Moving to Hawaii as a residential contractor: every state's rule

1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Part I, Business and Law (PSI): 80 questions, 180 minutes, closed book, 75 percent to pass. Covers contract, financial, project and risk management, estimating and bidding, labor, lien and tax law, licensing and OSHA safety. Required of every new applicant..
2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Part II, B General Building Contractor (PSI): 80 questions, 240 minutes, closed book, 75 percent to pass. Register with PSI only after receiving the Board's examination approval letter, and pass within six months or file a new application and fee..
3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). PSI fee for the Business and Law examination, per attempt; nonrefundable and valid for one year from payment.
4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($85). PSI fee for the B General Building Contractor examination, per attempt; nonrefundable and valid for one year from payment.
5. 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Nonrefundable application fee for each application, payable to Commerce and Consumer Affairs. A company and its RME file separate applications and each pays $50; a sole proprietor files one. Applications, with every supporting document, must reach the Board's Honolulu office by the first Tuesday of the month before the meeting at which they will be considered; faxed or emailed copies are not accepted..
6. 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($663). License fee for a company or sole proprietor licensed between October 1 of an even-numbered year and September 30 of the next year; $494 if licensed in the second year of the two-year cycle. An RME pays $438 or $334 on the same split. The Board bills the fee after the examinations are passed, and every license expires September 30 of the next even-numbered year..
7. 7Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. A compiled, reviewed or audited financial statement not more than a year old, with an independent accountant's report from a licensed CPA or public accountant, plus the Board's signed Financial Statement form CT-02 for compiled or reviewed statements. Filed by the company or sole proprietor, not the RME. The Board publishes no minimum net worth or working capital; it weighs the statement with the credit reports and tax clearance and may impose a surety bond..
8. 8Background check. Complete a background check. A complete credit report, issued within the past six months and covering at least five years, for the RME and for each officer, partner, manager or member of the company. A summary or credit score alone is not accepted..
9. 9Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Liability and property damage insurance of at least $100,000 bodily injury each person, $300,000 each occurrence and $50,000 property damage each occurrence, plus workers' compensation coverage or a filed exclusion. Coverage must stay continuous for the life of the license..
10. 10Business license. Obtain a business license. A company must be registered with the DCCA Business Registration Division, with any trade name registered separately, and a company or sole proprietor files a Hawaii tax clearance issued within the past six months..
11. 11Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Only if the Board imposes one as proof of financial integrity; the Board sets the amount case by case on form CT-09..

Published fees on this path total $878, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.