Hawaii Landscaping License Requirements (2026)

Hawaii licenses covered landscape-construction work through the DCCA Contractors License Board’s C-27 Landscaping Contractor classification. Its published scope includes architectural horticulture, decorative vegetation, tree trimming, drainage and sprinkler systems, rockscaping, ornamental pools/fountains/walls/fences/walks, and hydro-mulching. It also includes associated irrigation-control or decorative-lamp wiring only when it carries 24 volts or less. A C-27 license is not a blanket authorization for every adjacent specialty or for pest-control services. County permits and, where applicable, separate pest-control licensing/certification must be handled independently.

Regulatory Body

Licensing for this trade is governed by Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Contractors License Board (DCCA-PVL), the agency that issues and regulates the credential 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 licensed contractors must maintain a definite Hawaii business location for service of legal process; a post-office box is not accepted as that location.

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 current application rather than claiming a separate universal criminal-background check.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 4 years of The qualifying RME must have four years of supervisory experience in C-27 landscaping work within the 10 years immediately before filing. The Board evaluates documented on-site supervision and direction of employees., 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 C-27 work
• 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 training credit to no more than one year.

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 C-27 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 C-27 examination fee, format, and content in the Hawaii contractor candidate bulletin after Board approval.

Retake policy: Applicants must pass within six months after becoming eligible to test or reapply. The overall application is abandoned if not completed within one year.

Insurance and Bonds

No license surety bond is mandated statewide here under the cited sources, though project-specific or public-works bonding obligations can still attach to 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 publishes limited no-employee exclusion paths for certain entity types and sole proprietors; confirm the correct form for the business.

Additional financial requirements

The entity application requires a current compiled, reviewed, or audited financial statement with an independent accountant’s report. Document requirements vary 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 landscaping.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Hawaii C-27 Landscaping Contractor License runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $338. Renew by September 30 of each even-numbered year. Current active entity/sole-proprietor renewal is $338 and 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 C-27 renewal. HDOA pesticide certification has its own recertification process when applicable.

Reciprocity

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

The ordinary Hawaii C-27 process requires Board review, experience verification, and the applicable examination. The state’s emergency-licensure statute is not ordinary reciprocal licensing.

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

Landscaping 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 Landscaping License Requirements — California Class C-27 — Landscaping Contractor
• Washington Landscaping License Requirements — Washington Specialty Contractor Registration — Landscaping
• Oregon Landscaping License Requirements — Oregon Landscape Contracting Business (LCB) + Landscape Construction Professional (LCP)
• Nevada Landscaping License Requirements — Nevada C-10 Landscape Contractor License Requirements

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Confirm C-27 is the correct construction scope. C-27 covers the Board’s published landscaping scope, including decorative landscape features, drainage/sprinkler systems, and only associated irrigation-control or decorative-lamp wiring at 24 volts or less. Identify any work outside that scope before bidding.
2. Designate the qualifying individual. An entity needs a principal RME. The RME must be at least 18, have four years of C-27 supervisory experience in the past 10 years, and be employed by the entity.
3. Submit the appropriate Board application package. Include the $50 application fee, experience certificates, project list, credit report, and applicable entity, tax-clearance, and financial documents. Requirements differ by entity, sole owner, and RME path.
4. Take the approved PSI examination(s). The Board approves examination eligibility first. Use PSI’s current Hawaii contractor bulletin for the exact C-27 exams, fees, and scheduling.
5. File coverage and address any Board bond condition. Submit the required liability and workers’ compensation evidence. The Board may require a specialty-contractor bond of not less than $5,000; do not treat that as a universal initial bond without a Board condition.
6. Separate pesticide services from landscape construction. HDOA certification is required for restricted-use pesticide applications in the appropriate category. If the business offers pest-control services, check DCCA Pest Control Board licensing: an active Pest Control Operator RME must hold the appropriate current HDOA certification.
7. Obtain county approvals for the actual project. County authorities administer building permits and related local approvals. For example, Maui County requires a building permit for construction, alteration, repair, and use of buildings/structures; check the island and project rather than assuming a statewide permit rule.

Application Checklist

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

• C-27 scope review and separate-specialty review
• Qualifying RME or sole-owner application path
• Four years of documented C-27 supervisory experience
• Three notarized experience certificates and C-27 project list
• $50 Board application fee
• Board approval followed by current PSI examination(s)
• Required liability and workers’ compensation evidence
• Financial/tax/entity documents for the selected application type
• HDOA/DCCA pest-control check if pesticides are offered
• 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

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Hawaii Landscaping application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Treating C-27 as unlimited specialty authority

C-27 has a published scope. Review other classifications when work goes beyond that landscaping scope or the 24-volt associated-wiring limit.

Counting nonsupervisory work toward the RME requirement

The Board evaluates on-site supervision and direction of employees, not design, material ordering, or downtime.

Assuming a fixed $5,000 bond is always required

State law authorizes the Board to require a specialty-contractor bond of at least $5,000, but the current application does not list it as a universal first-time item.

Offering pesticide services on the C-27 credential alone

Restricted-use pesticide work requires HDOA category certification, and pest-control services may also trigger DCCA Pest Control Board licensing.

Skipping county review

County building and land-use approvals are project- and island-specific. State contractor licensure does not replace them.

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 C-27 scope and voltage limit.
• Contractor RME application requirements — DCCA Contractors License Board. Primary experience, documentation, and licensing-process source.
• HDOA pesticide applicator certification/recertification — Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture. Current certification, examination, category, and recertification path for restricted-use pesticide work.

Other Hawaii Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Hawaii licensing guides:

• 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 Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Hawaii Carpentry 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

Does Hawaii require a C-27 landscaping contractor license?

Yes, C-27 is the DCCA classification for its published landscape-construction scope. Confirm the classification before performing a specialized scope outside the listed work.

What can a C-27 contractor do?

The published scope includes architectural horticulture, decorative vegetation, tree trimming, drainage/sprinkler systems, rockscaping, ornamental pools/fountains/walls/fences/walks, and hydro-mulching. Associated irrigation-control or decorative-lamp wiring is limited to 24 volts or less.

How much experience does the C-27 qualifier need?

The RME needs four years of supervisory experience within the preceding 10 years, supported by at least three notarized experience certificates and a project list.

Does C-27 authorize pesticide application?

No. HDOA certification is required for restricted-use pesticide applications. A business offering pest-control services should also check the DCCA Pest Control Board path, whose active RME must hold appropriate HDOA certification.

How often does the C-27 license renew?

Contractor licenses renew by September 30 of each even-numbered year. Current active entity/sole-proprietor renewal is $338; the RME is renewed separately where applicable.

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