Transfer Your Electrician License to Hawaii: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division) ↗
To be licensed in Hawaii you apply to the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division) as a new applicant — it recognizes no other state's electrician license. Hawaii has no reciprocity with any jurisdiction — every applicant, in-state or out-of-state, must pass the Board of Electricians and Plumbers licensure examination; out-of-state experience may satisfy the experience requirement when substantially equivalent, but never waives the exam. Fee: $40 ($40 application fee + $95 examination fee; license fee is $306 if issued in year 1 of the triennium (incl. 2026), $204 year 2, or $102 year 3).
Moving to Hawaii from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full re-application required
The honest version for Hawaii: plan for a new-applicant process, not a transfer. Because Hawaii recognizes no other state's electrician license, the productive move is to pull the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division)'s current requirements early, document your on-the-job hours (they usually count toward the experience minimum), and schedule the exam. Your experience shortens the studying, not the checklist.
Hawaii issues statewide electrician licenses (Journey Worker EJ, plus Industrial EJI, Specialty EJS, Supervising ES/ESI/ESS, and Maintenance EM) but has NO reciprocity of any kind — the Board's FAQ states plainly that Hawaii has no reciprocal agreements and that all applicants meet the same licensing and examination requirements. There is no separate 'master' license; the highest field credential is Supervising Electrician (ES), requiring 4 years as a licensed journey worker electrician. Out-of-state journey-level experience can count toward the experience minimum when substantially equivalent, but the Hawaii exam is mandatory for everyone. Permitting and code enforcement are handled by the county building departments (Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai). Fees run on a triennial cycle with the next renewal due June 30, 2026.
Hawaii requirements at a glance
| Exam | Hawaii has no reciprocity with any jurisdiction — every applicant, in-state or out-of-state, must pass the Board of Electricians and Plumbers licensure examination; out-of-state experience may satisfy the experience requirement when substantially equivalent, but never waives the exam |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 10,000 hours |
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $40 ($40 application fee + $95 examination fee; license fee is $306 if issued in year 1 of the triennium (incl. 2026), $204 year 2, or $102 year 3) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing-time figure; applicants must also clear an academic-coursework review through a UH Community College |
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Document 5 years, and not less than 10,000 hours, of residential or commercial wiring experience for the Journey Worker Electrician (EJ) license.
- Complete 240 hours of electrical academic coursework accepted by a University of Hawaii Community College (HRS 448E-5).
- Pass the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers licensure examination — required of all applicants, including those licensed elsewhere.
- Pay the fees ($40 ($40 application fee + $95 examination fee; license fee is $306 if issued in year 1 of the triennium (incl. 2026), $204 year 2, or $102 year 3)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time figure; applicants must also clear an academic-coursework review through a UH Community College.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Hawaii:
Frequently asked questions
Does my electrician license transfer to Hawaii?
To be licensed in Hawaii you apply to the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division) as a new applicant — it recognizes no other state's electrician license. Hawaii has no reciprocity with any jurisdiction — every applicant, in-state or out-of-state, must pass the Board of Electricians and Plumbers licensure examination; out-of-state experience may satisfy the experience requirement when substantially equivalent, but never waives the exam. Fee: $40 ($40 application fee + $95 examination fee; license fee is $306 if issued in year 1 of the triennium (incl. 2026), $204 year 2, or $102 year 3).
Will I have to retake the journeyman exam in Hawaii?
Hawaii has no reciprocity with any jurisdiction — every applicant, in-state or out-of-state, must pass the Board of Electricians and Plumbers licensure examination; out-of-state experience may satisfy the experience requirement when substantially equivalent, but never waives the exam.
What does licensing in Hawaii cost an out-of-state electrician?
$40 ($40 application fee + $95 examination fee; license fee is $306 if issued in year 1 of the triennium (incl. 2026), $204 year 2, or $102 year 3) ($40 application fee + $95 examination fee; license fee is $306 if issued in year 1 of the triennium (incl. 2026), $204 year 2, or $102 year 3).
How long does Hawaii take to process the application?
The Board publishes no processing-time figure; applicants must also clear an academic-coursework review through a UH Community College — The Board publishes no processing-time figure; applicants must also clear an academic-coursework review through a UH Community College.
How many experience hours does Hawaii require?
10000 hours of documented on-the-job experience for the journeyman license; out-of-state hours generally count toward this minimum.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Hawaii DCCA — Electricians & Plumbers FAQ (states 'Does Hawaii have reciprocal agreements with other states? No.'; fees; EJ requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii DCCA — Board of Electricians and Plumbers (board home) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii DCCA — Application Forms and Publications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]