Connecticut to Hawaii: master plumber license reciprocity
Hawaii has no reciprocity agreement with Connecticut. Your Connecticut experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Hawaii exam.
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)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
Hawaii has no reciprocity or endorsement for master plumbers from any state. An applicant who has been licensed as a journey worker or master-level plumber for at least two 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 Master Plumber (PM) exam without first holding a Hawaii journey worker plumber license for two 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 plumbers 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 Hawaii master plumber exam based on the UPC. On passing, the plumber license fee is $306 in the first year of the plumber triennium, $204 in the second, and $102 in the third (2026 is a third year on the 06/2026 application table). No separate academic-coursework hour requirement applies to plumbers. Contracting still requires a separate HRS ch. 444 contractor license.
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 two years registered as a Hawaii journey worker plumber first. The current PSI examination fee is not printed on the 06/2026 DCCA form; the 2018 FAQ listed $90 for plumbers. Current UPC edition used on the PM exam was not confirmed (2018 FAQ cited the 2006 UPC). Plumber on-time renewal dollar amounts were blank on the Board page retrieved 2026-09-16.
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 Connecticut license for at least 2 years.Licensed as a journey worker or master-level plumber for at least two years in another county, state, or country whose licensure requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's (HAR §16-80-3; HRS §448E-5(b)(6); 06/2026 application), in lieu of two years registered with the Board as a Hawaii journey worker plumber.
- 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.
- 2Other. Notarized Experience Verification form(s) - Plumber Only, signed by each licensed plumber (or licensed contractor, where the origin state licenses only contractors) under whom the work was done.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Hawaii Master Plumber examination administered by PSI Services, based on the Uniform Plumbing Code; Board approval required before registering.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee paid directly to PSI at registration (amount set in the PSI candidate bulletin; $90 in the Board's 2018 plumber FAQ).
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($102). Initial plumber license fee if licensed in the third year of the plumber triennium (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 per the 06/2026 application table), including the compliance resolution fund fee; $306 in the first year of a triennium and $204 in the second. Do not send this fee with the initial application..
- 6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Separate contractors license under HRS ch. 444 if the master plumber will contract for plumbing work; the PM license alone does not authorize contracting.
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. For each triennial renewal of an Active PM license (next June 30, 2027): proof of a University of Hawaii community college course on updates to the 2021 UPC, or a board-prescribed UPC-update exam (HRS §448E-8.5(b)). Waived for the first renewal if the license was issued within one year of the expiration date; not required while Inactive..
Published fees on this path total $142, 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 plumbers
Hawaii master plumber · “Master Plumber (PM)”
Statewide license
Issued by Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division)
Hawaii issues a statewide Master Plumber (PM) license through the Board of Electricians and Plumbers; it is the higher personal plumbing credential and, with the Journey Worker Plumber license, is what HAR §16-80-4 requires of anyone who directs, supervises, or performs plumbing work in or within five feet of buildings. Under HRS §448E-5(b)(6) a PM applicant must have been registered with the Board as a journey worker plumber for at least two years or have equivalent experience in the trade, and must pass the PSI-administered Hawaii master plumber exam. HAR §16-80-3 and the Board's application form define equivalent experience as having been licensed as a journey worker or master-level plumber for at least two 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 two-year prerequisite, but Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction and the Hawaii exam is never waived. A contractor's license under HRS ch. 444 is separately required to contract for plumbing work. Licenses renew every three years by June 30 (2027, 2030, 2033) with a 2021 UPC update course for Active status.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Hawaii master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Connecticut?
- Yes. Hawaii requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Connecticut license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Hawaii master plumber license from Connecticut?
- Published fees on this path total $142, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Connecticut 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 Connecticut?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Hawaii to Connecticut, the mechanism is endorsement.
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 16, 2026
- DCCA PVL - Board of Electricians and Plumbers · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 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 16, 2026
- 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 16, 2026
- DCCA PVL - Plumber Continuing Competency Requirements · Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 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
- HRS §448E-5 - Minimum requirements (electricians and plumbers) · HRS §448E-5(b)(5)-(6) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- HRS §448E-5.5 - Examination · HRS §448E-5.5 · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- HRS §448E-8.5 - Continued competency; license renewals · HRS §448E-8.5(b)-(c) · Hawaii State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.