How to get a plumbing license in Hawaii: the official requirements
The Journey Worker Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers.
In Hawaii, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers. The Journey Worker Plumber (PJ) license, issued under Chapter 448E, Hawaii Revised Statutes. No one may act as a journey worker plumber without this license. It does not allow you to contract for plumbing work; that needs a separate contractor's license. Experience and training: 5 years but not less than 10,000 hours of plumbing work in compliance with the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Each licensed plumber you trained under completes and signs a notarized Experience Verification form. Hawaii does not reciprocate with any other jurisdiction. Licensing exam: Hawaii's licensure exam; the plumbers exam is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code. You must be qualified by the Board before you take it; after approval you send an Examination Registration Form to the testing contractor, PSI Services. How to apply: File the Application for Exam and License with the Board (by mail, in person or by overnight mail), with your supporting documents and the application fee. A complete application must arrive at least seven working days before a Board meeting; the Board usually meets in February, April, June, August, October and December.
Hawaii plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Hawaii |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journey Worker Plumber (PJ) license, issued under Chapter 448E, Hawaii Revised Statutes. No one may act as a journey worker plumber without this license. It does not allow you to contract for plumbing work; that needs a separate contractor's license. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers. |
| Experience and training | 5 years but not less than 10,000 hours of plumbing work in compliance with the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Each licensed plumber you trained under completes and signs a notarized Experience Verification form. Hawaii does not reciprocate with any other jurisdiction. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers. |
| Licensing exam | Hawaii's licensure exam; the plumbers exam is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code. You must be qualified by the Board before you take it; after approval you send an Examination Registration Form to the testing contractor, PSI Services. |
| How to apply | File the Application for Exam and License with the Board (by mail, in person or by overnight mail), with your supporting documents and the application fee. A complete application must arrive at least seven working days before a Board meeting; the Board usually meets in February, April, June, August, October and December. |
| Background check | The application asks whether you have ever been convicted of a crime that has not been annulled or expunged. If you have, you send a signed statement and, among other documents, a current criminal history record check from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center dated within 6 months. |
| State fees | Application fee: $40, non-refundable. License fees are charged after Board approval and passing the exam; the exam fee is paid to the testing contractor. |
| License term | Three years; all plumber licenses renew on or before June 30 every three years. |
| Continuing education | A continued competency requirement at each renewal: proof of attending an educational course on the updates to the Uniform Plumbing Code, or passing a board-prescribed exam on those updates. Someone first licensed within one year of the renewal date is excused for the first renewal. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Hawaii
- Work at least 5 years and 10,000 hours of plumbing work under licensed plumbers.
- Get a notarized Experience Verification form from each licensed plumber you trained under.
- File the application, documents and $40 fee at least seven working days before a Board meeting.
- After Board approval, register with the testing contractor and pass the licensure exam.
- Renew every three years by June 30, with the continued competency requirement.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
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Open →InterviewPlumber interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing, Board of Electricians and Plumbers: Requirements for Examination and License and Application for Exam and License - Electricians & Plumbers (EP-00 / EP-01, rev. 06/26), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.