Question A1 — Cross-State Licensing
Oregon CCB License & New York Work — Reciprocity Reality
"Can my Oregon CCB license be used to do MEP work in New York, or do I need separate NY registration?"
Short Answer
No. Oregon's Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license does
not confer New York contracting privileges. New York does not have a
general reciprocity agreement with Oregon for construction contractor licensure.
Cascadia must register and license at multiple levels: (1) NY Department of State
foreign entity authority, (2) NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
(DCWP) for any work within the five boroughs, and (3) per-trade licensure for
any individual on staff performing master-class work
NYC Admin. Code §20-385 et seq.
19 NYCRR §1300.
Authority Stack — What Governs This
| Layer | Authority | Citation |
|---|
| State entity authority | NY Department of State, Division of Corporations | BCL §1304 |
| NYC contractor registration | Department of Consumer & Worker Protection (DCWP) | NYC Admin Code §20-385 |
| Plumbing master license | NYC DOB — Licensing | NYC Admin Code §28-408 |
| Electrical master license | NYC DOB — Licensing | NYC Admin Code §28-407 |
| HVAC / Refrigeration | No NYC master license; state DOL refrigeration rules apply | 12 NYCRR Part 4 |
| Foreign-entity tax registration | NY Department of Taxation & Finance | Tax Law §209 |
The Registration Path (Sequenced)
- NY Department of State — Foreign Entity Authority.
File Application for Authority (Form DOS-1336-f for LLCs). Requires a
Certificate of Good Standing from Oregon Secretary of State dated within
60 days. Filing fee $250 (LLC). Designate NY DOS as agent for process.
- EIN review & NY State Tax registration.
Register for NY corporate franchise tax (even as a foreign LLC, a NY job
creates nexus) and withholding tax through NY Online Services for Business.
- NYC DCWP — Home Improvement Contractor / General Contractor.
File for HIC license if any residential work; for commercial-only MEP,
confirm Tracking Number assignment via DOB NOW: Build. License fee $100,
2-year term. Background check required.
- Per-trade master licenses.
For each NYC plumbing or electrical scope, a NYC-licensed Master
Plumber or Master Electrician must be the licensee of record on the permit.
Cascadia options: (a) hire a NYC-licensed master, (b) partner with a NYC
trade contractor of record, or (c) have the NY job filed under the GC's
master licensee with Cascadia as named subcontractor.
- Workers Compensation.
Oregon SAIF coverage does not satisfy NY. Procure a NY-domiciled
WC policy or extension (NY State Insurance Fund or licensed admitted carrier),
plus NY DBL (Disability Benefits Law) and PFL (Paid Family Leave) coverage
for any employee working a NY worksite.
What Cascadia's CCB License DOES Carry Across
Reputation evidence only. Your Oregon CCB record (bond
claims, complaints, license history) is admissible when a NYC DCWP
background check is run. A clean CCB history accelerates DCWP issuance
but does not substitute for it.
Estimated Timeline & Cost (Single Job, First-Time)
| Step | Time | Cost |
|---|
| OR Certificate of Good Standing | 1-3 days | $10 |
| NY DOS Application for Authority | 2-3 weeks routine, 24h expedited (+$25) | $250 |
| NY Tax registration | Same day online | $0 |
| NYC DCWP license | 4-6 weeks (background check) | $100 |
| NY WC policy bind | 1-2 weeks | Quote-dependent |
| NY DBL + PFL coverage | 1 week | ~0.5-0.6% of payroll |
| TOTAL (first project) | 6-10 weeks | ~$400 + insurance |
Decision & Owner
Decision: Begin the NY DOS Application for Authority now.
It is the longest-lead item and a prerequisite for every downstream filing.
Owner: CEO + outside counsel. Target completion: 3 weeks from kickoff.
Open risk. If our first NY project requires a master
plumber or master electrician of record and we hire rather than partner,
we add 6-9 months to ramp. The default for the first 2-3 NY jobs should
be partnership with a NYC trade contractor of record.