LicensebyState

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

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

Hawaii master plumber · “Master Plumber (PM)”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 5 sources

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.

Every origin state

Experience credit 38No credit 12
Every state's path into Hawaii
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-16
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-16
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-16
CaliforniaExperience credit2026-09-16
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-16
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-16
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-16
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-16
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-16
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-16
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-16
IllinoisExperience credit2026-09-16
IndianaExperience credit2026-09-16
IowaExperience credit2026-09-16
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-16
LouisianaExperience credit2026-09-16
MaineExperience credit2026-09-16
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-16
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-16
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-16
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-16
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-16
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-16
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-16
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-16
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-16
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-16
OhioExperience credit2026-09-16
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-16
OregonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-16
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-16
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-16
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
TexasExperience credit2026-09-16
UtahExperience credit2026-09-16
VermontExperience credit2026-09-16
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-16
WashingtonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-16
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in Hawaii from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 10 sources

Master Plumber (PM) by examination

Hawaii's Master Plumber (PM) license is earned by examination after two years as a licensed Hawaii Journey Worker Plumber. 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 closed-book Hawaii Master Plumber exam. The statute also accepts equivalent experience in the trade, which includes at least two years licensed as a journey worker or master-level plumber in another jurisdiction whose licensing requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's.

The exam has 80 questions in 180 minutes and requires a score of at least 70%; up to ten unscored trial questions may be added. It is closed book, and the listed references are the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (8th edition) and OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926. 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, with unlimited attempts during that time. The master plumber license does not allow you to contract for plumbing work, which needs a separate contractor's license under HRS chapter 444.

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

Who can apply

  • Hold a Hawaii Journey Worker Plumber (PJ) license for at least 2 years first.Registered with the Board as a journey worker plumber for at least two years (HRS §448E-5(b)(6)).

Other ways to qualify

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

Equivalent experience: two years licensed in a substantially equivalent jurisdiction

HRS §448E-5(b)(6) 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 master-level plumber for at least two 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 2 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 Master Plumber exam administered by PSI: 80 questions, 180 minutes, closed book, 70% to pass.
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($90). Paid directly to PSI Services when scheduling; non-refundable, and each retake costs another $90.
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($102). Due after you pass the exam. $102 if licensed in the third year of the plumber licensing period (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027); $306 in the first year of a three-year period and $204 in the second. Do not send it with the application..

Published fees on this path total $232, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years and a $306 renewal fee.

Before each renewal of an active license, complete a University of Hawaii community college course on updates to the current Uniform Plumbing Code (the 2021 UPC for the period ending June 30, 2027), or pass a board-prescribed UPC update exam. A license first issued within one year of the renewal date is exempt for that first renewal, and inactive licenses are exempt. The Board does not publish the course length in hours.

All plumber licenses expire on June 30 every three years (2027, 2030, 2033), whatever the issue date. On-time renewal is $306 for an active license and $12 for an inactive one.

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 · $90

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 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
  4. DCCA PVL - Plumber Continuing Competency Requirements · 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. PSI Services - Hawaii DCCA Plumber Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (7/21/2023) · PSI Services LLC for the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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