The Auditor
State of Hawai‘i

A Comparative Study of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional and Vocational Licenses

Report No. 05-14
December 2005

 

Foreword

Introduction

License Summaries

Accountant, Certified Public

Acupuncture

Chiropractor

Contractor

Electrician, Journeyman

Electrician, Supervising

Optometrist

Osteopathic Physician

Pharmacist

Pharmacy

Physician

Physician Assistant

Plumber, Journeyman

Plumber, Master

Podiatrist

Veterinarian

 

License Summaries

 

License

Hawai‘i Rank  (1=most requirements; 5=fewest requirements) Hawai‘i Requirement National Median
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
Overall Rank 3    
Education  3 150 semester hours requirement; 24 hours accounting related.  150 semester hours requirement; 24 hours accounting related. 
Examination Not Ranked AICPA, NASBA AICPA, NASBA
Experience 4 1500 hours audit experience or 2 years accounting experience  2 years under a CPA.
License Fees 3 $220 $175
Continuing Education 3 40 hours per year 40 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 2 Yes, with 5 years experience. No reciprocity for non-U.S. experience. Yes, with 5 years experience. 35 states provide some recognition of non-U.S. experience.
ACUPUNCTURE
Overall Rank

4

   
Education 

1

2175 hours (1515 didactic and 660 clinical)

1725 hours (1065 didactic and 660 clinical)

Examination

5

2 parts of the NCCAOM examination

4 parts of the NCCAOM examination.

License Fees

3

$405

$405

Continuing Education

5

0

12 hours per year. 12 states, including Hawai‘i, do not require continuing education.

Reciprocity or Endorsement

5

Yes

Yes

CHIROPRACTOR
Overall Rank 4
Education  3 60 semester hours 60 semester hours.
Examination 3 5 parts of the NBCE 5 parts of the NBCE. 
License Fees 3 $385 $386
Continuing Education 5 10 hours per year 15 hours per year 
Reciprocity or Endorsement 3 Hawai‘i provides some form of recognition of an out of state license 45 states provide some form of reciprocity or endorsement for an out of state license.
CONTRACTOR
Overall Rank 1
Licensing 1 State license required State license or registration required. Twenty-seven states require a license or registration at the state level. 
Education  5 None. None. Only Oregon requires education. 
Examination 1 Yes Yes. 19 states require passing a written examination.
Experience 1 4 years None. 11 states require experience ranging form 2 to 5 years.
License Fees 1 $725 $400
Continuing Education 5 None None. Only Alaska requires continuing education.
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 15 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
Insurance, Bond, Tax Clearance, Business Registration 2 Hawai‘i requires liability insurance, worker’s compensation, a financial statement, a credit report, a tax clearance, and business registration. Most states require insurance or bond and worker’s compensation insurance. Half require a financial statement. 
Responsible Managing Employee 1 Required with additional fees. Not required.
ELECTRICIAN, JOURNEYMAN
Overall Rank 1
Education and Experience 1 5 years apprenticeship 4 years apprenticeship
Examination Not ranked Written examination Written examination. All states that license journeyman electricians require a written examination.
License Fees 1 $340 $122
Continuing Education 5 None 5.3 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 21 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
ELECTRICIAN, SUPERVISING
Overall Rank 1
Education and Experience 1 9 years experience 6 years experience
Examination Not ranked Written examination Written examination. All states that license supervising electricians require a written examination
License Fees 1 $340 $169
Continuing Education 5 None 5 hours per year. Hawai'i is 1 of 9 states that do not require continuing education.
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. Hawai'i is 1 of 9 states that do not provide for some form of reciprocity or endorsement
OPTOMETRIST
Overall Rank 3
Education Not ranked. Graduation from optometry school Graduation from optometry school
Examination 5 4 parts of the National Boards 4 parts of the National Boards plus one or more state examinations
License Fees 5 $245 $415
Continuing Education 3 16 hours per year 16 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 3 Yes, with 4 years of experience Yes
Therapeutic pharmaceutical agents (TPA) certification 2 100 hour course at Kapi’olani Community College Most states with TPA certification do not require additional education hours
OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN
Overall Rank 2
Education and Experience 3 1 year postgraduate training 1 year postgraduate training
Examination Not ranked
License Fees 3 $495 $555
Continuing Education 5 None 20 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 40 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
PHARMACIST
Overall Rank 4
Education Not ranked Graduation from pharmacy school Graduation from pharmacy school
Examination 3 2 parts, no practical, no state exam 2 parts, no practical, no state exam. 19 states require a practical examination, a state exam, or more than 2 exams.
Experience 3 1500 hours of clinical experience 1500 hours. 37 states require 1500 hours of clinical experience.
License Fees 2 $240 $221
Continuing Education 5 None. Hawai‘i is the only state that does not currently require continuing education. Continuing education will be required beginning in 2006. 15 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 3 Yes. Yes. All fifty states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
PHARMACY
Overall Rank 2
License Fees 3 $405 $375
Reciprocity or Endorsement 3 None None
PHYSICIAN
Overall Rank 2    
Education and Experience 4

U.S. school: 1 year residency training

Foreign school: 2 years residency training

U.S. school: 1 year residency training

Foreign school: 3 years residency training

Examination Not ranked USMLE USMLE
License Fees 4 $410 $530
Continuing Education 3 20 hours per year 20 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 36 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Overall Rank 2    
Education Not ranked Graduation from an accredited physician assistant program Graduation from an accredited physician assistant program
Examination and Certification Not ranked NCCPA certification NCCPA certification or passing the NCCPA examination
License Fees 3 $210 $225
Continuing Education 3 50 hours per year 50 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 3 No No. 12 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
PLUMBER, JOURNEYMAN
Overall Rank 1    
Education and Training 1 5 years apprenticeship. 4 years apprenticeship.
Examination Not ranked    
License Fees 1 $265 $147
Continuing Education 5 5 None. Only 9 states require continuing education.
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 19 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
PLUMBER, MASTER
Overall Rank 1    
Education and Experience 1 9 years experience 5 years experience
Examination Not ranked State exam required State exam required.
License Fees 4 $265 $295
Continuing Education 5 None. None. Only 5 states require continuing education.
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 15 of the 24 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement.
PODIATRIST
Overall Rank 4
Education and Experience 5

Graduate from an accredited school of podiatry

No postgraduate training required

Graduate from an accredited school of podiatry and one year of postgraduate training

Forty-three states require a minimum of one year of postgraduate training

Examination 3 NBPME Parts I, II, and III and no state examination NBPME Parts I, II, and III and no state examination
License Fees 4 $315 $521
Continuing Education 3 20 hours per year 19 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 1 No Yes. 33 states have some form of reciprocity or endorsement
VETERINARIAN
Overall Rank 2
Education  Not ranked Veterinary degree Veterinary degree
Examination 1 NAVLE + state exam NAVLE
Experience 3 No requirement No requirement
License Fees 1 $535 $345
Continuing Education 3 15 hours per year 15 hours per year
Reciprocity or Endorsement 5 Yes No