Kansas to Hawaii: master electrician license reciprocity
Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas has nothing to transfer
Kansas master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Kansas does not issue a master electrician license; the master credential exists only at the county and city level under the framework in K.S.A. 12-1525 to 12-1527. State law requires a master certificate of competency to rest on a valid journeyman certificate held for at least two years plus a passing score of 75% on an ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard master exam, and makes that certificate valid proof of competency in every Kansas jurisdiction that licenses electricians. Sedgwick County/Wichita (MABCD) issues master electrician certificates ($35) to certified journeymen with two more years of field experience who pass ICC 554/KGD/F16/G16/T16; Kansas City, Kansas licenses master electricians after four years of experience including two years of commercial or industrial work; Lawrence certifies masters with four years of field experience or two years as a journeyman ($20); and Johnson County uses the ICC Standard Master Electrician exam (554/KGD) to qualify the individual behind a Class DE electrical contractor license ($325 for a new license). None of these jurisdictions has a reciprocity agreement with another state - MABCD states it does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions - so an out-of-state master's advantage is limited to submitting an already-passed ICC master exam score (Johnson County and MABCD accept the ICC national master exams) and documented experience in place of retesting.
How local licensing works in Kansas
How local licensing works. Kansas has no state master electrician license. K.S.A. 12-1526(f) requires applicants for a master certificate to have held a valid journeyman certificate for at least two years, and 12-1525 designates the ICC, IAPMO and Prometric master exams (75% minimum). A master certificate of competency earned on a standard exam is accepted for licensure in any other Kansas county or city without re-examination; a license based on a local alternative exam is valid only in that jurisdiction unless a reciprocal agreement exists (12-1527).
Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Master electrician certificate: current electrical journeyman certificate plus two years of field experience as a certified journeyman, and a 75% score on ICC 554, KGD, F16, G16 or T16 Master Electrician. New certificate $35, two-year term, renewal $35 with six trade and six general CEUs. An electrical contractor license additionally needs a qualified person holding the master certificate, $300,000 general liability insurance naming MABCD, and 12 hours of CE per renewal; trade contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd years. MABCD states it does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions or with state testing.
Johnson County. The county licenses electrical contractors (Class DE, electrical services only) rather than individual masters. The company's Qualifying Individual must show a passing score on the ICC Standard Master Electrician exam (554 or KGD, Pearson VUE); the county accepts equivalent ICC, Prometric, ETS-subsidiary and IAPMO exams and may recognize ICC National exams with a verified score of 75% or higher. Fees: $100 application plus $225 per license type ($325 for one new license), $225 renewal, $75 late fee; eight hours of CE per classification per year for the Qualifying Individual.
Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government). Code sec. 8-158: no one may work as a master electrician without a Unified Government master electrician's license. Applicants must be 21 and document one year of experience planning, laying out and supervising electrical installations plus three additional years under a licensed electrical contractor or master electrician, at least two of them in commercial or industrial work; an approved post-high-school electrical course earns up to two years' credit. Testing is through Prometric via the Building Inspection division; fees and reciprocity are not published.
Lawrence. Master electrician certification requires four years of practical field experience or two years as a journeyman, verified by notarized employer statements, and a 75% score on the K.S.A. standard exam ($50 exam application); license $20, renewal $10, six hours of CE per year. Certificates of competency from other Kansas jurisdictions are accepted.
Out-of-state masters. No interstate reciprocity is published anywhere in Kansas. A master who already passed an ICC master exam elsewhere should present the score (Sedgwick County lists the national ICC 554/F16/G16/T16 exams; Johnson County will consider ICC National scores of 75%+) with experience documentation; otherwise the ICC or Prometric master exam must be taken through a sponsoring Kansas jurisdiction, after which the certificate is portable statewide.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Hawaii master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Kansas?
- Yes. Hawaii requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Kansas license?
- At least 4 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Hawaii master electrician license from Kansas?
- Published fees on this path total $346, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kansas 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 Kansas?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Hawaii to Kansas, 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.