Moving between states / Hawaii

Flag of AlaskaAlaskatoFlag of HawaiiHawaii, Truck driver

Moving from Alaska to Hawaii as a CDL holder

What a CDL holder licensed in Alaska has to do to work in Hawaii, what the move does to your pay, and who in Hawaii is hiring from out of state.

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Hawaii resident you surrender the Alaska CDL at a Hawaii driver licence office, pass the vision test, pay the fee, and your endorsements carry over. A hazmat endorsement needs a fresh TSA threat assessment in Hawaii. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Hawaii takes roughly $4,620 a year more than Alaska does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.

SalaryAlaska state taxHawaii state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$3,080-$3,080
$60,000$0$4,620-$4,620
$90,000$0$6,930-$6,930

Rough figures for a single filer: exact in the flat-rate and no-tax states, approximated at 70% of the top bracket in the progressive ones. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Alaska to Hawaii

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Alaska certificate stays on the Alaska Board of Nursing (Certified Nurse Aide program); to work in Hawaii you apply to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric) for reciprocity. It accepts an active certificate in good standing from another state; there is no retest if your record is clean. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.

RN and LPN: Alaska to Hawaii

Endorsement needed. Neither Alaska nor Hawaii is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. You apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement: verification of your Alaska licence through Nursys, a fingerprint background check and the fee. Start before you give notice; six to twelve weeks is normal.

Electrician: Alaska to Hawaii

Exam required. Hawaii licenses electricians through the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Alaska hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Alaska Department of Labor, Mechanical Inspection before you move and book the Hawaii exam early.

No statewide program in Hawaii pays people to move in. Towns sometimes list an offer through MakeMyMove, and employers in short-staffed trades pay relocation themselves; ask for it in writing before you accept.

Going the other way? Alaska has Permanent Fund Dividend. See moving from Hawaii to Alaska.

Openings filed in Hawaii

25 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Hawaii employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Alaska to Hawaii

Tell us your trade and your licence. We write the steps for your case, check the job offer for scams, and keep your resume ready for Hawaii employers.

Plan my move to Hawaii

Same move, by trade

CNA: Alaska to Hawaii · RN or LPN: Alaska to Hawaii · Electrician: Alaska to Hawaii · All licences: Alaska to Hawaii

From Alaska to the states next to Hawaii

To Hawaii from the states next to Alaska

Everything about working in Hawaii · All moves between states · All 50 states

Moving for a job? Start with your state.

Licence transfer, what the state takes from your pay, and who pays you to come. Free, no account.

Pick the state