Hawaii Auto Insurance Guide

General information, not insurance advice. This guide explains how car insurance works in Hawaii using published figures. It is not a quote and not advice about what coverage you should buy. Prices vary by driving record, car, mileage, and coverage choices. Confirm your coverage with a licensed Hawaii insurance agent.

Last verified: 12 November 2026.

The short answer

Hawaii is a no-fault state, which means your own insurance pays your medical bills first after a crash, no matter who caused it. Since 1 January 2026, the legal minimum is $40,000 bodily injury per person / $80,000 per accident / $20,000 property damage, plus $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) per person. That is double the old minimum — anything still quoting 20/40/10 is out of date.

Full coverage (liability plus collision and comprehensive) runs about $1,400–$1,800 a year in Hawaii; minimum coverage runs about $425–$600 a year. Hawaii is one of the cheapest states in the country for car insurance — and, unusually, your age, sex, credit score, and marital status cannot change your price, because state law bans them as rating factors.

On this page: The legal minimums — and the 2026 change · How no-fault works in Hawaii · Coverage types — what you can buy · What we recommend · What it costs in Hawaii · How to save money in Hawaii · Get a quote · FAQ

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The legal minimums — and the 2026 change

Effective 1 January 2026, Hawaii doubled its minimum liability limits. The change was made by Act 138, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024 (SB 2342), amending HRS §431:10C-301.

Coverage	Minimum (policies from 1 Jan 2026)
Bodily injury liability, per person	$40,000
Bodily injury liability, per accident	$80,000
Property damage liability, per accident	$20,000
Personal injury protection (PIP), per person	$10,000

Warning: many sources still show the old numbers. The Hawaii Insurance Division's own consumer page still lists 20/40/10, as do several national guides. The authoritative current source is the Insurance Division's FAQ on the new minimums (January 2026). If a website, agent, or article quotes 20/40/10 for a car policy, it predates the change — a policy written today cannot use those limits. (Motorcycles and motor scooters are different: they remain at 20/40/10 under a separate law, HRS §431:10G-301.)

The Insurance Division expects the higher limits to raise average premiums by about 25%, though your actual cost may be higher or lower (Hawaii Insurance Division FAQ, January 2026).

Carry proof of insurance in your car at all times. Driving without your insurance ID card can draw a ticket and a fine. If your car is uninsured, you must surrender the registration and license plates to the county director of finance.

What happens if you drive without insurance

• First offense: a $500 fine (the court may order 75–100 hours of community service instead), and your license is suspended for 3 months or until you show proof of insurance.
• Repeat offense within 5 years: a minimum $1,500 fine, license suspension for 1 year, and up to 30 days in jail. Registration can be suspended and plates revoked.
• After a serious suspension, you may have to file proof of financial responsibility (commonly called an SR-22) for about 3 years.

If no insurer will cover you, Hawaii has an assigned-risk market called the Joint Underwriting Plan (JUP). It is a safety net, not a good deal — treat it as a last resort.

How no-fault works in Hawaii

PIP pays first, no matter who caused the crash

Personal injury protection (PIP) is the heart of no-fault. After a crash, your own PIP pays your and your passengers' medical and rehabilitation bills first — up to the PIP limit — regardless of who was at fault. The minimum is $10,000 per person.

No-fault covers injuries only, not cars or property. If someone hits your car, the at-fault driver's property damage liability pays for the repairs — that part still works the old way.

PIP can also cover more than medical bills. The Insurance Division lists optional PIP benefits including wage loss, alternative care (such as acupuncture or naturopathy), death benefits, and funeral benefits. Higher PIP limits are available and are usually cheap compared with the protection they add — $10,000 covers an emergency-room visit and a little more, and hospital bills pass it fast.

When you CAN sue the at-fault driver: the $5,000 threshold

Under no-fault, you generally cannot sue the other driver for your injuries — unless you meet the threshold in HRS §431:10C-306:

• Your PIP benefits (medical and rehabilitation expenses) reach $5,000 or more, or
• The injury involves death, significant permanent disfigurement, or significant permanent loss of use of a body part or function.

Once the threshold is met, you can pursue full damages against the at-fault driver, including pain and suffering. Two related rules: Hawaii uses a 51% fault bar — you can recover as long as you were less than 51% at fault (HRS §663-31) — and the deadline to file a lawsuit is generally 2 years from the crash (HRS §657-7).

Uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage: included unless you say no

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays your injury costs when the at-fault driver has no insurance — including hit-and-run. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage pays the gap when the other driver's insurance is too small for your injuries.

In Hawaii, UM and UIM are included in your policy by default at the same limits as your bodily injury liability (so now $40,000/$80,000). You can remove them only by rejecting them in writing. The insurer must also offer you the option to buy UM/UIM up to your liability limits and to "stack" coverage across vehicles. The minimum UM you can buy is $20,000 per person.

Our recommendation: keep UM/UIM and do not sign the rejection. It costs little and is the only protection you have when the other driver has nothing — and many drivers on Hawaii roads still carry old low-limit policies until their policies renew. If you drop it to save a few dollars, a serious crash can leave you with only your $10,000 PIP.

What insurers CANNOT use to set your price

Hawaii law (HRS §431:10C-207) bans insurers from using any of the following to set your rate or decide whether to insure you:

• Age, sex, credit score, marital status, length of driving experience, race, creed, ethnic background, or physical handicap.

Hawaii is one of only four states that ban credit-based insurance scores in car pricing (the others are California, Massachusetts, and Michigan). Any guide that tells Hawaii drivers to "improve your credit score" to lower car insurance is wrong for Hawaii. In 2002, seven insurers paid $115,500 in fines for using age, credit, and driving experience in Hawaii rates.

What can still move your price: your driving record (tickets, at-fault accidents), your car (make, model, repair costs), how many miles you drive, your coverage limits and deductibles, and the discounts you qualify for.

Your ZIP code no longer matters

Effective 1 October 2026, insurers may no longer use ZIP codes to price car insurance in Hawaii (Commissioner's Memorandum 2026-2PC). The Insurance Division ruled that ZIP boundaries are for mail delivery, not risk, and price differences not tied to real risk differences are unfairly discriminatory. Insurers had to refile their rates by 30 June 2026.

County-level pricing is still allowed — so premiums can still differ between Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai counties — but not between neighborhoods inside a county. Any price table that breaks Hawaii down by city or ZIP code reflects pre-October-2026 filings and is out of date for renewals on or after 1 October 2026.

Coverage types — what you can buy

"Full coverage" is not one product. It is a bundle: liability (above the minimum) + collision + comprehensive.

Required coverage

Coverage	What it does, in plain English	Who needs it
Bodily injury liability (BI)	Pays other people's medical bills (and legal costs) if you injure them in a crash you caused. Required: $40,000/person, $80,000/accident.	Everyone — required by law. Consider 100/300/100: one serious crash can pass $40,000 fast.
Property damage liability (PD)	Pays to repair or replace other people's cars and property you damage. Required: $20,000/accident.	Everyone — required by law. $20,000 covers one average car, not two, and not a newer SUV plus a fence.
Personal injury protection (PIP)	Pays your and your passengers' medical and rehab bills first, no matter who caused the crash. Required: $10,000/person.	Everyone — required by law. $10,000 is small against a hospital bill; higher PIP is cheap for the protection.
Uninsured motorist (UM)	Pays your injury costs if the at-fault driver has no insurance — including hit-and-run. Included by default unless you reject it in writing.	Nearly everyone: keep it. It is the only thing between you and the $10,000 PIP cap when the other driver has nothing.
Underinsured motorist (UIM)	Pays the gap when the at-fault driver's insurance is too small for your injuries. Included by default unless rejected in writing.	Same as UM — keep it.

Optional coverage

Coverage	What it does, in plain English	Who needs it
Collision	Pays to repair or replace YOUR car after a crash, whoever was at fault, minus your deductible.	Anyone with a car worth protecting; usually required by your lender if you finance or lease. Skip only if the car's value is so low that the premium plus deductible costs more than the car is worth.
Comprehensive	Pays for damage to YOUR car that is not a crash: theft, vandalism, fire, flood, falling objects, hitting an animal, hurricane and wind damage, glass.	Same as collision — usually bundled as "full coverage" and usually lender-required. In Hawaii, storm, flood, and falling-tree damage are the local reasons to keep it.
Rental reimbursement	Pays for a rental car while yours is repaired after a covered claim (usually $30–$50/day up to a set total).	Useful if you have no second car and depend on yours for work. A cheap add-on.
Roadside assistance / towing	Pays for a tow, jump-start, flat-tire change, lockout, or fuel delivery.	Useful on neighbor islands and for older cars; often $10–$20 a year. Some Hawaii carriers bundle free roadside service when you add comprehensive, collision, and towing.
Gap insurance	Pays the difference between what you still owe on a loan or lease and what the car is worth if it is totaled.	Anyone who financed a new car with a small down payment, or leases. Often cheaper from the lender or dealer than from the insurer — compare.
Non-owner car insurance	Liability and PIP for someone who drives borrowed cars but owns no car.	People without a car who regularly borrow one.

What we recommend

• Liability: 100/300/100, not the 40/80/20 minimum. The minimum doubled in 2026 because the old limits were indefensible against modern medical and repair costs — and even 40/80/20 is thin for a serious crash. The Insurance Division's own FAQ says: "Even with the new 40/80/20 limits, serious accidents can exceed these amounts."
• PIP: more than the $10,000 minimum if you can afford it. $10,000 covers an ER visit and a little more — and the $5,000 threshold means PIP is your only recovery for smaller injuries.
• Keep UM/UIM at your bodily injury limits. Do not sign the written rejection. The savings are small; the protection you give up is not.
• Collision + comprehensive ("full coverage") if the car is financed or leased (your lender requires it) or worth more than about $5,000–$8,000. Drop them on a near-worthless car.
• Deductibles: $500 is the standard quoted deductible. A $1,000 deductible saves roughly 15–30% on collision and comprehensive — but only if you can actually pay $1,000 out of pocket after a crash.
• Add rental reimbursement and roadside assistance if you have one car and no backup — both are cheap.
• Add gap insurance if you owe more than the car is worth.

What it costs in Hawaii

Statewide averages

Published 2026 figures disagree because they measure different things. Modeled quotes (what a defined driver would be quoted) cluster at $1,400–$1,800 a year for full coverage and $425–$600 a year for minimum coverage. Measured averages of policies actually written are lower (about $1,060 a year in NAIC data) because they include many low-limit, high-deductible policies. Use the range below, not a single number.

Source (date)	Full coverage / year	Minimum coverage / year
ValuePenguin (updated Jul 2026)	$1,813 ($151/mo)	$600 ($50/mo)
Insure.com (2026)	$1,757 ($146/mo)	$477 ($40/mo)
InsuranceQuotes.com (rates as of 31 Aug 2026)	$1,773 ($148/mo)	—
Insurance.com (updated 28 Sep 2026)	$1,721	$425
AutoInsurance.com (2026)	$1,653 ($138/mo)	$525 ($44/mo)
Luva (2026)	$1,411 ($118/mo)	$536 ($45/mo)
The Zebra (2026)	$1,704	—

Full coverage here means 100/300/100 liability with $500 collision and comprehensive deductibles, for a good driver in a common car. Your price will differ.

Hawaii is the cheapest state in the country for car insurance by most 2026 measures (Luva: $118 a month for full coverage, the lowest in the country; ValuePenguin: Hawaii full coverage $151 a month vs $208 nationally, about 27% less).

The Insurance Division publishes its own neutral comparison — the Motor Vehicle Premium Comparison & Consumer Complaints Guide — with sample annual premiums from every licensed insurer. It is free and worth checking before you buy.

Prices by age — nearly flat in Hawaii

In most states, a 16-year-old pays 3–4 times what a 40-year-old pays. In Hawaii, the gap is about $5 a month. State law (HRS §431:10C-207) forbids insurers from using age, sex, credit score, marital status, or years of driving experience to set your rate — so a teen driver in Hawaii is not the budget disaster they are on the mainland. What still matters is your driving record, your car, your mileage, and how much coverage you buy.

Full coverage by age (Insure.com, 2026; 100/300/100, $500 deductibles). Men and women pay the same at every age, because sex is also banned as a rating factor.

Full coverage costs nearly the same at every age — $1,757 to $1,803 a year.

Cross-check (Insurance.com, updated 28 Sep 2026): teens (16–19) $1,822 a year, young adults (20–24) $1,740, adults (25–60) $1,722, seniors (65–75) $1,721. Minimum coverage by age is just as flat: an 18-year-old pays about $54 a month vs $50 for a 30-year-old (ValuePenguin, 2026).

One exception: a teen on their own separate policy (not added to a parent's policy) costs more — about $2,436 a year in MoneyGeek's 2026 data. Adding a teen to a family policy is far cheaper than a standalone teen policy.

Prices by company

Sources disagree on the exact ranking but agree on the cheapest. Figures are full coverage per year, 2026.

Company	Price range across 2026 studies
GEICO	$1,043–$1,296 — cheapest broadly available carrier in nearly every 2026 study
USAA (military only)	$1,140–$1,602 — cheapest for those who qualify
Progressive	$1,332–$1,688 — cheapest in The Zebra's data
Island Insurance	$1,400–$1,936
Farmers	$1,632–$1,729
State Farm	$1,696–$2,478 — consistently among the most expensive majors in Hawaii
Allstate	$2,004–$2,389
Liberty Mutual	$2,472 in one study — highest-priced major in that data

Minimum coverage by company (AutoInsurance.com, 2026): GEICO $345 a year, USAA $458, Progressive $571, State Farm $680; state average minimum about $560 a year.

How to save money in Hawaii

1. Compare 3–5 quotes. Same driver, same coverage: GEICO about $1,043–$1,296 a year vs State Farm about $1,696–$2,478 in 2026 studies. Comparing saves a reported $400–$800 a year on identical coverage.
2. Do not pay anyone to "fix" your age, sex, credit score, or marital status for insurance. Hawaii bans all of them as rating factors. What actually moves your price: driving record, car, mileage, limits, deductibles.
3. Your ZIP code no longer matters (since 1 October 2026). If a quote still varies by neighborhood, that pricing is out of date — county is the only location factor left.
4. Bundle home and auto. Multi-policy discounts run 5–25% — the biggest single lever for a homeowner. (First Insurance Company of Hawaii's FirstSelect bundle claims up to 40%.)
5. Keep a clean record for 3–5 years. Good-driver discounts run 10–25%; three violation-free years typically moves you to a preferred tier, worth 25–40% versus a driver with violations.
6. Take an approved defensive driving course. Usually 5–15% off at most carriers, good for 3 years; state-approved online courses run $25–$40.
7. Try a telematics / usage-based program. Progressive Snapshot, State Farm Drive Safe & Save, Allstate Drivewise — up to 30% off for safe driving; low-mileage drivers save 10–30%.
8. Raise your deductible to $1,000. Saves roughly 15–30% on collision and comprehensive — but only if you can pay $1,000 out of pocket after a crash.
9. Pay in full instead of monthly. Paid-in-full discounts run 5–10%, and monthly billing surcharges add 3–8%.
10. Good student discount. 8–25% for full-time students under 25 with a B average.
11. Drop collision and comprehensive on an old, cheap car. If the car's value is close to your deductible plus a year's premium for those coverages, you are insuring the insurer's profit.
12. Ask about every discount — they are not all automatic. Multi-car, anti-theft and safety features (3–10%), loyalty, paperless and autopay, hybrid-vehicle discounts.
13. Do not drop to minimum coverage just to save money without doing the math. Minimum coverage is $425–$600 a year vs about $1,400–$1,800 for full coverage — but the minimum leaves your own car, and your own injuries above the $10,000 PIP cap, entirely on you, and $40,000 of bodily injury can be exhausted by one serious injury.
14. Use the regulator's own comparison. The Insurance Division's Motor Vehicle Premium Comparison Guide shows sample premiums from every licensed insurer — free and neutral.

Get a quote

These links go straight to each insurer's own quote page. This site does not earn a commission from them.

• GEICO — Get an instant quote (cheapest broadly available carrier in most 2026 studies)
• Progressive — Get an instant quote (Snapshot telematics available)
• Allstate — Get an instant quote (Drivewise telematics; purchase is through a local agent)
• USAA — Get an instant quote (military members, veterans, and eligible family only)
• Liberty Mutual — Get an instant quote (also sold through local agents)
• State Farm — Get an instant quote (online quote routes to a local agent for purchase; Drive Safe & Save telematics)
• Island Insurance — Get a quote online (Hawaii-only insurer; also sold through independent agents)
• First Insurance Company of Hawaii (FICOH) — Request a quote (local insurer since 1911; quote is a request form with agent follow-up through 26 agencies)
• DTRIC — Request a quote (local insurer; site is agent-focused — online quoting in 2026 was not directly verified)

Compare at least three quotes on identical coverage before you buy — the same driver can see a $400–$800 a year spread between carriers.

FAQ

How much car insurance do I legally need in Hawaii?
Since 1 January 2026: $40,000 bodily injury per person, $80,000 per accident, $20,000 property damage, plus $10,000 of PIP per person. Anything quoting 20/40/10 is out of date. Motorcycles remain at 20/40/10 under a separate law.

Why isn't my teenager's insurance much more expensive than mine?
Because Hawaii law bans age (and sex, credit score, and marital status) as rating factors. A teen on a family policy pays nearly the adult rate — about $5 a month more in the published data. A teen on their own separate policy costs more, so add them to a family policy when you can.

Do I really need uninsured motorist coverage?
Yes — keep it. It is included in your policy by default at your bodily injury limits, and removing it only saves a small amount. It is the only protection you have when the other driver has no insurance or too little of it, and many drivers on Hawaii roads still carry old low-limit policies.

If someone hits me, does no-fault mean I can't sue them?
Not always. Your own PIP pays your medical bills first. You can sue the at-fault driver only if your medical expenses reach $5,000 or the injury involves death, significant permanent disfigurement, or significant permanent loss of use of a body part. Below that threshold, PIP is your only recovery for injuries — which is one more reason to carry more than the $10,000 PIP minimum.

Sources

• Hawaii Insurance Division (DCCA), "FAQ: Auto Insurance Minimum Limits" (January 2026). https://cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Auto-Minimum-Limits-FAQs.pdf
• Hawaii Insurance Division (DCCA), "Motor Vehicle Insurance Information." https://www.cca.hawaii.gov/ins/consumers-mvi/
• Commissioner's Memorandum 2026-2PC, "Motor Vehicle Rates Using ZIP Code-Based Rating" (16 January 2026). https://cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Commissioners-Memo-2026-2PC-Motor-Vehicle-Rates-Using-ZIP-Code-Based-Rating_signed.pdf
• Hawaii Insurance Division (DCCA), "Motor Vehicle Premium Comparison & Consumer Complaints Guide" (2025 publication; rates in effect 1 December 2024). https://cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/7.-2025-MV-Premium-Publication.pdf
• ValuePenguin, "How Much Does Car Insurance Cost? (2026 Rates)." https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-insurance
• ValuePenguin, "Car Insurance Rates by State: 2026 Comparison." https://www.valuepenguin.com/car-insurance-by-state
• ValuePenguin, "Island Insurance Review" (updated 1 October 2026). https://www.valuepenguin.com/island-insurance-review
• ValuePenguin, "Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Hawaii" (updated 30 June 2026). https://www.valuepenguin.com/auto-insurance/hawaii/penalties-driving-without-insurance
• Insure.com, "Average Car Insurance Cost in Hawaii" (2026). https://www.insure.com/car-insurance/average-car-insurance-cost-in-hawaii/
• Insure.com, "Best and Cheapest Car Insurance in Hawaii (2026)." https://www.insure.com/car-insurance/best-car-insurance-in-hawaii/
• Insurance.com, "Hawaii Car Insurance Guide" (updated 28 September 2026). https://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/hawaii-car-insurance-guide/
• AutoInsurance.com, "Average Cost of Car Insurance in Hawaii in 2026." https://www.autoinsurance.com/states/hawaii/cost/
• AutoInsurance.com, "Best Car Insurance in Hawaii of 2026." https://www.autoinsurance.com/states/hawaii/best-car-insurance/
• MoneyGeek, "Best Car Insurance Companies in Hawaii (2026 Review)." https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/auto/best-car-insurance-in-hawaii/
• MoneyGeek, "How Much Is Car Insurance for Teens? (2026 Rates)." https://turbo.moneygeek.com/insurance/auto/average-car-insurance-cost-by-age-and-state/
• The Zebra, "Car Insurance in Hawaii." https://www.thezebra.com/auto-insurance/hawaii-car-insurance/
• InsuranceQuotes.com, "Cheap Hawaii Car Insurance Quotes & Average Cost (2026)" (rates as of 31 August 2026). https://www.insurancequotes.com/auto/car-insurance-rates/hawaii
• Luva, "Hawaii Car Insurance: Rates, Coverage, and How to Save in 2026." https://www.luva.com/car-insurance/hawaii/
• CarInsuranceRatesCompare, "Cheap Car Insurance in Hawaii (2026)." https://www.carinsuranceratescompare.com/car-insurance/hawaii/cheap
• SafeButler, "Auto Insurance in Honolulu, HI — Rates & Best Carriers (2026)." https://www.safebutler.com/cheap-best-auto-insurance-honolulu-hi
• GEICO Hawaii auto insurance. https://www.geico.com/auto-insurance/states/hi/?lang=en-US
• First Insurance Company of Hawaii (FICOH). https://www.ficoh.com/
• Island Insurance. https://www.islandinsurance.com/
• DTRIC. https://www.dtric.com/
• Hawaii Insurance Division news release, "Seven Auto Insurers Agree to Remove Illegal Rating Criteria" (3 April 2002). https://files.hawaii.gov/dcca/ins/news-releases/ins_pressreleases_auto_insurers_illegal_ratings.pdf

Prices are published figures as of the dates cited, not quotes. Verify current rates with a licensed agent — Hawaii rates and carrier participation change frequently.

Next: Health insurance in Hawaii — how Hawaii is different.