Best Auto Insurance Rates in Hawaii

Compare Auto Insurance in Hawaii

Wednesday, July 18 2018 By Larry Canonica

Hawaii is known as the Aloha State. Here at QuoteWizard, we’ve compiled useful insurance information from industry and government sources which Hawaiians can use to say “hello” to savings and “goodbye” to high premiums.

This page will show you which types of coverage are legally required in Hawaii, inform you about important insurance laws, and provide both information about the cost of driving, and some insights about insurance risk in Hawaii, all to help protect you and your family.

Average Hawaii Car Insurance Rates

How much is car insurance in Hawaii? Premiums here are slightly cheaper than in most of the country. On average, Hawaii drivers pay 13% less for auto insurance than the average American. The average cost of car insurance in Hawaii is $764.72 per year. The national average price is $889.01.

Prices may vary depending on your car, driving record, zip code, limits, and the number of claims filed in your neighborhood.

Hawaii Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$458.54
Collision	$313.17
Comprehensive	$101.56
Total Cost Per Year	$764.72
Price Per Month	$63.72

The graph below shows the change in average Hawaii insurance rates from 2011 to 2015, the most recent year the data is available. According to the III, Hawaii car insurance rates increased from $748 in 2011 to $764 in 2015, a jump of $16 dollars, or 2.17 percent.

Finding the right car insurance in Hawaii for your needs and budget doesn’t have to be stressful. Then again, you want to make sure that whichever company you choose is the right fit, and that means comparing car insurance rates!

Comparing auto quotes can be time-consuming. But with a little help from QuoteWizard, you’ll have a policy in no time. We’ll connect you with top auto insurance companies so you can find the best coverage at the best price.

Last year, 11,273 people used QuoteWizard to get an auto insurance quote comparison in Hawaii from multiple companies.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Hawaii

Last year, these were the 10 most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of Hawaii. Out of the 11,273 Hawaii drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 1,026 were uninsured.

Top 10 Vehicles in Hawaii

These are the 10 most common vehicles owned by Hawaii drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.

Hawaii State Auto Insurance Laws

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Hawaii

Hawaii is a no-fault state, meaning if you are involved in an accident, you and your passengers will be covered up to the limits of your policy regardless of who was at fault. This is usually called Personal Injury Protection and the state minimum requirement is $10,000. PIP does not cover damages to vehicles, only injuries.

If you drive a vehicle registered in Hawaii, you must maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage of 20/40/10. This means that any policy must also include the following coverage, in addition to PIP:

• $20,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $40,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per accident
• $10,000 of coverage for property damage liability per accident

Remember you can purchase more inclusive plans that cover more, but if you want the bare minimum required to keep you legal on the road, make sure your policy has the above protection plan. And, if you’ve financed your car through a lender, they’ll typically require that you purchase collision and comprehensive coverage to protect their investment.

Required Proof of Car Insurance

All drivers in Hawaii must be prepared to show proof of car insurance in the form of a car insurance identification card to law enforcement upon request.

Failure to show valid proof of insurance is a traffic infraction. Knowingly providing false evidence of insurance coverage is a misdemeanor.

Penalties

If you can’t prove that you meet the minimum Hawaii insurance requirements, you could face the following penalties for a first offense:

• A fine of at least $500
• 4 points added to your driving record

If you are caught a second time, the penalties become more severe. The penalties for a second offense are:

• A fine of at least $1000
• 4 points added to your driving record
• Suspension of driver's license for 4 months

Drivers caught driving without insurance a third time will face still stiffer penalties:

• A fine of at least $1000
• 4 points added to your driving record
• Suspension of driver's license for 8 months
• Up to 40 hours of community service

SR-22 Requirements

In Hawaii, you will not need to file an SR-22 for a first time offense.

Your first DUI conviction will result in the following penalties:

• Between 2 and 5 days in jail. If a passenger less than 15 years old was in the vehicle with you, you will spend 2 additional days in jail
• A fine of between $150 and $1,000. If you are caught with a passenger less than 15 years old, you will be required to pay an additional $500
• 90-day prompt suspension of license (driving could be allowed) or
• 30-day prompt suspension of license (limited driving privileges with court approval) or
• 6-month suspension of license if blood alcohol content was greater than 0.15% (no driving allowed, complete loss of driving privileges)
• A special trauma fund surcharge of between $25 and $50
• Requirement to complete a court ordered substance abuse program

In addition, you may also be required to file an SR-22, which is a way of proving financial responsibility. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law.  You may also need to fill an SR-22 if you:

• Lost your license because of a reckless driving or inattention to driving citation
• Have a 2nd or 3rd offense DUI conviction

Hawaii state law requires that an SR-22 be carried for 36 consecutive months following a first offense.

State of Hawaii Traffic Safety Laws

Distracted Driving Laws

Hawaii has banned the use of handheld communication devices for all drivers and made it a primary law. Primary driving laws are those for which law enforcement can pull you over and issue citations without another infraction taking place. Hawaii has also banned all cell phone use for novice drivers. This too is a primary law.

There is a statewide ban on texting while driving for all drivers.

Implied Consent Law

Hawaii’s Implied Consent law requires that any driver submit to testing to determine the alcohol or drug content of their blood, breath, or urine when arrested by law enforcement for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. Refuse the test and you’ll face the following penalties in addition to those for a DUI:

• First Offense: 30 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, and suspension of driver’s license for 1 year
• Second Offense: suspension of driver’s license for 2 to 5 years and assessment by a certified substance abuse counselor
• Third Offense: suspension of driver’s license for 2 to 5 years and assessment by a certified substance abuse counselor

It’s possible to continue driving with a suspended license if you install an ignition-interlock device in your car and apply for a permit. You may also apply for a work exemption if driving is part of your occupation.

DUI Law and Penalties

If you drive or operate a motor vehicle in the State of Hawaii with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08%, you are guilty of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

The penalties for a first offense DUI conviction are:

• A fine of $150 to $500
• Driver’s license suspended from 90 days to 1 year
• 2-5 days in jail, or 72 hours of community service
• A minimum of 14 hours in a substance abuse program

The penalties for a second DUI conviction are more severe:

• A fine of $500 to $1,500
• Driver’s license suspended from 1 to 2 years
• 5-14 days in jail, or 240 hours of community service
• A minimum of 14 hours in a substance abuse program

After a third DUI conviction the penalties increase to:

• A fine of $500 to $2,500
• Driver’s license suspended from 1 to 5 years
• 10-30 days in jail, or 240 hours of community service
• A minimum of 14 hours in a substance abuse program

Beginning on January 1, 2011, drivers convicted of a DUI will be required to pay for the installation of an ignition interlock device in their vehicle, as well as monthly rental costs.

Child Restraint Law

Hawaii requires that all children less than 4 years of age be secured in approved child safety seats. For children between the ages of 4 and 8 are required to use booster seats or car seats unless they're 4 feet 9 inches or taller. Children over 8 years old are required to use seat belts at all times.

If you are pulled over by law enforcement and it’s discovered that children are not legally secured, you will be fined $100 for a first offense.

Proper use of child safety seats reduces fatalities by 71%

Graduated Driver’s License Program

Hawaii has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver license program beginning with an instruction permit and ending with full driver privileges once all conditions are met.

Teens are allowed to apply for a learner’s permit when they have reached 15 ½ years of age. The learner stage lasts for a minimum of 6 months. During the learner stage, teens are required to complete 50 hours of supervised driving, at least 10 of these hours must be at night. Once these conditions are satisfied, and the driver has reached at least the age of 16, a provisional license may be issued. Once the driver has held a provisional license for at least 6 months, they can take the driver's test and be issued a driver's license if they pass.

Young drivers between the ages of 15 ½ and 17 must abide by the following rules until they turn 18:

• Another licensed driver who is 21 years or older must be seated next to new drivers
• No driving between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am unless a parent or guardian is seated next to them
• Drivers receive full passenger privileges when they turn 18 provided that all other conditions have been met and they have no pending violations that could result in suspension or loss of either their instruction permit or provisional license.

Senior Drivers in Hawaii

The license renewal cycle in Hawaii is 8 years. Drivers must renew their licenses in person and pass a vision test. When Hawaiians reach the age of 72, they're required to renew their license every 2 years.

Seat Belt Laws

Hawaii requires that all passengers 8 years of age and older wear seat belts in both the front and back seats. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $112 plus administrative fees.

Vehicles Registered in Another State

When you drive a vehicle in Hawaii that’s required to be registered in another state, you must have the type of insurance required by that state. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to law enforcement if requested.

The Cost of Driving in Hawaii

Average Hawaii Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in Hawaii in 2015 was $764.72 compared to a national average of $889.0. Hawaii is ranked the 31st most expensive state for car insurance.

Fuel Taxes

As of January 2016, the state of Hawaii taxes gasoline at 42.35 cents per gallon. When the Federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon is added, residents of Hawaii pay a total of 60.75 cents per gallon in taxes every time they fill their tanks.  Hawaii taxes diesel fuel at 39.55 cents per gallon. When the Federal diesel tax of 24.4 cents per gallon is added, Hawaiians will pay 63.95 cents per gallon in taxes for diesel fuel.

Car Insurance Risk in Hawaii

Traffic Fatalities

In 2013, there were 102traffic fatalities in Hawaii, a 18% decrease from the 126 traffic fatalities reported in 2012.

Year	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Total Fatalities	109	113	100	126	102

Vehicle Thefts

Hawaii had 3,879 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 15% decrease compared to 2013 when 4,561 vehicles were reported stolen. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 273.3 per 100,000, a decrease of 15.6% over the 2013 rate of 323.7 per 100,000.

The vehicle theft rate in Hawaii is significantly higher than the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Hawaii

Some cars are more prone to theft than others, so be sure to check the list below to see if your car is at a high risk of being stolen.

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

1. 2000 Honda Civic
2. 1994 Honda Accord
3. 2005 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
4. 1999 Toyota Corolla
5. 2004 Dodge Pick-Up (Full Size)
6. 2000 Dodge Caravan
7. 1990 Toyota Camry
8. 2004 Toyota Tacoma
9. 2001 Dodge Pick-Up (Small Size)
10. 1994 Acura Integra

Uninsured Motorists

In 2012 it was estimated that 8.9% of all drivers on Hawaii roads had no car insurance. This number is slightly lower than the national average of 12.6% and ranks Hawaii 37th in the nation for uninsured motorists.

Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs - Insurance

Website:

Homepage

Insurance Commissioner:

Gordon I. Ito

Insurance Hotline:

(808) 586 – 2790

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday
7:45 am to 4:30 pm

File a Consumer Insurance Complaint

Complaint Page

Sources:

• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Insurance Information Institute – Minimum Coverage Levels by State
• National Insurance Crime Bureau
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Information Institute – Insurance Expenditures by State
• Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT)

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