HI Roofing Contractor cheat sheet

Hawaii contractor licenses are issued by the Contractors License Board (CLB) within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA); the license is issued to a business entity, not to an individual worker.

Three general license classifications exist: General Engineering Contractor (A), General Building Contractor (B), and Specialty Contractor (C), with specialty work further divided into lettered/numbered subclassifications (e.g., C-5 cabinet/remodeling, C-13 electrical, C-31 plumbing).

A and B licenses require the qualifier to be a licensed engineer, architect, or to otherwise demonstrate the designated experience and examination requirements; C subclassifications require passing the trade and business/law examinations for that specialty.

Every entity license must have a Responsible Managing Employee (RME) - the individual who actively supervises and is qualified in the classification - or the owner may qualify the license personally as the RME.

An RME may qualify only one contractor entity at a time; a person cannot serve as RME for multiple competing licensed entities, and a qualifying owner generally may qualify only the entity in which they hold the required ownership interest.

The RME must be regularly and actively engaged in the day-to-day supervision of the licensed work; a nominal or absentee RME is grounds for discipline and can cause the license to be treated as unqualified.

Business forms recognized include sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, and corporation; the entity must be registered and in good standing with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division before or alongside licensing.

When the RME terminates employment or association, the licensee must notify the Board and replace the RME within the time allowed by the Board; failure to maintain a qualified RME results in the license being placed in an unqualified status and possible revocation.

Applications are filed with the Contractors License Board (DCCA-PVL) using the contractor license application forms; the application identifies the entity, the classification(s) sought, and the proposed RME/qualifier.

Applicants must submit proof of the required experience for each classification, typically documented by employer letters, contracts, permits, and financial records showing the applicant's role and duration of work.

The licensing process requires passing the Hawaii contractor law and business management examination plus the trade examination for each classification requested; exams are administered through the Board's testing vendor.

Fees are set by the Board and include application fee, license fee, and examination fees; fees are non-refundable once processing or examination has begun, and the license period runs on a biennial (two-year) cycle tied to the license expiration date.

A surety bond is required for contractor licensing; the bond amount is set by statute/rule and must be maintained continuously while licensed, with the bond on file naming the licensed entity.

Proof of workers' compensation insurance and, where applicable, general liability coverage is required before a license is issued or renewed; compliance certificates must be current at the time of issuance.

Applicants must provide a tax clearance from the Hawaii Department of Taxation and comply with child support enforcement requirements before the license is granted.

License status (pending, active, unqualified, revoked, expired) can be checked through the DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing online license search; the public record shows classification, expiration date, and RME of record.

After approval, the license certificate lists the entity name, license number, classifications, and expiration date; a change in classification requires a new application and examination for that classification.

Hawaii contractor licenses are renewed biennially on the license expiration date shown on the certificate; renewal notices are sent to the address of record, and failure to receive a notice does not extend the license.

Renewal requires the renewal application, renewal fee, current surety bond, proof of workers' compensation insurance, and a current tax clearance; missing any one of these prevents renewal.

A license not renewed by the expiration date becomes expired; practicing on an expired license is unlicensed contracting and subject to penalties.

Restoration of an expired license generally requires filing a restoration application with the Board, paying renewal fees plus a restoration/late fee, and providing current bond, insurance, and tax clearance; restoration may be time-limited, after which a new application is required.

Tax clearance must be obtained from the Hawaii Department of Taxation and show no delinquent taxes; a tax clearance is time-sensitive and must be current at the time of renewal or restoration.

Changes of address, phone, email, or business name must be reported to the Board promptly so renewal notices and official correspondence reach the licensee.

A change of RME or qualifier requires notifying the Board and submitting the new qualifier's documentation and examination/qualification evidence; the license is unqualified until a qualified RME is in place.

A change in business entity form (e.g., sole proprietor to LLC, or a change in ownership structure) generally requires a new license application rather than a simple name change.

Failure to maintain bond or insurance, or to keep a qualified RME, can result in the license being placed on unqualified status, suspended, or revoked by the Board.

The Contractors License Board is established under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 444 (Contractors) and governed by the Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) Title 16, Chapter 77.

HRS Chapter 444 requires anyone who offers or performs construction work as a contractor to hold a valid license; unlicensed contracting is a misdemeanor and subjects the person to civil penalties and inability to enforce the contract.

The Board may discipline a licensee for gross negligence, incompetence, fraud, abandonment of a project, failure to maintain a qualified RME, or violation of the contractor statutes and rules.

Disciplinary actions include fines, probation, suspension, revocation, and restitution orders; the Board may also require the licensee to complete continuing education or corrective action.

Consumer protection obligations include providing written contracts, complying with the state's contractor licensing and building codes, and honoring warranty and completion obligations.

Hawaii's contractor recovery fund (as provided in HRS Chapter 444) may compensate consumers who obtain a judgment against a licensed contractor for licensed work and who meet statutory eligibility limits.

Licensees must not aid or abet unlicensed contracting, must not lend their license to another person or entity, and must not misrepresent their classifications or qualifications.

Complaints against contractors are filed with the DCCA Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO), which investigates and may refer matters to the Board for disciplinary action; the Board may order restitution to consumers.

Contractors must comply with Hawaii's contractor licensing statutes, workers' compensation law, and wage and hour requirements; violation of these laws can be the basis for license discipline independent of the construction work itself.

HRS Chapter 444 is the primary contractor licensing statute; HAR Title 16, Chapter 77 contains the implementing rules on application, examination, licensing, and discipline.

The license is issued to the business entity; the RME is the individual who qualifies the entity and must be actively engaged in supervision of the licensed work.

An RME may qualify only one entity; a qualifying owner may qualify only the entity in which the required ownership interest is held, and the RME designation must match the classifications on the license.

Unlicensed contracting is a misdemeanor and also bars the unlicensed contractor from enforcing the contract or recovering compensation for the work in court.

Disciplinary grounds include gross negligence, incompetence, fraud, abandonment, failure to maintain a qualified RME, and violations of the contractor statutes and rules; penalties include fines, suspension, revocation, and restitution.

Complaints are filed with the DCCA Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO), which investigates and may refer matters to the Contractors License Board for disciplinary action.

The contractor recovery fund may compensate consumers who obtain a judgment against a licensed contractor, subject to statutory eligibility limits.

Renewal is biennial; a license not renewed by the expiration date becomes expired, and practicing on an expired license is unlicensed contracting subject to penalties.

Restoration of an expired license generally requires a restoration application, renewal fees plus a restoration/late fee, and current bond, insurance, and tax clearance; restoration may be time-limited, after which a new application is required.

Applications are filed with the Contractors License Board (DCCA-PVL) using the contractor license application forms, identifying the entity, the classification(s) sought, and the proposed RME/qualifier.

Applicants must submit proof of the required experience for each classification, typically documented by employer letters, contracts, permits, and financial records showing the applicant's role and duration of work.

The licensing process requires passing the Hawaii contractor law and business management examination plus the trade examination for each classification requested; exams are administered through the Board's testing vendor.

Fees are set by the Board and include application fee, license fee, and examination fees; fees are non-refundable once processing or examination has begun, and the license period runs on a biennial (two-year) cycle tied to the license expiration date.

A surety bond is required for contractor licensing; the bond amount is set by statute/rule and must be maintained continuously while licensed, with the bond on file naming the licensed entity.

Proof of workers' compensation insurance and, where applicable, general liability coverage is required before a license is issued or renewed; compliance certificates must be current at the time of issuance.

Applicants must provide a tax clearance from the Hawaii Department of Taxation and comply with child support enforcement requirements before the license is granted.

License status (pending, active, unqualified, revoked, expired) can be checked through the DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing online license search; the public record shows classification, expiration date, and RME of record.

After approval, the license certificate lists the entity name, license number, classifications, and expiration date; a change in classification requires a new application and examination for that classification.