Hawaii Carpentry License Requirements (2026)

Hawaii regulates covered carpentry contracting through the DCCA Contractors License Board. The relevant specialty classifications are C-5, Cabinet, Millwork, and Carpentry Remodeling and Repairs, and C-6, Carpentry Framing. C-5a is not a framing credential—it covers garage doors and window shutters. C-5 is for listed permanent finish/remodeling work that does not change basic structural components; C-6 covers wood and metal framing, siding, wood truss, and roof sheathing. A Class B General Building contractor automatically holds both C-5 and C-6. County building permits are separate from the statewide contractor license.

Regulatory Body

Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Contractors License Board (DCCA-PVL) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 444; Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 16 Chapter 77. The Contractors License Board licenses Class A General Engineering, Class B General Building, and Class C Specialty contractors statewide. The DCCA-PVL Board of Electricians and Plumbers separately licenses individual electricians and plumbers.

• Official portal: https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/contractor/
• Address: King Kalakaua Building, 335 Merchant Street, Room 301, Honolulu, HI 96813
• Phone: (808) 586-3000

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The Board’s current materials do not state a residency requirement, but a licensed contractor must maintain a definite place of business in Hawaii where legal process can be served; a post-office box is not accepted as that place of business.

Good moral character

The RME application requires a reputation for honesty, truthfulness, financial integrity, and fair dealing.

Background investigation

The current application requests prior licensing and disciplinary history. Use the actual application rather than assuming a separate universal criminal-background check.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 4 years of The RME must have four years of supervisory experience in the requested classification within the 10 years immediately before filing. The Board counts on-site supervision and direction of employees; design, ordering, and downtime are not counted as supervisory time., and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• At least three notarized experience certificates
• Chronological History of Projects (project list) for each requested classification
• Current credit report and entity-appointment documents when applying as an RME for an entity

Education substitution

Certain technical training may be accepted, but the Board’s current RME form limits it to no more than one year of experience credit.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI Services, LLC, after Contractors License Board approval.. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

• Board-approved contractor examination(s) for the requested C-5 or C-6 classification — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: The Board charges a $50 nonrefundable application fee. Confirm PSI’s current fee and the exact examination(s) in the Hawaii contractor candidate bulletin after Board approval.

Retake policy: The Board requires applicants to pass within six months after becoming eligible to test; otherwise they must reapply. The overall application is abandoned if not completed within one year.

Insurance and Bonds

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

The current Board application calls for comprehensive liability coverage of at least $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per occurrence, and $50,000 property damage per occurrence.

Workers' compensation

A licensed contractor must maintain workers’ compensation unless authorized to self-insure or excluded under chapter 386. The Board describes limited no-employee exclusion paths for certain entities and sole proprietors; confirm the form that fits the business.

Additional financial requirements

The entity application requires a current compiled, reviewed, or audited financial statement with an independent accountant’s report. The precise documents differ by applicant type.

Fee Schedule

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Hawaii carpentry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Hawaii C-5 Carpentry Remodeling/Repairs or C-6 Carpentry Framing Contractor runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $338. Renew by September 30 of every even-numbered year. Current active entity/sole-proprietor renewal is $338; the current active RME renewal is $208. Maintain continuous coverage and the entity-RME relationship.

Continuing education: The current Contractors License Board renewal information does not list a continuing-education requirement for ordinary contractor renewal.

Reciprocity

For this classification, Hawaii does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

The Board’s ordinary application materials require Hawaii licensure, experience verification, and the applicable examination. Hawaii’s emergency-licensure statute is not ordinary reciprocity.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Carpentry license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Carpentry Licensing in Other States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Hawaii's requirements against the states most often compared against it before committing to an application:

• California Carpentry License Requirements — California Class C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry / C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry
• Washington Carpentry License Requirements — Washington General or Specialty Contractor Registration — Carpentry
• Oregon Carpentry License Requirements — Oregon Construction Contractors Board License (Carpentry)
• Nevada Carpentry License Requirements — Nevada C-3 Carpentry, Maintenance and Minor Repairs Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Match the planned work to C-5 or C-6. Use C-5 for the listed cabinet, millwork, remodeling, and repair scope that does not change structural basics. Use C-6 for framing work. A Class B license automatically includes both classifications.
2. Designate the qualifying individual. An entity needs a principal RME. The RME must be at least 18, have four years of qualifying supervisory experience in the past 10 years, and be employed by the licensed entity.
3. Assemble Board documentation. Submit the $50 application fee, experience certificates, project list, credit report, and applicable entity, tax-clearance, and financial documents. The exact list varies between an entity, sole owner, and RME application.
4. Obtain Board approval and test with PSI. The Board must approve the application before PSI registration. Use PSI’s current Hawaii contractor bulletin for class-specific content, fee, format, and scheduling.
5. File coverage and any Board-required bond. File the required liability and workers’ compensation evidence. The Board may require a specialty-contractor bond of not less than $5,000; it is not a blanket $5,000 bond listed for every first-time applicant.
6. Get the county permit for the project. A Hawaii contractor license does not itself authorize construction. The county authority having jurisdiction determines the permit, plan, inspection, and local-code requirements; Honolulu’s DPP expressly directs contractors to the applicable licensed classification.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to DCCA-PVL, confirm every item on this short list:

• Correct C-5 or C-6 scope determination
• Qualifying RME or sole-owner application path
• Four years of documented supervisory experience
• Three notarized experience certificates and project list
• $50 Board application fee
• Board approval followed by current PSI examination(s)
• Required liability and workers’ compensation evidence
• Financial/tax/entity documents required for the selected application type
• County permit and inspection check

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the recurring mistakes that most often delay or reject a Hawaii Carpentry application, based on the official instructions cited here.

Applying for C-5a to perform framing

C-5a is garage doors and window shutters. Structural carpentry framing belongs in C-6.

Using C-5 for structural changes

C-5 excludes changes/additions to basic structural components such as foundations, beams, rafters, joists, and load-bearing members.

Counting non-supervisory time toward experience

The RME project list counts on-site crew supervision, not design, material ordering, or downtime.

Assuming a bond is universally fixed at $5,000

The Board has authority to impose a specialty-contractor bond of at least $5,000, but the current application does not make that a universal first-time item.

Skipping the county permit check

A state license does not replace county plan review, permits, or inspections for the particular job.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

• Hawaii contractor license classifications — DCCA Contractors License Board. Primary current classification names and scopes for C-5, C-5a, C-6, and Class B.
• Contractor RME application requirements — DCCA Contractors License Board. Primary experience, documentation, and licensing-process source.
• PSI Hawaii contractor candidate bulletin — PSI Services. Use after Board approval for the current class-specific examination details.

Other Hawaii Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Hawaii trades; the published ones are listed here:

• Hawaii General Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Electrician License Requirements
• Hawaii Plumber License Requirements
• Hawaii HVAC Technician License Requirements
• Hawaii Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Painting Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Solar Installer License Requirements
• Hawaii Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• Hawaii Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Home Inspector License Requirements
• Hawaii Pool Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Handyman License Requirements
• Hawaii Pest Control License Requirements
• Hawaii Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Hawaii C-5 and C-6?

C-5 covers listed cabinet, millwork, remodeling, and repair work that does not change basic structural components. C-6 covers wood/metal framing, siding, wood truss, roof sheathing, and customary framing work.

Is C-5a the Hawaii framing classification?

No. C-5a is Garage Door and Window Shutters. The carpentry-framing classification is C-6.

How much qualifying experience is required?

A qualifying RME needs four years of supervisory experience in the requested classification within the past 10 years, documented with certificates and project history.

Is a $5,000 Hawaii contractor bond always required?

No blanket first-time bond amount is listed in the current Board application. State law authorizes the Board to require a specialty-contractor bond of at least $5,000, so confirm the applicant’s Board conditions.

When does the Hawaii contractor license renew?

All contractor licenses renew by September 30 of each even-numbered year. The current active entity/sole-proprietor renewal cost is $338; an RME is renewed separately when applicable.

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