Hawaii Pool Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Hawaii licenses swimming pool builders through a dedicated specialty classification, the C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor, issued by the Contractors License Board within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division. Authority comes from HRS Chapter 444 and Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 16 Chapter 77. The license is held by a licensed contracting entity that must be registered to do business in Hawaii and must designate a qualifying Responsible Managing Employee (RME). To qualify, the applicant must document at least four years of supervisory experience in the classification, pass two closed-book PSI examinations at a 75% passing score, carry the required liability and workers' compensation insurance, and demonstrate financial integrity including a current state tax clearance. There is no continuing-education requirement for renewal, but licenses renew biennially and lapse of required insurance causes automatic forfeiture.

Regulatory Body Profile

Licensing for this trade is governed by Contractors License Board, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA / CLB), the agency that issues and regulates the credential under HRS Chapter 444 (Contractors); Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 16 Chapter 77. State board that licenses contractors and issues the C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor specialty classification (and the C-49a service and C-49b hot tub/pool subclassifications), setting experience, examination, insurance, and renewal requirements under HRS Chapter 444 and HAR Title 16 Chapter 77.

Official portal: https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/contractor/
Address: 335 Merchant Street, Room 301, Honolulu, HI 96813 (mailing: P.O. Box 3469, Honolulu, HI 96801)
Phone: (808) 586-3000

The Eligibility Audit

The threshold requirements are straightforward: age 18 or above, plus a valid Social Security Number. No state residency requirement for the individual. The license is held by a licensed contracting entity that must be registered to do business in Hawaii, with a qualifying Responsible Managing Employee (RME).

Good moral character

Required. The applicant must have 'a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness, financial integrity and fair dealing' under HRS 444-9 and HAR 16-77.

Background investigation

The Board reviews the applicant's reputation and financial integrity, and the application requires disclosure of criminal, disciplinary, and bonding/surety history. No fingerprint-based criminal background check was identified in the official application or rules; the Board relies on reputation review and applicant disclosure.

Disqualifying conditions

Experience and Education Standards

A minimum of 4 years of At least 4 years of supervisory experience in the classification applied for, obtained within the 10 years immediately preceding application (HAR 16-77-18). must be documented and verified. Unless the board publishes a different lookback period, applicants should keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records that support the claimed experience.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Project List documenting the applicant's supervisory work experience (form available on the Contractors License Board website)
Verification/certification of work experience stating duties, responsibilities, hours per week, and average gross dollar value of completed projects

Education substitution

Partial substitution allowed at Board discretion. Under HAR 16-77-19 the Board may approve technical or business-administration training as acceptable experience, but in no case more than one (1) year; HAR 16-77-20 also permits the Board to accept reasonably equivalent knowledge, training, or experience in lieu of a specific requirement. Training therefore substitutes for at most one of the four required years.

The Exam Syllabus

The exam, administered by PSI Services LLC (administering the Hawaii contractor examinations effective January 2023), breaks into the parts shown below — all must be passed before licensure:

Business and Law — 80 questions, 180 minutes, passing score 75%
C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor trade exam — 50 questions, 120 minutes, passing score 75%

Examination fee: $80 per examination for specialty classifications (the C-49 'all others' rate); $85 per exam for A-General Engineering and B-General Building. A C-49 applicant sits both the Business & Law exam and the C-49 trade exam. Fees are paid to PSI and are non-refundable.

Retake policy: The applicant must pass the required examination(s) within six (6) months of Board approval (HAR 16-77-11(c)(1), 16-77-45). Examination fees are non-refundable and non-transferable and are valid for one year from the date of payment. Both exams are closed book, taken at PSI test centers after registering with PSI (online at test-takers.psiexams.com/hitrade or 833-333-4754) within about 24 hours of the approval notice.

Bonding, Insurance & Financial Security

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

Required at licensure. The applicant must file a certificate of insurance showing full policy coverage for liability and property damage with minimum limits of bodily injury $100,000 each person / $300,000 each occurrence and property damage $50,000 each occurrence (HAR 16-77-8(b)(5), re-stated at renewal in 16-77-55(b)(3)).

Workers' compensation

Required. The licensee must continuously maintain workers' compensation insurance, or be an authorized self-insurer or excluded under HRS Chapter 386. Lapse of liability or workers' comp coverage causes automatic license forfeiture.

Additional financial requirements

Required. The applicant must show financial integrity, including a current state tax clearance (or payment arrangement) and disclosure of liens, undisputed debts, and judgments. A current financial statement is required for reactivation.

Schedule of Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$50
Examination	$80
Initial license — sole owner	$260
Initial license — non-sole owner	$260
Renewal (every 2 years)	$190

Renewal and Continuing Obligations

The C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $190. All licenses, regardless of issuance date, renew biennially by September 30 of each even-numbered year (HAR 16-77-50); restoration is allowed through November 30 with penalty (16-77-51). Biennial renewal comprises entity $190 + RME $60 + education fund $5 + recovery fund $10, plus the compliance resolution fund fee ($74 annual / $148 biennial). Renewal is conditioned on continued financial integrity (tax clearance) and continuous liability and workers' compensation coverage; lapse causes automatic forfeiture with a 60-day reinstatement window.

Continuing education: None. Hawaii has no continuing education requirement for the C-49 (only the C-19 asbestos class has refresher training under HAR 16-77-116).

Out-of-State Reciprocity

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

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

No formal reciprocity or endorsement pathway was identified for the C-49 classification. The Hawaii Business & Law and C-49 trade examinations administered by PSI are required of all applicants. The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted for this classification.

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

The Application Roadmap

Confirm the C-49 classification and business structure. Verify that swimming pool construction falls under the C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor classification, and organize the licensed contracting entity that will hold the license, registered to do business in Hawaii.
Document four years of supervisory experience. Compile the Project List and verification of at least 4 years of supervisory experience in the classification, obtained within the preceding 10 years, with duties, hours per week, and gross project values (HAR 16-77-18).
Designate a qualifying RME and assemble financial proof. Identify the Responsible Managing Employee, and gather a current state tax clearance and disclosure of liens, debts, and judgments to establish financial integrity.
File the RME/entity application with the Board. Submit the Requirements for License (Contractor RME) application with the $50 non-refundable application fee so it is received by the first Tuesday of the month before a Board meeting; the Board reviews complete applications the following month.
Register with PSI and pass both exams. After Board approval, register with PSI within about 24 hours, then pass the Business & Law (80 questions, 180 minutes) and C-49 trade (50 questions, 120 minutes) exams at 75% within six months of approval.
File insurance and pay licensing fees. Provide certificates of general liability (BI $100k/$300k, PD $50k) and workers' compensation coverage, and pay the entity and RME license fees plus recovery-fund, education-fund, and compliance-resolution-fund fees to obtain the C-49 license.

Where Applications Stall

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Hawaii Pool Contractor applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Assuming an individual holds the license

The C-49 is held by a licensed contracting entity registered to do business in Hawaii, not by an individual alone; the entity must designate a qualifying Responsible Managing Employee (RME) who meets the experience and examination requirements.

Missing the six-month exam window

After Board approval the applicant must pass both PSI exams within six months (HAR 16-77-11(c)(1), 16-77-45), and exam fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, so delaying registration or a failed retake can forfeit fees and stall the license.

Letting insurance lapse

The licensee must continuously maintain general liability (BI $100,000/$300,000, PD $50,000) and workers' compensation coverage; any lapse causes automatic license forfeiture with only a 60-day reinstatement window.

Relying on stale exam-provider boilerplate

The current provider is PSI (effective January 2023), but the October 2025 RME application form still contains stale language naming 'Prometric'; applicants should follow the Board's exam-dates page and the current PSI bulletin to register correctly.

Pre-Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to DCCA / CLB:

☐ Organize a licensed contracting entity registered to do business in Hawaii and designate a qualifying Responsible Managing Employee (RME).
☐ Document at least 4 years of supervisory experience in the classification within the preceding 10 years via the Project List and verification forms (HAR 16-77-18).
☐ Obtain a current state tax clearance and disclose liens, undisputed debts, and judgments to establish financial integrity.
☐ File the Requirements for License (Contractor RME) application with the $50 non-refundable fee before the first-Tuesday deadline.
☐ Register with PSI within about 24 hours of Board approval and pass the Business & Law and C-49 trade exams at 75% within six months.
☐ Provide certificates of general liability (BI $100,000/$300,000, PD $50,000) and workers' compensation coverage, then pay the entity and RME license and fund fees.

Recommended Study Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

PSI — Hawaii Contractor Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin — PSI Services LLC. Official bulletin confirming question counts, time limits, and the 75% passing score for the Business & Law and trade exams; primary reference for exam scope.
Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 16 Chapter 77 (Contractors) — DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division. Controlling rules for experience, insurance, bond discretion, examination, and renewal that underpin the Business & Law exam content.

Other Hawaii Trade Licenses

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

Common Questions

What license do I need to build swimming pools in Hawaii?

Hawaii issues a dedicated C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor specialty classification through the Contractors License Board within the DCCA. The license is held by a licensed contracting entity registered to do business in Hawaii, with a qualifying Responsible Managing Employee, and is governed by HRS Chapter 444 and HAR Title 16 Chapter 77.

How much experience is required for the C-49 license?

The applicant must document at least four years of supervisory experience in the classification applied for, obtained within the 10 years immediately preceding application (HAR 16-77-18). At the Board's discretion, technical or business-administration training may substitute for at most one of the four required years under HAR 16-77-19 and 16-77-20.

What exams must a C-49 applicant pass?

After Board approval, the applicant must pass two closed-book PSI examinations at a 75% score: a Business and Law exam (80 questions, 180 minutes) and the C-49 Swimming Pool Contractor trade exam (50 questions, 120 minutes). Both must be passed within six months of Board approval, and examination fees are non-refundable.

Is a surety bond required for a Hawaii pool contractor license?

There is no fixed statewide bond amount required as a standard condition for the C-49. Under HAR 16-77-8(b)(6), 16-77-11(a)(3), and 16-77-76 the Board may require a surety bond at its discretion, for example where financial integrity is in question, and may waive it on proof of financial integrity after the license has been held at least one year. A $25 application fee for a bond waiver exists in the fee schedule.

Does Hawaii require continuing education to renew the C-49?

No. Hawaii has no continuing education requirement for general contractor license renewal, and no CE provision applies to the C-49 (only the C-19 asbestos class has refresher training under HAR 16-77-116). Licenses renew biennially by September 30 of each even-numbered year, conditioned on continued financial integrity and continuous liability and workers' compensation coverage.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-07-10 · Next scheduled review 2026-10-08