Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Hawaii's official board.
The board states plainly that a plumber's license does not allow the holder to contract for plumbing work: a contractor's license under HRS Chapter 444 is required for that. Licensing runs under HRS Chapter 448E and HAR Chapter 16-80, and acting or holding oneself out as a plumber without the license is prohibited.
| Requirements | At least 18 years old. Journey Worker Plumber (PJ): 5 years but not less than 10,000 hours of plumbing work performed in compliance with the Uniform Plumbing Code. Master Plumber (PM): licensed as a journey worker plumber in Hawaii or another state for at least 2 years. Experience is documented on notarized Experience Verification forms from each licensed plumber who supervised the work; a contractor's signature is accepted only where the state in which the experience was gained does not license journey worker or master plumbers. Every applicant must be qualified by the board and pass the Hawaii licensure examination. Application fee $40. There is no academic coursework requirement for plumbers; that applies to electricians only. |
| Reciprocity | The board's own requirements form states that Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction. For the master plumber only, licensure at journey worker or master level for at least 2 years elsewhere may be accepted as equivalent experience where the other jurisdiction's requirements are substantially equivalent. |
| Renewal | Triennial, on or before June 30 (plumber renewal years 2027, 2030, 2033). Continued competency at renewal requires either an approved community college course on Uniform Plumbing Code updates or a passing score on the board-prescribed UPC update examination. Failure to restore within one year of expiration terminates the license. |
| Notes | The board states plainly that a plumber's license does not allow the holder to contract for plumbing work: a contractor's license under HRS Chapter 444 is required for that. Licensing runs under HRS Chapter 448E and HAR Chapter 16-80, and acting or holding oneself out as a plumber without the license is prohibited. |
A free report on your market: what the trade pays, how that compares with nearby counties, and where your credential sits against the local licensed workforce. No account needed.
Sources: cca.hawaii.gov, cca.hawaii.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
This page is a free snapshot of Hawaii. Track the same market every night and see which contractors just got licensed, added a trade, or dropped off, and pull the full record, with contact details, on any of them. Ask it anything, track what matters, and get the weekly intelligence email. Free trial, cancel anytime.