LicensebyState

Moving to Hawaii as a master electrician: every state's rule

Hawaii has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Hawaii master electrician · “Supervising Electrician (ES)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 4 sources

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.

Every origin state

Experience credit 39No credit 11
Every state's path into Hawaii
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-15
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-15
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-15
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-15
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-15
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-15
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-15
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IowaExperience credit2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineExperience credit2026-09-15
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-15
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-15
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-15
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriExperience credit2026-09-15
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-15
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-15
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-15
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-15
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-15
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-15
OhioExperience credit2026-09-15
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-15
OregonExperience credit2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-15
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-15
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasExperience credit2026-09-15
UtahExperience credit2026-09-15
VermontExperience credit2026-09-15
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-15
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-15
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-15
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-15
WyomingExperience credit2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Hawaii from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Hawaii issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 10 sources

Supervising Electrician (ES) by examination

Hawaii's Supervising Electrician (ES) license, treated here as the master level, is earned by examination after four years as a licensed Hawaii Journey Worker Electrician. The applicant files the application with Experience Verification forms, the Board of Electricians and Plumbers reviews it at one of its meetings, and once approved the applicant registers with PSI for the open-book Hawaii Supervising Electrician exam. The statute also accepts equivalent experience in the trade, which includes at least four years licensed as a journey worker or supervising-level electrician in another jurisdiction whose licensing requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's. No coursework requirement applies to the supervising license.

The exam has 70 questions in 180 minutes and requires a score of at least 70%; the test center provides the 2020 National Electrical Code. There is no separate law exam. Board meetings are usually held in February, April, June, August, October and December, and a complete application must arrive at least seven days before the meeting. Exam eligibility lasts two years from the approval letter. The supervising license is required to direct or supervise electrical work; contracting for electrical work needs a separate contractor's license under HRS chapter 444.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years

Who can apply

  • Hold a Hawaii Journey Worker Electrician (EJ) license for at least 4 years first.Registered with the Board as a journey worker electrician for at least four years (HRS §448E-5(b)(3)).

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Equivalent experience: four years licensed in a substantially equivalent jurisdiction

HRS §448E-5(b)(3) also admits applicants with equivalent experience in the trade. The Board's rules and application define this 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 licensing requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's. The Board decides equivalence when it reviews each application and does not publish a list of accepted jurisdictions.

  • You must have held your Hawaii license for at least 4 years.
  • License Verification form from every jurisdiction where a license has ever been held, showing any discipline

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($40). Non-refundable application fee payable to Commerce and Consumer Affairs, filed with the Application for Exam and License (form EP-01).
  2. 2Background check. Complete a background check. Required only if you report a criminal conviction: a Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center criminal history record check dated within six months (plus one from each other state where a conviction occurred), with a signed explanation and the court documents..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Hawaii Supervising Electrician exam administered by PSI: 70 questions, 180 minutes, open book with the 2020 NEC provided, 70% to pass.
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($95). Paid directly to PSI Services when scheduling; non-refundable, and each retake costs another $95.
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($306). Due after you pass the exam. $306 if licensed in the first year of the three-year licensing period (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), $204 in the second year and $102 in the third.

Published fees on this path total $441, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years and a $306 renewal fee.

Before each renewal, complete a course on the current National Electrical Code updates through Honolulu Community College or the Hawaii Electricians Training Fund, or pass a board-prescribed NEC update exam. A license first issued within one year of the renewal date is exempt for that first renewal. The Board does not publish the course length in hours.

All electrician licenses expire on June 30 every three years (2029, 2032), whatever the issue date. On-time renewal for an active license is $306.

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 · $95

Sources for this section

  1. 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 23, 2026
  2. DCCA PVL - Board of Electricians and Plumbers · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. DCCA PVL - Electrician Continuing Competency Requirements · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. 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 23, 2026
  5. 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 16, 2026
  6. HRS §448E-5 - Minimum requirements (electricians and plumbers) · HRS §448E-5(b)(5)-(6) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  7. HRS §448E-5.5 - Examination · HRS §448E-5.5 · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  8. HRS §448E-8 - Fees; renewals · HRS §448E-8(b), (d) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. HRS §448E-8.5 - Continued competency; license renewals · HRS §448E-8.5(b)-(c) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Hawaii Contractor Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC, 1/20/2026) · PSI Services LLC for the Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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