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Oregon Water Well Driller — Requirements & Free Practice

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Water Supply Well Constructor’s License

The water-supply endorsement of the single statutory Oregon water well constructor license under ORS 537.747; the Department administers a separate examination for this endorsement. Bonded status is a classification on this license, not a separate examination.

Licensing authority: Oregon Water Resources Department · Application information

Addition of bonded classification to an existing license
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Bond
Provide a properly executed Water Well Constructor’s Bond or Irrevocable Letter of Credit; ORS 537.753(1) specifies $20,000. The Department marks the existing license as bonded.
Current license
Already possesses this endorsement license in good standing.
Scope
The classification authorizes advertising and contracting; it does not replace the license or its endorsement.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

New issuance or renewal following disciplinary refusal of renewal
Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination
Discipline
Applicant’s license was refused renewal. The Director may require passage of this endorsement examination before the new license is issued.
Discretion
Examination is a leaf because the enforcement rule identifies it; whether the Director orders it is an applicant condition.
Order compliance
Satisfy the Director’s correction and compliance conditions and any required penalty-payment arrangements.
Initial licensure by examination
Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination
Age
At least 18 years old.
Bonded contracting
Advertising or contracting for well work requires bonded status and a $20,000 bond or irrevocable letter of credit under ORS 537.753(1).
Exam score validity
Passing endorsement examination scores are valid for three years; retesting after failure requires three months and another examination fee.
Experience
At least one year of qualifying water-supply well work during the previous 36 months, including operation of drilling machinery on at least 15 water-supply wells or equivalent machinery experience.
Experience evidence
Submit well reports or rough logs naming the applicant and responsible constructor with contact details; tax returns, workers compensation records, or other evidence acceptable to the Director establish active work.
Fees
ORS 537.747(6) requires a $25 examination fee and $165 license fee; statutory fees govern over the older $20 examination and $150 license amounts in the rules.
Out of state authorization
A license held elsewhere does not substitute for required evidence of experience; OAR 690-205-0020(1)(c)(D).
Welding proficiency
Provide one of the arc-welding certificate, college passing transcript, professional training documentation, certified instructor/inspector proficiency-test documentation, or AWS D1.1 steel 2G certification options in OAR 690-205-0020(1)(e). The current April 1, 2024 rule lists these five evidence options for this endorsement.
Renewal within 12 months after expiration by paying the penalty
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the renewal application and fee; license normally expires June 30 of the second year.
Continuing education
14 approved credits per licensing period, at least two on groundwater and well-construction law; seven credits, at least one law credit, at first renewal where the new license expires within 14 months. Safety/first aid/CPR and hazardous materials limits apply under the rules.
Continuing education completion
Supply continuing education documentation or approved waiver within the permitted renewal period.
Disciplinary orders
Outstanding civil penalties must be paid or subject to payment arrangements accepted and honored under the Department rules; a separate refusal-to-renew order can require the examination under the disciplinary route.
Existing license
Holds this endorsement in good standing.
Expiration window
No later than 12 months after license expiration.
Fees
$275 renewal fee under ORS 537.747(6)(d); applicant chooses the late-fee renewal alternative rather than requalification.
Waiver
Director may waive continuing education on a written showing of health, military duty or other circumstances beyond the constructor’s control.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Timely renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the renewal application and fee; license normally expires June 30 of the second year.
Continuing education
14 approved credits per licensing period, at least two on groundwater and well-construction law; seven credits, at least one law credit, at first renewal where the new license expires within 14 months. Safety/first aid/CPR and hazardous materials limits apply under the rules.
Disciplinary orders
Outstanding civil penalties must be paid or subject to payment arrangements accepted and honored under the Department rules; a separate refusal-to-renew order can require the examination under the disciplinary route.
Existing license
Holds this endorsement in good standing.
Fees
$165 for timely renewal under ORS 537.747(6).
Waiver
Director may waive continuing education on a written showing of health, military duty or other circumstances beyond the constructor’s control.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Requalification instead of late renewal or after the 12 month renewal deadline
Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination
Age
At least 18 years old.
Bonded contracting
Advertising or contracting for well work requires bonded status and a $20,000 bond or irrevocable letter of credit under ORS 537.753(1).
Exam score validity
Passing endorsement examination scores are valid for three years; retesting after failure requires three months and another examination fee.
Experience
At least one year of qualifying water-supply well work during the previous 36 months, including operation of drilling machinery on at least 15 water-supply wells or equivalent machinery experience.
Experience evidence
Submit well reports or rough logs naming the applicant and responsible constructor with contact details; tax returns, workers compensation records, or other evidence acceptable to the Director establish active work.
Expired license
Applicant elects requalification instead of the late-renewal penalty, or has not renewed or documented education within 12 months of expiration. Must satisfy ORS 537.747(3) for a new license.
Fees
ORS 537.747(6) requires a $25 examination fee and $165 license fee; statutory fees govern over the older $20 examination and $150 license amounts in the rules.
Grandfather conditions
ORS 537.747(8)-(9) preserves the experience exemption for continuously maintained licenses held July 1, 1981, and welding exemption for continuously maintained licenses held July 1, 2023; applicability depends on continuous good standing.
Out of state authorization
A license held elsewhere does not substitute for required evidence of experience; OAR 690-205-0020(1)(c)(D).
Welding proficiency
Provide one of the arc-welding certificate, college passing transcript, professional training documentation, certified instructor/inspector proficiency-test documentation, or AWS D1.1 steel 2G certification options in OAR 690-205-0020(1)(e). The current April 1, 2024 rule lists these five evidence options for this endorsement.
Full licensure after supervised trainee experience
Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination
Age
At least 18 years old.
Bonded contracting
Advertising or contracting for well work requires bonded status and a $20,000 bond or irrevocable letter of credit under ORS 537.753(1).
Exam score validity
Passing endorsement examination scores are valid for three years; retesting after failure requires three months and another examination fee.
Experience
At least one year of qualifying water-supply well work during the previous 36 months, including operation of drilling machinery on at least 15 water-supply wells or equivalent machinery experience.
Experience evidence
Submit well reports or rough logs naming the applicant and responsible constructor with contact details; tax returns, workers compensation records, or other evidence acceptable to the Director establish active work.
Fees
ORS 537.747(6) requires a $25 examination fee and $165 license fee; statutory fees govern over the older $20 examination and $150 license amounts in the rules.
Out of state authorization
A license held elsewhere does not substitute for required evidence of experience; OAR 690-205-0020(1)(c)(D).
Trainee conversion
Applicant already holds this endorsement trainee card and now supplies the required experience evidence. Previously passed examination remains a leaf; three-year score validity is an applicant condition.
Welding proficiency
Provide one of the arc-welding certificate, college passing transcript, professional training documentation, certified instructor/inspector proficiency-test documentation, or AWS D1.1 steel 2G certification options in OAR 690-205-0020(1)(e). The current April 1, 2024 rule lists these five evidence options for this endorsement.

Water Supply Well Constructor’s License Temporary Authorization Endorsement

Nonrenewable temporary authorization for eligible military spouses or domestic partners with substantially similar current out-of-state authorization.

Licensing authority: Oregon Water Resources Department · Application information

Temporary authorization for military spouse or domestic partner
Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination
Age
At least 18 years old.
Duration
Expires at the earliest of two years after issuance, completion of the spouse’s term of service in Oregon, or expiration of the out-of-state authorization.
Examination
Official Department notification of passage of this endorsement examination is required.
Fees
Pay the examination fee and license fee.
Military relationship
Provide current marriage or domestic-partnership evidence and active-duty orders assigning the spouse or partner to an Oregon duty station.
Other authorization
Provide official verification of current authorization for these services elsewhere, the Department’s good-standing form, and the Department’s comparison form; the Department must find substantially similar licensing requirements.
Renewal
Temporary authorization is not renewable; continued services after expiration require ordinary licensure under subsection (1).
Source wording
OAR 690-205-0020(5)(c)(B) states that the authorization ends when the spouse’s term of military service ends; the controlling temporary-authorization statute ORS 670.400(3)(a)(B) specifies completion of the spouse’s term of service in this state.

Water Supply Well Constructor Trainee Card

A supervised trainee authorization for applicants who passed this endorsement examination but have not met the experience requirement.

Licensing authority: Oregon Water Resources Department · Application information

Trainee card following examination
Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination
Age
At least 18 years old.
Duration
Card valid for three years from the date the examination was passed.
Experience
Applicant has passed the written endorsement examination but cannot meet the full-license experience requirement.
Supervision
Supervised by a person holding a valid Water Supply Well Constructor’s License; card must name the responsible bonded constructor for operation without that constructor present.
Supervision limits
Cable-tool exceptions require the constructor to be reachable within two hours and a rough-log signature within eight working hours. The constructor must be present for specified casing, sealing and artesian operations. Non-cable-tool exceptions require one-hour availability and a rough-log signature within eight working hours, for air or pump testing, gravel packing, development, or drill-stem removal.

Oregon Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination

Provider
Oregon Water Resources Department
Format
Written examination; rules and statutes provided; personal notes prohibited
Time limit
Four hours
Passing score
70 or better
Exam fee
$25 examination fee under ORS 537.747(6)(a)
Examination outline
  • Oregon Revised Statutes 537.505 through 537.795 and 537.992
  • Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 690, Divisions 200 through 230
  • Hydrogeology, the occurrence and movement of groundwater, and water supply well design, construction and development
  • Types, uses and maintenance of drilling tools and equipment, drilling problems and corrective procedures, repair and sealing of water wells, and safety rules and practices
  • Correctly completing the start card and well log
  • Plotting the location of a well using township, range, section, and quarter-quarter
  • Identification of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, and other materials such as sand and gravel
Examination sources