Hawaii entered 2026 with its biggest car insurance change in decades: effective January 1, 2026, the state's minimum liability limits doubled from 20/40/10 to 40/80/20, $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $80,000 per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. The new limits apply to every new and renewal policy with an effective date on or after January 1, 2026, so most drivers pick them up automatically at their next renewal.
Hawaii is also a no-fault state, every policy must include at least $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP), which pays your own medical and rehabilitation costs after a crash no matter who caused it. Between the doubled liability floor and the PIP mandate, Hawaii's required package looks nothing like a mainland at-fault state's, and carriers are repricing it in different ways, which is exactly the moment when comparing quotes side by side pays off.
The figures below explain the policy structure used in Hawaii. They do not predict an individual premium. For a broader view of how state rules differ, use our national car insurance directory.
Hawaii minimum car insurance requirements
Most quotes begin with liability coverage. Bodily injury liability addresses covered injury claims made by other people when you cause a crash. Property damage liability addresses covered damage to their vehicles or other property. The legal minimum keeps a policy compliant, but it does not say how much financial risk a household can comfortably retain.
- Coverage
- Bodily injury liability, one person
- Required amount or rule
- $40,000
- What it generally addresses
- Covered injuries to one other person
- Coverage
- Bodily injury liability, one accident
- Required amount or rule
- $80,000
- What it generally addresses
- Total covered injuries in one accident
- Coverage
- Property damage liability
- Required amount or rule
- $20,000
- What it generally addresses
- Covered damage you cause to other property
- Coverage
- PIP or medical coverage
- Required amount or rule
- $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) required
- What it generally addresses
- Initial covered injury benefits under the no-fault system
- Coverage
- Accident framework
- Required amount or rule
- No-fault
- What it generally addresses
- Your own injury coverage may respond first
- Coverage
- SR-22 filing
- Required amount or rule
- Used in this state
- What it generally addresses
- Applies only when ordered after qualifying events
| Coverage | Required amount or rule | What it generally addresses |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability, one person | $40,000 | Covered injuries to one other person |
| Bodily injury liability, one accident | $80,000 | Total covered injuries in one accident |
| Property damage liability | $20,000 | Covered damage you cause to other property |
| PIP or medical coverage | $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) required | Initial covered injury benefits under the no-fault system |
| Accident framework | No-fault | Your own injury coverage may respond first |
| SR-22 filing | Used in this state | Applies only when ordered after qualifying events |
What the state minimum covers, and what it leaves with you
A minimum policy is designed to satisfy state law. It is not designed around the value of your car, the size of a possible injury claim or the amount of savings you want to protect. Those are household decisions, so they need a separate review.
A financed or leased vehicle commonly needs collision and comprehensive coverage under the contract even when state law does not require them. For plain-language definitions and buying context, visit our insurance guides before selecting limits.
Rules and risks that matter in Hawaii
State law is only the starting point. These Hawaii-specific details show what to confirm before you compare coverage or buy a policy.
What changed on January 1, 2026
The Hawaii Insurance Division (part of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) explains the increase plainly: the old 20/40/10 minimums were set many years ago and had not kept pace with medical and vehicle-repair costs. The 40/80/20 limits apply statewide to all personal auto policies that are new or up for renewal on or after January 1, 2026.
For drivers who carried the old minimums, the Insurance Division estimates that doubling coverage may raise premiums by roughly 25% on average, but it stresses that the actual change depends on your driving record, vehicle, and claims history. When every carrier is repricing the same mandate, the gap between the highest and lowest quote for identical coverage tends to widen, and that gap is what shopping around captures.
How Hawaii's no-fault system works
After a crash, your own PIP coverage pays your medical and rehabilitation costs up to its limit, regardless of fault, that is the no-fault part. Your liability coverage still pays for injuries and property damage you cause to others, which is why the 40/80/20 limits matter.
The trade-off of no-fault is that smaller injury claims are generally handled through your own PIP rather than through lawsuits against the other driver. Optional coverages, higher PIP limits, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, comprehensive, layer on top, and the Insurance Division itself notes that serious accidents can exceed even the new minimums.
SR-22s in Hawaii
Hawaii uses SR-22 certificates of financial responsibility after serious violations, most commonly OVUII, Hawaii's term for impaired driving, and certain license suspensions or revocations. Your insurer files the certificate with the state and must notify it if the policy lapses. The filing itself is cheap; the premium attached to the underlying violation is the real cost, and carriers price the same record very differently, which makes comparing quotes especially worthwhile for SR-22 drivers.
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Start a Hawaii quote requestWhat affects car insurance rates in Hawaii?
Average annual expenditure for auto insurance in Hawaii was $843.83 in 2022. This is a historical statewide expenditure benchmark from NAIC 2022 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (June 2024). It combines many types of drivers and policies, so it should be used for market context rather than as a current quote estimate.
Insurers apply their filed rating plans to the household in front of them. Two neighbors can see different prices, and the same household can receive a wide range from different companies because each insurer weighs the inputs differently.
Garaging location
Claim frequency, traffic, repair costs, theft and weather exposure vary across Hawaii ZIP codes.
Drivers and record
Age, driving experience, citations, accidents, claims and continuous insurance history can affect price and eligibility.
Vehicle and use
Repair technology, vehicle value, annual mileage, commute and business use change the potential cost of a claim.
Coverage choices
Liability limits, collision, comprehensive, optional benefits and deductibles determine what the policy is being asked to pay.
Household details
Other licensed drivers, additional vehicles and bundling opportunities can change the account-level price.
Company fit
Insurers target different customer profiles. No one company is consistently cheapest for every driver in every territory.
Before you switch
Read the declarations, not only the price.
The declarations page shows drivers, vehicles, limits, deductibles and selected benefits. Match those fields before deciding that one quote is better.
Learn how a quote becomes a policy →How to compare Hawaii car insurance quotes
Keep the drivers, vehicles, limits, deductibles, dates and payment method the same. Then compare the full-term cost and change only one choice at a time.
Compare insurance companies on price, coverage and service
A familiar name is not automatically the best fit. Compare how each insurer sells and services policies, which optional programs it offers and whether it writes your profile in Hawaii. Availability and underwriting can vary by state.
See how Progressive sells and services policies →
See how GEICO sells and services policies →
See how State Farm sells and services policies →
See how Allstate sells and services policies →Company marks link to independent editorial reviews. They do not identify quote partners or a personalized match.
Browse all company reviews →Compare car insurance by Hawaii city
State law applies across Hawaii, but the garaging address can add a more local rating layer. Use a city guide to review ZIP related factors, vehicle details and the quote worksheet, then return here for the state requirement source.
Check the facts
Rules and market data used on this Hawaii page
The minimum-coverage table is paired with a first-party state reference, and the legal authority named in the guide is Haw. Rev. Stat. §431:10C-301, §431:10C-103.5; Hawaii Insurance Division (DCCA). Historical premium context is labeled by year and linked to the underlying publication. These sources do not replace a policy contract or individualized legal advice; rules and forms can change, so confirm current requirements with the regulator, insurer or a licensed professional.
State requirement source
Hawaii Insurance Division — Auto minimum limits FAQ ↗Official Insurance Division FAQ listing the 40/80/20 liability limits effective January 1, 2026 and Hawaii's $10,000 PIP requirement.
Historical market data
NAIC — 2022 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement ↗Historical statewide average-expenditure data published by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in June 2024.
Regulator directory
NAIC — State insurance department directory ↗Directory of state insurance regulators for current consumer guidance, licensing checks and complaints.
Checked by Show my rates · Last updated August 3, 2026
Hawaii car insurance FAQs
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