LicensebyState

Missouri to Hawaii: residential contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 15 sources

Missouri does not issue a statewide residential contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Hawaii's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Out-of-state experience credited toward the four years, full Hawaii examination (every state)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

The Board answers the question directly in its own FAQ: Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements with other states, and all applicants meet the same licensing and examination requirements. There is no verification-of-licensure form, no examination waiver and no NASCLA route, and a license held elsewhere is never exchanged for a Hawaii one. What an out-of-state builder does carry across is the work behind the license. The qualifying person must show four full years of supervisory experience within the past ten years in the classification applied for, and years spent supervising under another state's license count in full: the Board asks for proof of licensure, and an out-of-state contractor who held a license in that state is one of the people who may sign an experience certificate. The paperwork is the same for everyone. At least three notarized experience certificates, at least one for each classification and no two in a classification from the same person, plus a Chronological History of Projects listing every job, the trades subcontracted and the actual on-site supervision time. The Board reviews complete applications at its monthly meeting, then approves the applicant to sit the Hawaii examinations, which must be passed within six months.

Both examination parts are taken for the Class B general building classification: part I on Hawaii building, safety, health, labor and lien law and the administrative principles of contracting, part II on trade knowledge in the classification. Seventy-five percent is the pass mark for each part. The Board's examination page says the examinations moved to PSI Services LLC in January 2023, while the October 2025 requirement sheets still name Prometric; the examination approval letter names the testing agency, the examinations the applicant is eligible for and the date they must be passed by. HAR 16-77-41 excuses an examination only where the applicant previously qualified by written examination within four years and is applying in the same classification, which is about a lapsed Hawaii credential rather than an out-of-state one. Applying for the Class B license at the same time as a Class C specialty license needs a separate part II examination and a separate project list for each classification.

At a glance

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • Four full years of supervisory experience within the ten years immediately before the application, in the classification applied for, at the level of journeyman, foreman, supervisor or contractor, counting only time actually spent on site supervising and directing employees.HRS 444-11(a)(2) lets the Board accept experience acquired on a self-employed or unlicensed basis where it can be verified. Technical training may be approved as acceptable experience but never counts for more than one year. Design time, ordering materials and scheduling around rain-outs or deliveries do not count.
  • Supervisory years worked under another state's contractor license count toward the four years. The Board asks an applicant with licensed experience elsewhere to provide proof of licensure, and an out-of-state contractor who held a license in that state may sign an experience certificate. The proof of licensure does not replace the certificates or the project list.
  • You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
  • The qualifying person must be at least eighteen and, unless applying as a sole proprietor, must be employed by the licensed contracting entity as its Responsible Managing Employee. The principal RME must be in residence in Hawaii while the entity's license is in effect or a project is under construction, and a licensee must keep a physical place of business in the State; a post office box is not accepted.

What you'll do to get licensed in Hawaii

  1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Part I of the contractor examination: the building, safety, health, labor and lien laws of Hawaii and the basic administrative principles of the contracting business. Seventy-five percent is needed to pass. It is never waived for an out-of-state applicant. The Board strongly recommends obtaining a copy of the contractor licensing law and rules before sitting it..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Part II of the contractor examination: trade knowledge in the classification requested, here Class B general building. Seventy-five percent is needed to pass. The applicant registers with the testing agency only after the Board approves the application and issues an examination approval letter, and must pass both parts within six months or file a new application and fee. A failed part may be retaken for a further fee inside that six-month window..
  3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). $50 nonrefundable application fee for each application filed, payable to Commerce and Consumer Affairs. More than one classification may be requested on a single application, but a contracting entity and its Responsible Managing Employee file separate applications and pay the fee separately, so an inbound company and its qualifying person pay $50 each. A further $10 contractors education fund fee accompanies every application, and a dishonored payment carries a $25 service charge..
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fees are paid directly to the testing agency when the approved applicant registers, and are charged for each part taken. The Board's published FAQ lists $75 per part, with most classifications taking both parts, but that document dates from before the examinations moved to PSI Services LLC, so confirm the current amount with PSI on (833) 333-4754 before registering. An interpreter, if the Board approves one, adds $100 to the examination fee..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. The Board assesses the license fee after the application is approved and the examinations are passed, telling the applicant the exact amount at that point. Its published FAQ gives $663 for a contracting entity or sole proprietor licensed in the first year of the two-year cycle and $494 in the second, and $438 or $334 on the same split for a Responsible Managing Employee, so budget for both. Licenses run to September 30 of the next even-numbered year whatever date they were issued. On-time renewal currently costs $338 for an entity or sole proprietor, $208 for an RME and $160 for an inactive license, plus $5 education fund and $10 recovery fund fees..
  6. 6Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. A current financial statement, dated within one year, that is compiled, reviewed or audited and accompanied by an independent accountant's report from a CPA or public accountant holding a current permit to practice; an accountant licensed in another state attaches a copy of that license. For compiled and reviewed statements the applicant also signs the Board's own Financial Statement form CT-02 whether or not the accountant used it. The Board publishes no minimum net worth or working capital figure: it weighs the statement together with the credit reports and the tax clearance to decide whether the applicant has financial integrity, and whether to impose a bond. RMEs do not file a financial statement; the entity or sole proprietor does..
  7. 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). A surety bond is not automatic in Hawaii. The Board may require one as proof of financial integrity, and sets the amount case by case; the bond form leaves the penal sum blank. Where one is imposed, it runs to the State of Hawaii on form CT-09, is conditioned on compliance with HRS chapter 444 and on paying employees' wages, is continuous, and can be canceled by the surety only on thirty days' written notice. Both the applicant and the surety notarize it. After a licensee has maintained the bond for at least a year it may ask the Board to waive it on proof of financial integrity, supported by current credit reports, financial statements and a tax clearance..
  8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. A certificate of comprehensive liability and property damage insurance with minimum limits of $100,000 bodily injury each person, $300,000 bodily injury each occurrence and $50,000 property damage each occurrence, plus a workers' compensation certificate from a carrier authorized in Hawaii or proof of self-insurance or exclusion. An out-of-state contractor may use a non-admitted carrier where the producer qualifies for an exemption under HRS 431:9A-104(b)(6). Coverage must be continuous for the life of the license: a lapse forfeits both the entity and the RME license automatically, and if it is not restored within sixty days both must apply as new applicants. Certificates are filed fastest through the Board's online insurance submittal system..
  9. 9Business license. Obtain a business license. The contracting entity must be registered with the DCCA Business Registration Division before it can be licensed: a Hawaii corporation or LLC files a stamped copy of its articles, a foreign corporation its certificate of authority and a partnership its registration statement, and an entity registered for more than a year attaches a Certificate of Good Standing issued within the past year. Any trade name must be separately registered and a filed-stamped copy supplied. A current Hawaii tax clearance, issued within six months, is filed with the application and again at every renewal, and the name on it must match the license name exactly..
  10. 10Background check. Complete a background check. A current and complete credit report for each officer, partner, manager or member, issued not more than six months earlier and covering at least the previous five years, showing each current and past debt, its status and any public records; a summary or a bare credit score is not accepted. Where a partner or member is itself a business, the credit reports of its officers or a comprehensive business credit report are filed instead. The RME files a credit report with the RME application as well..
  11. 11Continuing education. Complete continuing education (if applicable). Hawaii imposes no continuing education requirement on contractors. Renewal by September 30 of each even-numbered year instead turns on continued financial integrity: a current tax clearance or payment arrangement, a statement about any liens, undisputed debts or judgments, proof that workers' compensation and liability coverage have been maintained without a break, and proof that any bond the Board imposed is current..
  12. 12Other. The application, fee and every supporting document must reach the Board's Honolulu office on or before the first Tuesday of the month before the meeting at which it will be considered; the Board meets monthly except in December, and faxed or emailed copies are not accepted. An application is abandoned if licensure is not completed within a year of filing or the examinations are not passed after eligibility, and the Board keeps a denied application for two years. A Social Security number must be given or the application is treated as deficient..

Published fees on this path total $50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Law / code exam
  • Trade exam
  • Exam fee

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · if applicable

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education · if applicable

How Hawaii licenses residential contractors

Hawaii residential contractor · “Class B General Building Contractor (no separate residential class)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 9 sources

Issued by Hawaii Contractors License Board (DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division)

Hawaii has no residential contractor license. The Contractors License Board, in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, classifies every contractor into exactly three branches under HRS 444-7: Class A general engineering, Class B general building and Class C specialty. Houses fall inside Class B, which covers any structure built for the support, shelter and enclosure of persons or property whose construction uses more than two unrelated building trades, so a homebuilder in Hawaii holds the same license as a commercial builder and this page points at Class B for both levels. Two limits are worth knowing. A Class B license does not let the holder take a contract that needs only one or two unrelated trades unless the holder also carries the matching Class C specialty license, and it never covers electrical or plumbing work, which needs both the C-13 or C-37 classification and an individually licensed electrician or plumber. The license is entity-held and qualified by a named person: a corporation, partnership, joint venture, LLC or LLP is licensed only while it employs a licensed Responsible Managing Employee, the RME sits the examinations and proves the experience, and the two file separate applications and pay separate fees. An individual who will trade in their own name applies instead as a licensed sole proprietor.

Moving to HawaiiLeaving Hawaii

Why Missouri has nothing to transfer

Missouri residential contractor · “Residential Building Contractor / Class C general contractor / construction business license (city-issued)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 19 sources

Issued by No state authority; cities and counties license, register or exempt residential contractors

Missouri issues no statewide residential contractor, home builder or remodeler license. The Division of Professional Registration's own list of regulated professions contains exactly one construction trade - Electrical Contractors - and Title XXII of the Revised Statutes, which holds every occupational licensing chapter from 324 to 346, has no chapter for contractors or builders at all. The one statewide construction credential Missouri does offer is the voluntary electrical contractor license under RSMo 324.900 to 324.945, and its own definitions confine it to electrical contracting; there is no building-contractor equivalent, so a residential builder has nothing at state level to apply for or transfer. Plumbers are examined by cities over 15,000 people and by first-classification counties under RSMo chapter 341, again locally rather than by a state board. Housebuilding is therefore regulated jurisdiction by jurisdiction, and Missouri splits sharply in two: Kansas City and Independence run genuine competency programs built on ICC or Prometric examinations, while St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Springfield, Columbia and Jefferson City ask a residential builder for nothing more than a business license and proof of workers' compensation. A contractor moving to Missouri qualifies separately in each place where permits will be pulled, and in the two testing cities the credential that actually travels is a passing score on a recognized national residential-builder examination rather than another state's license.

How local licensing works in Missouri

How it works in Missouri. There is no state contractor board, no state application and no state exam. Each city or county writes its own ordinance, so a builder holds whatever the local jurisdiction requires everywhere it works, and a credential from one Missouri city does not carry into the next of its own force. The single statewide preemption in Missouri construction law is the electrical one: RSMo 324.925 forces every political subdivision to recognize a statewide electrical contractor license and bars it from testing that holder's electrical proficiency. Nothing equivalent exists for builders, and the statute expressly leaves cities free to license and examine in other trades. What that produces is two very different kinds of place. In Kansas City and Independence a residential builder is examined and personally qualified. In St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Springfield, Columbia and Jefferson City the trades are examined and the builder is not - the builder simply buys a business license.

Kansas City. City Planning & Development runs a two-part system under Article XII of the Kansas City Building and Rehabilitation Code, and it is the only place in Missouri with a purpose-built residential builder credential. An individual first earns the Residential Building Supervisor certificate of qualification, which covers "constructing, structurally altering or enlarging any one- or two-family detached dwelling or townhouse including detached accessory buildings in excess of 400 square feet." The applicant files an application with a $60.00 nonrefundable fee and "shall earn a passing score on one of the two recognized exams administered for Kansas City, Missouri: the residential construction (10344) examination administered by Prometric or the standard residential building contractor (W13) examination administered by ICC." The exam is waived where the applicant holds "a passing score on a standard Prometric or ICC examination or other department-approved national testing agency examination comparable in content," documented to the Building Official's satisfaction - and the city states outright that it built the program to match Independence and Johnson County, so "if you have passed a residential builder exam in either of these jurisdictions, you will not be required to retest," and continuing education hours earned there count toward renewal. Being a Missouri-registered engineer or architect does not substitute for the exam. The company then applies for the Residential Building Contractor license, which needs a full-time managerial employee holding the supervisor certificate (the owner may be that person), a business license from the Finance Department, a current Missouri Secretary of State registration and a certificate of insurance carrying at least a $1,000,000 aggregate limit per occurrence and naming the City of Kansas City as additional insured. Fees are $60.00 to apply and $181.00 to issue, with $181.00 quadrennial renewals on both the license and the certificate; the certificate itself is free for its first four years. Applications go through CompassKC; [email protected], (816) 513-1500.

Independence. The city licenses the individual, not the company: "contractor licenses belong to the licensed individual, NOT a company," and "anyone hired to complete permittable work within the City of Independence" needs one. The residential tier is the Class C general contractor license, described as residential only, and the license "covers framing, footings, and general construction." Qualification is one of three things: ICC or Prometric test scores from within the last five years at 75 percent or better; "a current, active license with a jurisdiction that we reciprocate with," which the city defines broadly as "any jurisdiction that issues licenses in a similar fashion"; or, for a general contractor license, a bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture or construction science from an accredited college or university. Licenses expire on December 31 every year with no proration. A business license shows you may trade in the city; the contractor license shows you are qualified to do the work, and you need both. Authorized users may be added to a license, but the holder answers for their work. [email protected], (816) 325-7401.

St. Louis City. The Building Division operates four boards of examiners - electrical, mechanical contractors and pipefitters, plumbers and drainlayers, and sprinkler system contractors - and none of them touches building contractors. A residential builder needs a construction or contracting business license from the License Collector: a state tax number, the application form, clearance from the Collector of Revenue, an occupancy permit from the Building Division, and proof of workers' compensation coverage or a signed statement that the law does not require it. The city also requires that "all general contractors ... furnish a list of the sub-contractors on any job to the License Collector." No exam, experience or bond applies. Building Division, City Hall Room 425, 1200 Market St., (314) 622-3313.

St. Louis County. The county is explicit: "the County does not license general contractors," though it "does verify that out-of-state contractors are registered with the state," and it "does register all repair contractors that obtain permits for repairs from a natural disaster such as a flood or severe storm." What it does license is the trades, through Transportation and Public Works: electrical licensing, mechanical licensing (four contractor categories under the county Mechanical Code) and plumbing licensing, each with its own board, and "the County only issues trade permits to licensed contractors." A homebuilder in unincorporated St. Louis County therefore pulls permits without a county builder credential but must use licensed trade contractors. 41 South Central Ave., 6th Floor, Clayton, 314-615-5184. Note that most of the county's ninety-odd municipalities run their own building departments, so check the city as well.

Springfield. Building Development Services will not issue a permit until "a City-licensed General Contractor (GC) or Trade Master (TM) ... is listed on the permit," so the credential is mandatory - but it is a business license, obtained from the License Division, not a tested qualification. Springfield's testing program covers the crafts only: "electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, and mechanical craftsmen must be tested and certified to afford competence and knowledge of the codes," and those trades may substitute an out-of-jurisdiction exam score of 75 percent or better from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC where the examination is identical to Springfield's. Contractors who carry workers' compensation file proof of it; those who are not required to carry it sign a notarized exemption statement. Permit desk 417-864-1585, License Division 417-864-1617.

Columbia. Community Development's Building and Site Development division licenses trades only - Trade Apprentice, Electrical Certification, Mechanical Certification and Plumbing Certification - because "electricians, plumbers, gas fitters and mechanical craftsman must be tested and certified," with the tests "administered by a private testing firm according to a regular schedule." There is no builder certification and no board of building examiners. A residential contractor takes out a city business license instead: $0.25 per $1,000 of gross receipts with a $75 annual minimum, a $10,000 annual maximum and a $45 application fee, plus a certificate of workers' compensation insurance for any construction business with one or more employees. Business License Division 573-874-7378.

Jefferson City. "All contractors performing work in Jefferson City must have a local license," but the split is the same as elsewhere: "electrical and plumbing contractors and their employees are required to obtain specific trade licenses directly from the Building Regulations Division," while "all other contractors are directed to the Business License Division to obtain their business license." A residential builder therefore files for the business license and takes no examination. Building Regulations (573) 634-6410, Business License Division (573) 634-6322.

Everywhere else. Missouri's other cities and counties set their own rules, and many require nothing but a permit and proof of insurance. Ask each building department what it licenses before you contract there. If you plan to sit an examination anywhere in Missouri, the practical move is the ICC standard residential building contractor (W13) or the Prometric residential construction (10344) paper, because those are the two Kansas City names outright and the same scores satisfy Independence, and a passing result documented from an approved agency is the nearest thing Missouri has to a transferable builder credential.

Moving to MissouriLeaving Missouri

Common questions

Do I have to take the Hawaii residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
Yes. Hawaii requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a Hawaii residential contractor license from Missouri?
Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Missouri work hours count in Hawaii?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Hawaii's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Hawaii to Missouri?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Hawaii to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. Contractors License Board Application Forms and Publications - DCCA Hawaii · Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  2. Contractors License Board - Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs · Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  3. Bond Form - Contractors License (form CT-09, rev. 09/2013) · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Description of Contractor License Classifications - Hawaii Contractors License Board · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Contractors License Board Examination - Application Deadline and Examination Dates · Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Contractor Frequently Asked Questions - Hawaii Contractors License Board · Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  7. Contractors Financial Statement (prescribed form CT-02, rev. 11/2017) · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  8. Requirements for License - Contractor, Entity (Form CT-00, rev. 10/2025) · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Requirements for License - Contractor, Responsible Managing Employee (Form CT-00(A), rev. 10/2025) · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  10. Requirements for License - Contractor, Sole Proprietor (rev. 10/2025) · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  11. Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 16, Chapter 77 - Contractors · HAR 16-77-6, 16-77-8, 16-77-11, 16-77-12, 16-77-28, 16-77-32, 16-77-33, 16-77-35, 16-77-39 to 16-77-46, 16-77-54, 16-77-55, 16-77-71, 16-77-76, 16-77-89 · Hawaii DCCA, Contractors License Board · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  12. HRS 444-11 - No license issued when (contractor qualifications) · HRS 444-11 · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  13. HRS 444-7 - Classification (contractors) · HRS 444-7 · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  14. HRS 444-9 - Licenses required (contractors) · HRS 444-9 · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  15. NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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