Aug. 28, 2026
Occupational licensing index: Oregon’s occupational licensing burden is the nation’s greatest, according to the Archbridge Institute, which on Aug. 19 released its annual State Occupational Licensing Index. This marks the fourth year for the annual ranking, which placed Oregon in the top spot in 2025 as well. The Washington, D.C.-based Archbridge Institute describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit “public policy think tank dedicated to lifting barriers to human flourishing.”
Methodology: The Archbridge Institute gives each state a barrier score and a license score. The barrier score reflects restrictions on tasks associated with occupational titles (for instance, several states require “shampooers” to obtain cosmetology licenses, thereby creating barriers to shampooing). The license score reflects each state’s total number of professional licenses. These two scores determine each state’s total score.
Oregon’s performance: Oregon received the index’s top (most burdensome) scores for both barriers and licenses. Oregon’s most uniquely licensed occupation, according to the index, is lactation consultant, which is licensed in only two states.
Learn more: Oregon’s occupational licensure ranking is one of dozens of rankings and data points tracked on OBI’s online Oregon Scorecard. The state’s nation-leading occupational licensing burden is not a surprise. According to OBI research, Oregon is the nation’s seventh most heavily regulated state. Read the full State Occupational Licensing Index here, and check out OBI’s 2025 regulatory impact analysis here.