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
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
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Georgia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Montana | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Nebraska | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Jersey | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| North Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Ohio | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oregon | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 |