Indiana to Hawaii: master electrician license reciprocity
Indiana does not issue a statewide master electrician 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 journeyman or master license counted as equivalent experience, full Hawaii exam (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Hawaii has no reciprocity or endorsement for supervising or master electricians from any state. An applicant who has been licensed as a journey worker or supervising-level electrician for at least four years in another county, state or country whose licensure requirements the Board finds substantially equivalent to Hawaii's meets the 'equivalent experience in the trade' prerequisite for the Supervising Electrician (ES) exam without first holding a Hawaii journey worker license for four years; the Board makes that determination when it reviews the application. The applicant files the $40 application with notarized Experience Verification forms from the licensed electricians under whom the work was done (or the licensed contractor, where that state licenses only contractors), License Verification forms from every jurisdiction where a license has ever been held, and, after Board approval at one of its bi-monthly meetings, registers with PSI for the open-book Hawaii supervising electrician exam. On passing, the license fee is $306 in the first year of the triennium (July 2026 to June 2027), $204 in the second and $102 in the third. No electrical coursework requirement applies to the supervising classes.
The Board publishes no list of states it considers substantially equivalent; equivalence is decided per application. An applicant whose out-of-state license is not accepted as equivalent would need four years registered as a Hawaii journey worker electrician first. The exam fee is paid directly to PSI and is not printed on the current DCCA form; the 2018 FAQ listed $95.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 90 days
What you must already have
- You must have held your Indiana license for at least 4 years.Licensed as a journey worker or supervising-level electrician for at least four years in another county, state or country whose licensure requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's (HAR §16-80-3; HRS §448E-5(b)(3)), in lieu of four years registered with the Board as a Hawaii journey worker electrician.
- License Verification form completed by every jurisdiction in which the applicant has ever held a license, showing any discipline
What you'll do to get licensed in Hawaii
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($40). Non-refundable application fee payable to Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Hawaii Supervising Electrician examination administered by PSI Services (open code book); Board approval required before registering.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee paid directly to PSI at registration (amount set in the PSI candidate bulletin; $95 in the Board's 2018 FAQ).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($306). Initial license fee if licensed in the first year of the triennium (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), including the compliance resolution fund fee; $204 in the second year and $102 in the third.
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. For each triennial renewal (by June 30, 2029): proof of a University of Hawaii community college NEC update course or approved equivalent (HRS §448E-8.5); renewal fee $306.
Published fees on this path total $346, 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.
- Trade exam
- Exam fee
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Hawaii licenses master electricians
Hawaii master electrician · “Supervising Electrician (ES)”
Statewide license
Issued by Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division)
Hawaii's highest personal electrician credential is the Supervising Electrician (ES) license, which HAR §16-80-4 requires of anyone who directs or supervises electrical work; Hawaii does not use the title 'master electrician' for electricians (the term is used only for plumbers). Under HRS §448E-5(b)(3) an ES applicant must have been registered with the Board as a journey worker electrician for at least four years or have equivalent experience in the trade, and must pass the PSI-administered supervising electrician exam. HAR §16-80-3 and the Board's application form define equivalent experience to include having been licensed as a journey worker or supervising-level electrician for at least four years in another county, state or country whose licensure requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's, so an out-of-state journeyman or master license can satisfy the four-year prerequisite, but Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction and the Hawaii exam is never waived. Parallel supervising classes exist for industrial (ESI, three years) and specialty (ESS, two years) electricians. A contractor's license under HRS ch. 444 is separately required to contract for electrical work. Licenses renew every three years by June 30 with an NEC update course.
Why Indiana has nothing to transfer
Indiana master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Indiana has no statewide master electrician or electrical contractor license and no state electrical board; the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's list of regulated professions contains no electrical trade. The master-level credential exists only at the local level and under varying names: Indianapolis/Marion County licenses Electrical Contractors whose craft license holder has passed the city's exam, Allen County (Fort Wayne) issues an Electrical Supervisors License that it expressly treats as a master electrician license, Evansville and Bloomington license Master Electricians by local examination, and South Bend and Terre Haute license electrical contractors on proof of a passing ICC National Master Electrician (or Experior/master) exam score. An out-of-state master electrician license carries no state-level recognition in Indiana and none of the major jurisdictions publish a formal reciprocity path for other states' licenses; a master must apply in each city or county where they will pull permits, which in practice means holding an ICC national master exam score or passing the local exam, then meeting that jurisdiction's bond and insurance requirements.
How local licensing works in Indiana
How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state electrician or electrical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license electrical contractors and master-level electricians, and there is no statewide portability rule. Several jurisdictions accept the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam as the qualifying test, which makes an ICC score the most portable credential inside the state.
Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues an Electrical Contractor license to a business that has at least one electrical craft license holder who has passed the required examination (contact the Trade Board & Licensing Coordinator for the exam); a license holder may be connected to only one partnership, LLC or corporation. The packet requires proof of business registration, a certificate of insurance ($500,000 per occurrence bodily injury and $100,000 property damage, or $500,000 combined) naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as additional insured, workers' compensation coverage or an Indiana exemption certificate (Ohio-based companies need an Indiana Certificate of Compliance), and a $10,000 license or permit surety bond expiring 12/31/2027. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (applied for January-June 2026), $283 (July-December 2026) or $189 (2027); new business license $247, $185 or $124; business and license-holder renewals $247 each; more than five authorized agents $63 each. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years.
Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's Electrical Supervisors License requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination; the holder 'shall be considered a master electrician' and may qualify a business for the Electrical Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H of the rules grants licensing reciprocity subject to the trade's reciprocity guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.
Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Electricians (persons, firms or corporations installing or contracting to install electrical wiring and equipment). Applicants submit three notarized letters on letterhead proving at least four years of experience, are approved by the trade board to test, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% or higher on each part, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and a surety bond; the Licensing and Disciplinary Board gives final approval. Renewal is $225 with a $25 late fee after January 31.
South Bend. The Building Department licenses electrical contractors after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, four years of experience verified by employer letters (or business tax records), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Master Electrician exam (F16-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board of Examiners; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required. South Bend issues reciprocal letters ($70) only to municipalities that accept the ICC master exams and cannot guarantee acceptance elsewhere.
Terre Haute. Commercial and residential electrical contractor licenses are issued to businesses; a full-time employee must have passed the Experior Assessment master electrician exam or equivalent for the commercial license (master, journeyman or residential exam for the residential license), proven by a letter from the testing agency. General contractor registration requirements also apply: a $10,000 bond on the city's form and $500,000/$100,000 insurance naming the city; a non-owner master signs a letter accepting responsibility as designated supervisor.
Bloomington. A city ordinance makes it unlawful to engage in electrical contracting without a city license and creates a Board for the Examination and Registration of Electricians that examines and licenses master electricians; current fees were not confirmed from the archived ordinance.
Out-of-state holders. No jurisdiction reviewed publishes reciprocity for another state's master or contractor license. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept ICC/Experior national exam scores regardless of where they were earned; Indianapolis and Evansville require their own examinations. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Hawaii master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?
- Yes. Hawaii requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Indiana license?
- At least 4 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Hawaii master electrician license from Indiana?
- Published fees on this path total $346, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Indiana work hours count in Hawaii?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Hawaii's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 90 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Hawaii to Indiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Hawaii to Indiana, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- DCCA PVL - Requirements for Examination and License, Electricians and Plumbers (Forms EP-00 / EP-01, rev. 06/2026) · HRS ch. 448E; HAR ch. 16-80 · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026States 'IMPORTANT: Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction.' Lists each electrician class with its requirement (EJ 5 years/10,000 hours plus 240 hours of coursework; ES 4 years as a licensed journey worker electrician or equivalent; EJI 4 years/8,000 hours plus 200 hours; ESI 3 years; EJS 3 years/6,000 hours plus 120 hours; ESS 2 years; EM 1 year plus 80 hours). Defines equivalent experience for supervising categories as having been licensed as a journey worker or supervising level electrician for at least 4 years in another county, state or country whose licensure requirements are substantially equivalent. Experience Verification forms must be signed by the licensed electrician who supervised the work (or by a licensed contractor where that state licenses only contractors); License Verification forms are required from every jurisdiction where a license was ever held. Application fee $40; exams through PSI Services (open code book); license fee on passing $306 in the first year of the triennium, $204 in the second, $102 in the third.
- DCCA PVL - Board of Electricians and Plumbers · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board home page. Electricians renew by June 30 every three years (2026, 2029, 2032); the current licensing period runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029; on-time renewal cost for all electrician classes is $306 active ($12 inactive).
- DCCA PVL - Electrician and Plumber Application Deadline and Examination Dates · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Applications must be filed at least seven days before a Board meeting and approved by the Board before the exam; the electrician and plumber exams are offered by PSI Services, LLC; exam eligibility is valid for two years from the approval letter.
- DCCA PVL - Frequently Asked Questions, Electricians and Plumbers (July 2018) · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Faq · verified September 15, 2026Same class requirements as the application form. 2018 fee table: application $40, examination $95, license $306/$204/$102 by year of the triennium, renewal $306. Renewal by June 30 every three years; all electricians except maintenance electricians must show attendance at a University of Hawaii community college NEC update course (or equivalent courses by the Hawaii Electricians Training Fund or ABC) to renew; licensees licensed within one year of the renewal date are exempt. The exam fee figure is from 2018 and may have changed.
- Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 16, Chapter 80 - Electricians and Plumbers · HAR §§16-80-3, 16-80-4, 16-80-5, 16-80-6 · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026§16-80-3 defines 'equivalent experience in the trade' for supervising electricians as including having been licensed as a journey worker electrician or supervising electrician in another county, state or country whose requirements for licensure are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's (same definition for supervising specialty electricians). §16-80-4: anyone who performs electrical work needs a journey worker electrician license and anyone who directs or supervises it needs a supervising electrician license; unlicensed helpers may work only under a licensee physically present on site. §16-80-5: no license is issued unless the person applies for, takes and passes the board's written examination, and must submit documentary proof of experience. §16-80-6: triennial renewal fees due by July 1 every third year.
- HRS §448E-5 - Minimum requirements (electricians and plumbers) · HRS §448E-5(b) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§448E-5(b)(1): journey worker electrician applicants must be 18, have at least five years full-time (not less than 10,000 hours) of residential or commercial wiring experience under the supervision of a journey worker or supervising electrician, and have completed 240 hours of electrical academic coursework accepted by a University of Hawaii community college. §448E-5(b)(3): supervising electrician applicants must have been registered with the board as a journey worker electrician for at least four years 'or shall have equivalent experience in the trade'.
- HRS §448E-5.5 - Examination · HRS §448E-5.5 · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Every applicant shall be examined and shall pass an examination to be eligible for licensure; the board may contract with a professional testing service and the exam fee may be paid directly to the testing agency.
- HRS §448E-8 - Fees; renewals · HRS §448E-8(c)-(d) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Electricians renew every three years, paying all fees and meeting §448E-8.5 continued competency; failure forfeits the license, restorable within one year on payment of renewal and penalty fees.
- HRS §448E-8.5 - Continued competency; license renewals · HRS §448E-8.5(a), (c) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Before each renewal all licensed electricians except maintenance electricians must furnish proof of attendance at a community-college NEC update course or pass a board-prescribed NEC update exam; a licensee issued a new license within one year of the renewal date is exempt.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.