Anyone who wishes to perform general contractor's duties or bid on any construction or renovation projects in the state of Hawaii must hold a Hawaii-issued general contractor's license. Hawaii does not recognize or honor general contractor licenses issued by any other state, so even if you're a licensed in another state, you'll have to apply for a new license in Hawaii if you want to work there.

Basic Requirements

To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen with a valid Social Security number. You must also show proof of at least four years of experience working in construction in a supervisory position over the last 10 years. Three notarized certificates signed by three different people are needed as proof. You'll also need to furnish a recent credit report and pass a credit check. According to the application, you must also "Submit a current financial statement (not more than a year old) prepared and signed by a licensed public accountant or a certified public accountant holding a current permit to practice." The application also states that you must "have and maintain a definite place of business."

Exams

You must pass a two-part test, which is administered by an independent testing service named Prometric. The first part covers business and law, and the second part is on field knowledge of general contractors. You can request to have the test administered in another state, but if you're not located near a Prometric secured office you must pay extra fees. If you wish to make this request, you should submit it in writing with your application to allow extra time for special processing.

Fees

As of mid-2010, the application fee is $50 and the examination fee is $150 ($75 per part). The licensing fees are a little more complicated because all Hawaiian general contracting licenses expire on Sept. 30 of each year ending in an even number. The "FAQ from the Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs website" breaks it down as follows: $545.00 for licenses obtained between Oct. 1 of the even-numbered year and Sept. 30 of the odd-numbered year; $415 for licenses obtained between Oct. 1 of the odd-numbered year and Sept. 30 of the even-numbered year.

Insurance

Once you pass the exam, you must show proof of worker's compensation, liability and property damage insurance. If you have no employees, you'll be able to file a form to request that the worker's compensation requirement be waived, but you'll still have to show bodily injury liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and at least $300,000 for each occurrence, and property damage liability insurance of at least $50,000 for each occurrence.