By Oussama Chicha, EditorUpdated Checked against primary sources · not yet reviewed by a licensed professionalFact-checked
Quick answer
Hawaii issues a contractor license through the Contractors License Board, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The sole proprietor or RME verifies 4 years of supervisory experience and, if the Board approves the application, sits for the exam. As of July 9, 2018, the application fee is $50 per application.
Hawaii · Contractor licenseVerified 2026-10-07
State license
Contractor license (residential and commercial)
Hawaii's Contractors License Board licenses general engineering contractors, general building contractors and specialty contractors. Its FAQ says that, generally, anyone who offers to, holds oneself out as able to, or contracts to perform residential, commercial, or public works construction, alterations, or improvements must hold a contractor license, and the statute bars acting, assuming to act, or advertising as a general engineering, general building or specialty contractor without a license.
If the Board approves the application, the sole proprietor or RME sits for the exam; most classifications require two parts, Part I, Business & Law, and Part II, Trade
Contractor license (residential and commercial). Hawaii's Contractors License Board licenses general engineering contractors, general building contractors and specialty contractors. Its FAQ says that, generally, anyone who offers to, holds oneself out as able to, or contracts to perform residential, commercial, or public works construction, alterations, or improvements must hold a contractor license, and the statute bars acting, assuming to act, or advertising as a general engineering, general building or specialty contractor without a license.
The Board licenses general engineering contractors (fixed works projects such as highways, tunnels, bridges, harbors, drainage, and water power), general building contractors (construction of structures involving more than two unrelated building trades), and specialty contractors.
Generally, anyone who offers to, holds oneself out as able to, or contracts to perform residential, commercial, or public works construction, alterations, or improvements must hold a contractor license.
No person within the purview of this chapter shall act, or assume to act, or advertise, as general engineering contractor, general building contractor, or specialty contractor without a license previously obtained under and in compliance with this chapter and the rules and regulations of the contractors license board.
A contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any structure built, being built, or to be built, for the support, shelter, and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, requiring in its construction the use of more than two unrelated building trades or crafts
A general engineering contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with fixed works requiring specialized engineering knowledge and skill
A general building contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any structure built, being built, or to be built, for the support, shelter, and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, requiring in its construction the use of more than two unrelated building trades or crafts
Other. The board FAQ says Hawaii Administrative Rules section 16-77-71 requires the principal RME to be in residence in Hawaii while the contracting entity's license is in effect or while a project is under construction. Source: Contractors License Board, Contractor Frequently Asked Questions (7/9/18)
An applicant (sole proprietor or RME) must verify 4 years of supervisory experience in the license classification for which the applicant is applying.
If your application is approved by the Board, then you (sole proprietor or RME) must sit for the exam. Upon passing the exam, the applicant must submit licensing fees; proof of liability and workers compensation insurance (if you have employees); and a bond, if required by the Board.
Hawaii Administrative Rules section 16-77-71 requires that the principal RME is in residence in Hawaii during the time the license of the contracting entity is in effect or during the period a project is under construction.
Under the statute, a person who violates section 444-9 is fined $2,500 or forty percent of the total contract price, whichever is greater, for a first offense, $3,500 or forty percent for a second offense, and $5,000 or forty percent for any subsequent offense; when the person is or was a defendant or respondent in a separate citation or lawsuit filed with or by the department, tools, implements, documents, materials and other property used in activities violating section 444-9 are subject to forfeiture
provided that any person who violates section 444-9 shall be fined:
(1) $2,500 or forty per cent of the total contract price, whichever is greater, for the first offense; (2) $3,500 or forty per cent of the total contract price, whichever is greater, for the second offense; and (3) $5,000 or forty per cent of the total contract price, whichever is greater, for any subsequent offense,
and when the person is or was a defendant or respondent in a separate citation or lawsuit filed with or by the department, all tools, implements, documents, materials, or any other property used by the person in activities violating section 444-9 shall be subject to forfeiture as provided by section 444-23.5
In Hawaii the credential is a contractor license, issued by the Contractors License Board within the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The Board licenses general engineering contractors, general building contractors and specialty contractors [1].
In the Board's FAQ, the general rule is that anyone who offers, holds out for or contracts for residential, commercial or public works construction, alterations or improvements must hold a contractor license [1]. The statute adds the legal bar: it forbids a person within the chapter's purview to act, assume to act or advertise as a general engineering, general building or specialty contractor without a license [2].
Engineering, building and the path to a license
The statute separates the two general classes by the work at the center of the business: fixed works that call for specialized engineering knowledge and skill for a general engineering contractor, and structures whose construction uses more than two unrelated building trades or crafts for a general building contractor [3]. The classes table on this page gives each scope in the statute's own words.
Qualification runs through the sole proprietor or a responsible managing employee (RME), who verifies 4 years of supervisory experience in the classification sought [1]. The exam follows the Board's approval of the application, and the FAQ says most classifications have a Part I on business and law and a Part II on the trade [1].
Once the exam is passed, the licensing fees go in together with more paperwork: proof of liability insurance, proof of workers compensation insurance if the applicant has employees, and a bond if the Board requires one [1].
A residency condition also applies. The FAQ points to Hawaii Administrative Rules section 16-77-71 [1], under which the principal RME is to reside in Hawaii while the contracting entity's license is in effect or while a project is under construction [1].
Cost and the renewal cycle
As of July 9, 2018, the application fee is $50 per application [1]. The fee rule leaves the examination fee to agreement between the Board and a professional testing service [5]. As of October 6, 2026, the Board lists $338 per renewal for an active contracting entity or sole proprietor [4]. The fee table on this page shows each charge with its date.
Every license runs to the same end date: licenses expire on September 30 of the even-numbered year [1].
Fines and forfeiture for violations
Contracting in violation of section 444-9 [2] carries fines that step up with each offense [6]. For each step the fine is a fixed dollar amount or forty percent of the total contract price, whichever is greater: $2,500 for a first offense, $3,500 for a second, and $5,000 for any later offense [6].
Forfeiture is a further consequence, but only under a stated condition. When the person is or was a defendant or respondent in a separate citation or lawsuit filed with or by the department, the tools, implements, documents, materials and other property used in the violating activity become subject to forfeiture [6].
