- A licensed electrician may contract directly only on projects of $1,000 or less that need no electrical permit. The general $1,500 handyman exemption does not apply to electrical work that needs a permit.
- Contractor license: 4 years of supervisory experience in the classification within the past 10 years. Journey Worker Electrician: 5 years and at least 10,000 hours of residential or commercial wiring, plus 240 hours of electrical coursework accepted by a University of Hawaii Community College. Supervising Electrician: 4 years as a licensed journey worker electrician.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- A bond only if the board requires one.
- Contractor licenses expire September 30 of even numbered years. Electrician licenses renew every three years by June 30 (2026, 2029, 2032) and need a National Electrical Code update course, except maintenance electricians.
Do you need a state license in Hawaii?
Hawaii licenses electrical work at the state level through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
A licensed electrician may contract directly only on projects of $1,000 or less that need no electrical permit. The general $1,500 handyman exemption does not apply to electrical work that needs a permit.
County building departments handle electrical permits and codes.
Hawaii license types for electrical work
Hawaii splits the work into 4 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| C-13 Electrical contractor | The contractor license for an electrical business |
| Supervising Electrician (ES) | Individual license, 4 years as a licensed journey worker electrician |
| Journey Worker Electrician (EJ) | Individual license, 5 years and 10,000 hours of wiring plus 240 hours of coursework |
| Maintenance Electrician (EM) | Individual license for electrical maintenance work |
Steps to get licensed in Hawaii
- Build 5 years and 10,000 hours of wiring plus 240 hours of coursework and get your Journey Worker Electrician license.
- Work 4 years as a licensed journey worker to qualify for Supervising Electrician.
- Build 4 years of supervisory experience in electrical work within the past 10 years.
- Apply to the Contractors License Board for the C-13 classification and pay the $50 application fee.
- Once approved, pass Part I Business and Law and Part II Trade exams, then pay the license fee and file proof of insurance.
- Renew the contractor license by September 30 of even years and your electrician license every three years.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Contractor license: 4 years of supervisory experience in the classification within the past 10 years. Journey Worker Electrician: 5 years and at least 10,000 hours of residential or commercial wiring, plus 240 hours of electrical coursework accepted by a University of Hawaii Community College. Supervising Electrician: 4 years as a licensed journey worker electrician.
The license to apply for. C-13 Electrical Contractor (plus a Supervising Electrician license).
Hawaii electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. The contractor exam has a trade part (Part II). Electrician licenses also need the board exam, which covers the National Electrical Code.
Business and law exam. Yes. Part I of the contractor exam covers business and law.
What it costs in Hawaii
The board lists 6 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $50 |
| Exam fee, specialty classifications | $80 |
| License fee, sole proprietor or entity, Oct 1 of an even year to Sept 30 of an odd year | $663 |
| License fee, sole proprietor or entity, Oct 1 of an odd year to Sept 30 of an even year | $494 |
| Contractor renewal, sole proprietor or entity | $353 |
| Electrician license renewal, active | $306 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, property damage liability of $50,000, plus workers compensation if you have employees.
Bond. A bond only if the board requires one.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Contractor licenses expire September 30 of even numbered years. Electrician licenses renew every three years by June 30 (2026, 2029, 2032) and need a National Electrical Code update course, except maintenance electricians.
Reciprocity. Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements. All applicants meet the same licensing and exam requirements.
Good to know in Hawaii
- The owner builder exemption does not cover electrical work.
- Licensed electrical contractors and electricians can pull electrical permits. Permits are required for electrical work over $500 in a 12 month period.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for an electrician near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how electrical contractors run on Koira.