Oregon Architect CE Requirements (2026): 24 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
The Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners (OSBAE) requires 24 hours of continuing education in architectural health, safety and welfare (HSW) before each renewal, and all 24 hours must be HSW (OAR 806-010-0145). The hours are earned over the two calendar years preceding the biennial renewal.
Oregon makes compliance simpler than many states in two ways. First, the first renewal cycle is waived, so newly registered architects do not owe CE for their initial period. Second, the Board automatically approves HSW courses that AIA, NCARB, or NAAB have already approved, so you rarely need to seek separate course approval.
Documentation is light-touch: registrants keep proof of completion for at least two years, and certificates or transcripts are submitted to the Board only if you are selected for audit or are reinstating an expired registration.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | 24 | Every renewal | All 24 required hours must be in architectural health, safety and welfare (HSW). The Board automatically approves HSW courses that have been approved by AIA, NCARB, or NAAB. |
Exemptions
- First Renewal Cycle — The continuing education requirements are waived for the architect's first renewal cycle.
How You Can Complete Your CE
Oregon CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Oregon that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- All 24 required hours must be architectural health, safety and welfare (HSW), earned in the two calendar years before renewal (OAR 806-010-0145).
- The CE requirement is waived for the first renewal cycle.
- The Board automatically approves HSW courses that have been approved by AIA, NCARB, or NAAB.
- Registrants must keep proof of completion for at least two years; certificates or transcripts are submitted only upon audit selection or when reinstating an expired registration. Verify course acceptability with OSBAE.
Tips for Oregon Architects
- Every one of the 24 hours must be HSW — Oregon has no elective or general-topic allowance, so choose health, safety and welfare courses throughout.
- Lean on the auto-approval shortcut: courses already approved by AIA, NCARB, or NAAB count as HSW without separate board approval.
- If this is your first renewal cycle, the requirement is waived — confirm your first-cycle status with OSBAE before earning hours.
- Spread your hours across the two calendar years before renewal rather than cramming them at the end.
- Keep your completion certificates for at least two years; you only submit them if audited or reinstating, but you must be able to produce them.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners (OSBAE)'s official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Jul 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.