Electrical Contractor Permit Requirements in Honolulu, 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

1. Hawaii Contractors License Board — Electrical Contractor License (C-13)

   Electrical contracting businesses in Hawaii must hold a C-13 Electrical Contractor license from the Hawaii Contractors License Board (DCCA/PVL) — there is no separate "Hawaii Electrical Board" issuing contractor licenses. A qualifying individual (sole proprietor or responsible managing employee) with four years of supervisory experience must pass the Business & Law and trade examinations; individual journeyman and master electrician licenses are issued separately by the Board of Electricians and Plumbers.

   Official government source

   $50 application fee, $75 per examination part (most classifications require two parts), and a license fee of $494–$663 for a contracting entity or sole proprietor ($334–$438 for a responsible managing employee), depending on where the issue date falls in the two-year licensing cycle. Biennial renewal is $338 for an active entity or sole proprietor.·Applications filed by the first Tuesday of a month are reviewed at the following month's Board meeting (the Board does not meet in December); the qualifying individual must pass the exams within six months of approval

   $50 application fee, $75 per examination part (most classifications require two parts), and a license fee of $494–$663 for a contracting entity or sole proprietor ($334–$438 for a responsible managing employee), depending on where the issue date falls in the two-year licensing cycle. Biennial renewal is $338 for an active entity or sole proprietor.

   Applications filed by the first Tuesday of a month are reviewed at the following month's Board meeting (the Board does not meet in December); the qualifying individual must pass the exams within six months of approval

2. Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) License

   The City and County of Honolulu Department of Budget and Fiscal Services issues no business licence — its divisions are accounting, real property assessment, treasury, purchasing and the liquor commission, and Honolulu has no general business licence at all, so there is nothing to renew annually or display. What a business does need is the statewide General Excise Tax licence from the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1, plus any activity-specific approvals such as building or zoning permits from the Department of Planning and Permitting.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1) — there is no city business license fee·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) — there is no city business license fee

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

3. Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting — Electrical Permit (per project)

   An electrical permit must be obtained from Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting for each electrical project, and a final inspection is required on completion. Fees are set by ordinance on the declared value of the work rather than a flat per-job rate.

   Official government source

   Valuation-based under ROH 18-6.2 — $20 for work valued at $500 or less, rising to roughly $230 on a $10,000 job and about $980 on a $50,000 job; when plans are required, a plan review fee of 20% of the permit fee (capped at $25,000) is added. DPP publishes an online Building Permit Fee Calculator.·Some small-scope work qualifies for DPP's instant online permits; applications requiring plan review take longer

   Valuation-based under ROH 18-6.2 — $20 for work valued at $500 or less, rising to roughly $230 on a $10,000 job and about $980 on a $50,000 job; when plans are required, a plan review fee of 20% of the permit fee (capped at $25,000) is added. DPP publishes an online Building Permit Fee Calculator.

   Some small-scope work qualifies for DPP's instant online permits; applications requiring plan review take longer

Official Sources

• Hawaii Electrical Board — Electrical Contractor License
• City and County of Honolulu Department of Budget and Fiscal Services

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