About the Hawaii C-52 Air Conditioning and Ventilating Contractor license
Hawaii licenses mechanical (HVAC/R) contractors through the Contractors License Board, part of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The C-52 Ventilating and Air Conditioning Contractor classification authorizes you to fabricate, assemble, and install warm-air heating, air-cooling, ventilating, and complete air-conditioning systems (including related piping, controls, insulation, and heat pumps) as a licensed contractor in your own right. You earn it by meeting the four-year supervisory experience requirement and passing both required exams.
Your exam is built on the 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — the edition PSI's own candidate bulletin lists as the code reference for the C-52 exam — plus Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Goodheart-Wilcox), ACCA Manual N (commercial load calculations), the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards, OSHA rules (29 CFR 1926), and the federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant rules. PSI periodically updates its reference list and code edition, so confirm the current bulletin before you test.
Know these scope facts cold: the license is held by the individual; most work requires a permit and inspection (rough-in and final); you must work within the classification you hold; and unlicensed or out-of-scope work is a violation that can cost the license and carry penalties. The mechanical code exists to deliver safe combustion and venting, adequate ventilation, and safe refrigeration — the exam keeps returning to those safety purposes.
How Hawaii licensing works
- Experience: at least four years of full-time, on-site supervisory experience (as a foreman, supervising employee, or contractor) in the C-52 trade within the ten years before you apply, documented with a chronological project history and notarized experience verification.
- EPA certification: handling refrigerant requires federal EPA Section 608 certification (Type I, II, III, or Universal) — separate from the state contractor license. Hawaii does not separately license HVAC technicians, but techs working under a licensed contractor still need EPA 608.
- Application: submit the application, fees, and experience verification to the Contractors License Board before you are approved to sit for the exam.
- Exam vendor: PSI administers both the C-52 trade exam and the required Business and Law exam. Each is 80 questions, closed book, with a 180-minute time limit and a 75 percent passing score — confirm the current figures on the PSI candidate bulletin, since it's updated periodically.
- Renewal: Hawaii contractor licenses renew every two years, due September 30 of even-numbered years (a 60-day grace period applies with a late fee); continuing-education requirements vary by classification, so confirm current CE rules with the Board before your renewal date.
About the Hawaii C-52 Air Conditioning and Ventilating Contractor license
Hawaii licenses mechanical (HVAC/R) contractors through the Contractors License Board, part of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The C-52 Ventilating and Air Conditioning Contractor classification authorizes you to fabricate, assemble, and install warm-air heating, air-cooling, ventilating, and complete air-conditioning systems (including related piping, controls, insulation, and heat pumps) as a licensed contractor in your own right. You earn it by meeting the four-year supervisory experience requirement and passing both required exams.
Your exam is built on the 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — the edition PSI's own candidate bulletin lists as the code reference for the C-52 exam — plus Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Goodheart-Wilcox), ACCA Manual N (commercial load calculations), the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards, OSHA rules (29 CFR 1926), and the federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant rules. PSI periodically updates its reference list and code edition, so confirm the current bulletin before you test.
Know these scope facts cold: the license is held by the individual; most work requires a permit and inspection (rough-in and final); you must work within the classification you hold; and unlicensed or out-of-scope work is a violation that can cost the license and carry penalties. The mechanical code exists to deliver safe combustion and venting, adequate ventilation, and safe refrigeration — the exam keeps returning to those safety purposes.
How Hawaii licensing works
- Experience: at least four years of full-time, on-site supervisory experience (as a foreman, supervising employee, or contractor) in the C-52 trade within the ten years before you apply, documented with a chronological project history and notarized experience verification.
- EPA certification: handling refrigerant requires federal EPA Section 608 certification (Type I, II, III, or Universal) — separate from the state contractor license. Hawaii does not separately license HVAC technicians, but techs working under a licensed contractor still need EPA 608.
- Application: submit the application, fees, and experience verification to the Contractors License Board before you are approved to sit for the exam.
- Exam vendor: PSI administers both the C-52 trade exam and the required Business and Law exam. Each is 80 questions, closed book, with a 180-minute time limit and a 75 percent passing score — confirm the current figures on the PSI candidate bulletin, since it's updated periodically.
- Renewal: Hawaii contractor licenses renew every two years, due September 30 of even-numbered years (a 60-day grace period applies with a late fee); continuing-education requirements vary by classification, so confirm current CE rules with the Board before your renewal date.
This is the opening of the full study guide. The complete guide continues into code navigation, worked calculations and solved exam questions.
