Personal Trainer Permit Requirements in Hilo, HI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii has no sales tax. Instead the state levies a General Excise Tax on the gross income of the business itself, and unlike a sales tax it reaches services, commissions and rent as well as goods. Every business must register for a GET licence with the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1 before doing business. The rate is 4% statewide, rising to 4.5% on Oahu because of the 0.5% county surcharge, and it is owed on gross income whether or not it is passed on to the customer.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)·Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)

   Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

2. No Hawaii Personal Trainer License Required

   Hawaii does not license personal trainers — the DCCA list of regulated professional and vocational boards and programmes has no personal trainer board or programme, so there is nothing to apply for. National certifications from NASM, ACE, ACSM or NSCA are widely expected by gyms, insurers and clients, but they are private credentials rather than a state requirement.

   Official government source

   No state license or fee; a national certification is a private credential typically costing $200–$800 including study materials and the exam·No state application; national certification programmes typically take 1–6 months of self-study before the exam

   No state license or fee; a national certification is a private credential typically costing $200–$800 including study materials and the exam

   No state application; national certification programmes typically take 1–6 months of self-study before the exam

1. Hawaii State General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii County does not issue a general county business license. Every business operating in Hilo must obtain a State of Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) license, a one-time $20 filing with the Dept. of Taxation. Specific business types may need separate state or county permits.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time (State GET license; no general county business license exists)·Same day–1 week via Hawaii Tax Online

   $20 one-time (State GET license; no general county business license exists)

   Same day–1 week via Hawaii Tax Online

2. Hawaii County Department of Public Works, Building Division — Certificate of Occupancy

   A personal training business in a commercial space in Hilo needs a Certificate of Occupancy from the County of Hawaii Department of Public Works, Building Division — the Finance Department has no permitting or zoning role. Zoning questions, including whether a fitness use is allowed in the district, go to the Planning Department. Training from home is a zoning matter rather than a permit: the county publishes no home occupation permit or fee, only zoning standards the use has to stay inside.

   Official government source

   Set by the Hawaii County building permit fee schedule on the declared value of the work; there is no flat per-project rate published online·Applications are filed through the county's EPIC online permit system; review time depends on scope and whether plans require engineering review

   Set by the Hawaii County building permit fee schedule on the declared value of the work; there is no flat per-project rate published online

   Applications are filed through the county's EPIC online permit system; review time depends on scope and whether plans require engineering review

Official Sources

• County of Hawaii Finance Department

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