PublicAdjust.ing Knowledge Base
Overview States Guides Resources Carriers Templates Reference

State guide

How to become a public adjuster in Hawaii

Hawaii requires a public adjuster license. There is no statutory fee cap; the surety bond is $10,000; the governing law is HRS §§ 431:9-201, 431:9-222, 431:9-223.

The pathway

Getting licensed in Hawaii

The license is the Adjuster license, Public Adjuster class. It is its own license, so make sure any course or exam you book is the public adjuster one and not the company or independent adjuster version. Issued by the Hawaii Insurance Division (DCCA). Independent and public adjusters hold separate licenses and may hold both concurrently (HRS § 431:9-224); public adjusters may act only on behalf of insureds (§ 431:9-226).

Official sources

Gathered from these sources on August 28, 2026. Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date. The regulator’s own page is the only current authority.

  1. Register with Pearson VUE and pass the Hawaii Adjuster exam (105 minutes, scaled passing score 70, $75).

  2. Schedule fingerprinting through Fieldprint Hawaii using code HI-DCCA-INS.

  3. Obtain a $10,000 surety bond in favor of the State of Hawaii.

  4. Apply online through NIPR for the resident (or nonresident) adjuster license, public adjuster type, and pay the $165 initial fee.

  5. Upload a copy of the filed bond to NIPR's Attachments Warehouse within 7 days of applying.

  6. Renew through NIPR for $90 before your license extension date, completing any CE the Insurance Division requires.

Who can apply
At least 18 years old · Residents and non-residents · Must have experience, special education, or training in handling loss claims of sufficient duration and extent to be competent (HRS § 431:9-222(a)(2)); no fixed number of months or hours is prescribed. Applicant must be domiciled in Hawaii or in a state that permits Hawaii residents to act as adjusters there (HRS § 431:9-222(a)(1)); nonresident adjuster licenses are issued.
Prelicensing course
Not required Neither HRS chapter 431 article 9 nor the Insurance Division's license category page lists a prelicensing course for adjusters.
State exam
Pearson VUE · 105 minutes · pass at 70 (scaled score) · $75 per attempt One Adjuster exam serves both independent and public adjuster licenses. Available at test centers or by OnVUE online proctoring; the Adjuster exam must be taken in its own session.
Application
NIPR · $165 application fee Exam $75. A copy of the filed $10,000 surety bond must be uploaded to NIPR's Attachments Warehouse within 7 days of submitting the application or the application may be rejected without refund.
Background check
Fingerprints scheduled online through Fieldprint Hawaii using recipient code HI-DCCA-INS; Fieldprint collects the state and federal fees.
Surety bond
$10,000 Surety bond in favor of the State, filed before issuance and maintained while licensed; a cash or securities deposit of the same amount may substitute (HRS § 431:9-223).
Renewal
$90 Renewal fee must be paid before the license extension date; a license inactivated for non-payment may be reinstated within 12 months by paying the fee plus a penalty of double the unpaid fee ($270 total) without re-examination (HRS § 431:9-232). The Insurance Division fee schedule lists a $90 renewal fee but the pages we checked do not state the license term; HRS § 431:9-232 allows extension dates between one and three years.
Continuing education
Not stated in these sources Commissioner's Memorandum 2021-9LIC says all licensees must complete the required CE before renewal, but the Insurance Division's CE FAQ and HRS article 9 text we checked do not state an hour requirement for adjusters.
Already licensed elsewhere?
No reciprocity The Insurance Division states: 'There is no reciprocity for adjusters. All individuals – residents and nonresidents – are required to successfully pass the Hawaii Insurance License Exam (except crop adjuster).'

Not stated in these sources

These points were not stated in the sources listed, so we have left them blank rather than guess. Ask the regulator directly:

  • ·Renewal cycle: License term not stated on the Insurance Division pages we checked; HRS § 431:9-232 permits one- to three-year extensions.
  • ·Continuing education: No adjuster CE hour requirement found in HRS article 9 or the Division's CE FAQ; Memorandum 2021-9LIC only says licensees must complete required CE before renewal.
  • ·Exam questions: The Pearson VUE handbook gives a 105-minute time limit but the question count was not extracted.
  • ·Application fingerprint fee: Fieldprint collects state and federal fees; the amount is not published on the Division page.

Hawaii in the reference tables

Each table answers one question for all 50 states and DC, with the citation. Open one and find the Hawaii row.

See how a claim runs in Hawaii, stage by stage Associations covering Hawaii

Hawaii law in the library

24 primary-source documents for Hawaii: statutes, regulations, bulletins and consumer guides, stored as published. Sign in to open them.

  • Hawaii Revised Statutes § 431:10-210 — Standard Form Fire Insurance Policy Binding law
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes § 431:10-226.5 — Notice of Cancellation or Nonrenewal Binding law
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 127A — Emergency Powers, Emergency Period Offenses, and Price Controls Binding law
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 431, Article 10 — Property Claim Provisions and Policyholder Remedies Binding law
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 431, Article 10E — Property Insurance Binding law
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 431, Article 13 — Unfair Methods of Competition Binding law
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 431, Article 14 — Rate Regulation Hawaii State Legislature
  • Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 431, Article 2 — Administration of Insurance Laws Hawaii State Legislature