Hawaii · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026

Hit by an uninsured driver in Hawaii: coverage, penalties and what to do

Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.

Short answer

Driving without insurance: $500 fine for a first offense (at least $2,000 for repeats within 5 years), plus a 3-month license suspension or a required 6-month nonrefundable policy (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 431:10C-117). Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage must be offered in your bodily injury limits; you can reject it only in writing.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Not required
Minimum liability
40/80/20
Insurance system
No-fault
PIP required
$10,000

Uninsured motorist coverage in Hawaii

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage must be offered in your bodily injury limits; you can reject it only in writing.
Liability minimum
40/80/20 (since January 1, 2026; was 20/40/10) plus $10,000 PIP
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in Hawaii

  • If the other driver is uninsured, your own PIP pays medical costs first; your uninsured motorist coverage (unless you rejected it in writing) can pay for injuries; collision coverage can pay for your car.

Penalties for driving uninsured in Hawaii

  • Driving without insurance: $500 fine for a first offense (at least $2,000 for repeats within 5 years), plus a 3-month license suspension or a required 6-month nonrefundable policy (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 431:10C-117).

No-fault benefits in Hawaii

Hawaii is a no-fault state for injuries: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays your first medical bills and lost income, whoever caused the crash. You can sue the other driver for injuries only in some cases, described below. No-fault for injuries. Every policy must carry at least $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP), which pays your medical and rehab costs regardless of fault.

More facts for Hawaii

  • Insurers must offer you the option to stack uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (HRS § 431:10C-301(d)).

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Hawaii

  • Insurers must respond to claim communications within 15 working days, offer payment within 30 calendar days after accepting liability when the amount is not in dispute, and give the insured a written explanation of the delay on any claim still unresolved 30 days after it was reported (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 431:13-103(a)(11)).
  • PIP benefits must be paid or denied in writing within 30 days of reasonable proof; late PIP benefits earn 1.5% interest per month (§ 431:10C-304(3)-(4)).

Claiming from the uninsured driver in Hawaii

Small claims limit for car damage in Hawaii: $5,000. Hawaii small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Hawaii

  1. Report the crash to the police. Call the nearest police officer right away, by the quickest means, if anyone is hurt or killed or total property damage looks like $3,000 or more. Reporting a crash in Hawaii and getting the police report
  2. Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
  3. Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Hawaii it is not required.
  4. File your PIP claim on time; Hawaii's no-fault benefits don't depend on who caused the crash.
  5. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 2 years for both property damage and injury. Deadlines to sue in Hawaii, with the calculator

Free help in Hawaii

Questions about uninsured drivers in Hawaii

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Hawaii?

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage must be offered in your bodily injury limits; you can reject it only in writing.

What happens if you drive without insurance in Hawaii?

Driving without insurance: $500 fine for a first offense (at least $2,000 for repeats within 5 years), plus a 3-month license suspension or a required 6-month nonrefundable policy (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 431:10C-117).

What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Hawaii?

If the other driver is uninsured, your own PIP pays medical costs first; your uninsured motorist coverage (unless you rejected it in writing) can pay for injuries; collision coverage can pay for your car.

What is the minimum car insurance in Hawaii?

40/80/20 (since January 1, 2026; was 20/40/10) plus $10,000 PIP

How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Hawaii?

2 years for property damage and 2 years for injury.

How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Hawaii?

Insurers must respond to claim communications within 15 working days, offer payment within 30 calendar days after accepting liability when the amount is not in dispute, and give the insured a written explanation of the delay on any claim still unresolved 30 days after it was reported (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 431:13-103(a)(11)). PIP benefits must be paid or denied in writing within 30 days of reasonable proof; late PIP benefits earn 1.5% interest per month (§ 431:10C-304(3)-(4)).

More for Hawaii drivers

Nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.