Moving between states / Hawaii

Flag of OhioOhiotoFlag of HawaiiHawaii, Truck driver

Moving from Ohio to Hawaii as a CDL holder

What a CDL holder licensed in Ohio 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 Ohio 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 $3,150 a year more than Ohio does.

SalaryOhio state taxHawaii state taxDifference a year
$40,000$980$3,080-$2,100
$60,000$1,470$4,620-$3,150
$90,000$2,205$6,930-$4,725

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. In Ohio: most cities add a 1 to 2.5% municipal income tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Ohio to Hawaii

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Ohio certificate stays on the Ohio Department of Health, Nurse Aide Registry; 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: Ohio to Hawaii

Endorsement needed. Hawaii is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Ohio multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement before you move; it commonly takes six to twelve weeks. Your Ohio licence stays valid for compact states.

Electrician: Ohio to Hawaii

Exam required. Hawaii licenses electricians through the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Ohio hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (contractors) and city building departments 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? Ohio has Hamilton Talent Attraction Program. See moving from Hawaii to Ohio.

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 Ohio 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: Ohio to Hawaii · RN or LPN: Ohio to Hawaii · Electrician: Ohio to Hawaii · All licences: Ohio to Hawaii

From Ohio to the states next to Hawaii

To Hawaii from the states next to Ohio

Michigan · Indiana · Kentucky · West Virginia · Pennsylvania

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

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

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