-050-1005 (Military Portability and Temporary Military Spouse Registration) for more details. If you have questions, contact the Board office for help with these options.

Temporary permits

If you want to publicly practice geology in Oregon but do not have an Oregon registration, you may apply to the Board for a temporary permit. To qualify, you must meet all of these requirements:

You are not a resident of Oregon.
You do not have an established business location in Oregon.
You have a geology or engineering geology license or registration from another state where the requirements are at least as strict as Oregon's for RGs or CEGs.
Your work in Oregon is for a specific project only.
Your permit request is for no more than one period of 60 consecutive days during a calendar year.

Your application is your official notice to the Board that you plan to work in Oregon. It must clearly state the dates you plan to do the work. You can apply through the Applicant Portal or by mail. The permit will only cover the 60-day period you request. Once you finish your work, you must send the Board a written statement with the end date.

Please note:

The Board cannot split a 60-day work period into separate, non-consecutive periods.
You can only get one consecutive 60-day temporary permit per calendar year.
You cannot receive more than one temporary permit in the same calendar year.
If you need to practice geology in Oregon for more than 60 consecutive days, or at different times throughout the year, you need to apply for full registration instead.

The fee for a temporary permit is $100.