Hawaii Electrical License Reciprocity (2026): No Agreements

Hawaii has no electrical license reciprocity with any state. The Board of Electricians and Plumbers makes every out-of-state electrician apply, get approved and pass a PSI exam: 70 questions in 180 minutes for journey worker (EJ) or supervising (ES), 70% to pass, using a 2020 NEC that PSI hands you at the test center (PSI bulletin, March 22, 2024).

Your out-of-state work still counts. Hawaii accepts documented experience from anywhere, and 4 years licensed as a journeyman in a similar state can qualify you for the supervising license. The Board's June 2026 application packet says it plainly: "Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction."

Does Hawaii accept out-of-state electrical licenses?

No license transfers. What Hawaii does accept is the experience and schooling behind your license. Here is how that works for each license.

Experienced journeymen can aim straight at ES. The packet says equal experience for a supervising license means 4 years licensed as a journey worker or supervising electrician in another state "when requirements for licensure are substantially equivalent." The Board decides whether your state meets that bar.

What an out-of-state electrician sends the Board

• The application (EP-01) with the $40 fee, payable to Commerce &amp, Consumer Affairs.
• An Experience Verification form, notarized, from each licensed electrician you worked under. If that electrician is licensed out of state, attach proof of their license with its dates.
• A License Verification form from every state where you have ever held a license. You fill in the top and send it to that state's board.
• Proof of the required coursework, such as a certificate, transcript or apprenticeship completion certificate (EJ, EJI, EJS and EM).

Two exceptions help mainland electricians. If your state licenses only contractors, a licensed contractor can sign your experience form. If you ran your own electrical contracting business, you may sign your own form with proof of your contractor license.

The coursework step

Hawaii law (HRS 448E-5) requires journey worker and maintenance applicants to have electrical coursework that a University of Hawaii community college has reviewed and accepted. The Board can't accept anything else.

• Check the approved curricula list first (July 29, 2025). It includes many mainland programs, such as IBEW JATCs, ABC chapters and the Connecticut State Apprenticeship Training Program.
• Not listed? Send Honolulu Community College (honcet@hawaii.edu) proof of completion, detailed course descriptions and your contact details. HCC decides whether your training matches.

The fastest route to a Hawaii license for an out-of-state electrician

1. Choose your license. If you've held a journeyman license 4 years in a state with similar rules, consider ES. Otherwise apply for EJ.
2. For EJ, confirm your apprenticeship is on HCC's approved list, or send it to HCC for review now. This step can take the longest.
3. Order your out-of-state license verifications and notarized experience forms at the same time.
4. File a complete packet at least 7 working days before a Board meeting. The Board usually meets in February, April, June, August, October and December. See the deadline page.
5. Allow up to 24 hours after your approval letter, then book with PSI online or at (833) 333-4754. The exam fee is $95.
6. Pass, then pay the prorated license fee. Your license runs to June 30, 2029, and renews every 3 years.

PSI tests in Honolulu, Kahului, Kapaa and Kailua-Kona. To test outside Hawaii, send the Board a written request with your application. You pay any extra cost, and only PSI sites with a secured office qualify. If you fail, you may be able to retest within two business days, depending on space.

To bid or contract for electrical work, you also need a contractor license from the Contractors License Board under HRS 444. An electrician's license alone doesn't allow contracting.

Which states accept a Hawaii electrical license?

Hawaii doesn't accept other states' licenses, but six states give credit for a Hawaii license.

The nearest mainland states give no credit. Oregon and Washington don't list Hawaii, and Nevada's endorsement chart for Hawaii has no electrical class. See the full map in JCR's reciprocity by state guide.

Hawaii reciprocity questions

Does Hawaii have electrical reciprocity with any state?

No. The Board's 2026 application packet states that Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction. Every applicant meets Hawaii's experience rules and passes the PSI exam.

Does Hawaii accept a California electrician certification?

Not as a license. Your California hours can count toward the 10,000 Hawaii requires, and your schooling counts if a UH community college accepts it. The PSI exam is still required.

Can I skip the journey worker license and go straight to supervising?

Possibly. The Board counts 4 years licensed as a journey-level electrician in a state with substantially equal requirements as ES experience. The Board decides whether your state qualifies.

Can I bring my own tabbed code book to the Hawaii exam?

No. PSI supplies the 2020 NEC at the test center, and personal books go into storage. Practice with an untabbed copy.

Can I use a Hawaii electrician license on the mainland?

Yes, in six states. Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont and Virginia give credit for a Hawaii license, each on its own terms.