Hawaii Car Insurance
Hawaii car insurance can be a bit more complicated than other insurance laws on the mainland.
State Regulator Information | 808-586-2790 | www.hawaii.gov/dcca/ins |
Insurance Premium | Avg. Annual Premium: $ 1,294 | National Average: $1,318 |
Mandatory Car Insurance Coverage | Bodily Injury Liability:$20k/40k Property Damage Liability: $10k |
PIP: $10k |
In Hawaii you must carry Hawaii car insurance if you have a registered vehicle. They require that you carry the normal liability coverage that all states require, as well as coverage for injuries in your vehicle. This additional coverage for your own injuries is because Hawaii is a “no-fault” state.
Mandatory Hawaii Car Insurance
With Hawaii being a “no-fault state” it requires that your insurance company pay the medical expenses for you and any passengers that may have been injured in your car at the time of a car accident. Your insurance company pays these expenses regardless of who caused the accident under your personal injury protection coverage.
This “no-fault” only applies to non-serious injuries. Any serious injuries that you may cause will go through the mandatory bodily injury liability coverage that you have to carry.
Any property damage that you are at-fault for will be covered under the property damage liability coverage that you have to also have.
Mandatory coverage limits:
Person Injury Protection (PIP): $10,000
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000 per person/ $40,000 for two or more people in one accident
Property Damage Liability: $10,000
Hawaii Car Insurance Required for Vehicle Registration
The state of Hawaii will not allow you to have a registered vehicle, without have active Hawaii car insurance. When you first register your vehicle with the state and every year that you renew your vehicle’s registration, you will have to show proof of current Hawaii car insurance.
This proof is required in order to obtain a vehicle inspection, inspection sticker, and certificate.
No Hawaii Car Insurance (1st Offense)
The first time you are caught without Hawaii car insurance, you will receive a fine of $500. The judge will with suspend your driver’s license for 3 months and not force you to get insurance, or you will be required to keep insurance on your vehicle for the next 6 months without lapse.
No Hawaii Car Insurance (Multiple Offenses)
Most people learn from their mistakes the first time and don’t go around trying to push their luck by not having Hawaii car insurance again. However, for those of you that like to see what you can get away with, if you are caught for the 2nd time (within 5 years) with having no Hawaii car insurance the penalties increase.
Your fine this time will be no less than $1500 and your driver’s license will be suspended for a year if you choose not to go with the 6-months continuous insurance.
But wait, there’s more!
You can also face up to 30 days in jail, have your vehicle registration suspended and your car impounded. If your car is impounded, it can also be sold to cover the cost of storage and any other charges and costs related to the impounding of your vehicle.
Is it really going to be worth seeing if you can get away with having no Hawaii car insurance?