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Hawaii · Surety Bond Resource Center

Hawaii surety bonds

Hawaii’s published statewide license bonds in this hub sit mainly with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Professional and Vocational Licensing Branch (PVL), the Division of Financial Institutions (DFI), the Attorney General’s Notary Public Office, and the Insurance Division. Motor vehicle dealers and auctions ordinarily post an inventory or flooring line of credit; the Motor Vehicle Industry Board may accept a surety bond on published volume tiers when that credit cannot reasonably be obtained. Contractors License Board bonds are discretionary—at least $5,000 when the Board requires one after reviewing financial condition and experience—and many licensees never carry a board-ordered bond. Money transmitters size security at $10,000 for the first year, then $5,000 or $10,000 by annual volume, with room for the commissioner to raise the amount to $500,000. Collection agencies file $25,000 for the first Hawaii office and $15,000 for each branch. Notaries post a $1,000 circuit-court bond. Public adjusters maintain $10,000 surety. Mortgage licensees pay into the Mortgage Loan Recovery Fund rather than posting a statewide company bond.

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Surety bond certificate and license approval illustration

Hawaii at a glance

Motor vehicle dealer / auction (bond path)
$10,000–$200,000

Bond path only when you cannot get a line of credit. Most dealers post inventory credit instead.

Contractors License Board surety
≥ $5,000 when required

Only if the Board requires it after reviewing your finances—not every contractor.

Money transmitter
$5,000–$10,000 (up to $500,000)

First year $10,000, then based on annual volume. The commissioner can raise it up to $500,000.

Collection agency
$25,000 / $15,000

First Hawaii office / each additional office.

Notary public
$1,000

A circuit court judge must approve it; then file with the circuit clerk.

Public adjuster
$10,000

Filed with the insurance commissioner.

How it works in this state

How Hawaii bonding is organized

How Hawaii organizes these bonds

Dealer and auction financial security runs through the Motor Vehicle Industry Board. Most applicants satisfy the rule with an inventory or flooring line of credit, and only use the official MOVE-13 surety form when the Board accepts a bond because that credit cannot reasonably be obtained. Contractor bonding is a Contractors License Board decision—required when a financial-integrity review calls for it, kept in place at least a year before a waiver request, and separate from the Contractors Recovery Fund that serves residential consumers. Money-transmitter bonds and other approved security file with the Division of Financial Institutions. Collection agencies register with PVL and keep Form CA-02 amounts current for every Hawaii office. Notary bonds travel with the Attorney General commission process but are approved and filed at the circuit court. Public adjusters file with the Insurance Division.

What this hub does not treat as statewide license bonds

Chapter 454F mortgage loan originators and companies do not post a statewide surety for licensure; DFI’s Mortgage Loan Recovery Fund fees replaced bonding. There is no universal fixed contractors license bond for every general or specialty licensee—only Board-ordered amounts when the Board requires one. Standalone credit-services organization and title-insurance agent sureties were not confirmed for dedicated guides. Specialty instruments such as long-term roofing workmanship-guarantee bonds, county permit bonds, project bid/performance/payment bonds, and court bonds stay outside this set.

Hawaii bond directory

Find your bond requirement

These guides cover license and permit bonds with verified educational content. Your agency notice or application checklist is always the final authority.

Who sets the requirement?

Hawaii licensing agencies

Each agency below sets its own bond requirement. Open the related guide for amounts and filing steps.

Motor Vehicle Industry Board (DCCA / PVL)

Licenses motor vehicle dealers and auctions and receives inventory/flooring credit evidence or, when accepted, the MOVE-13 surety bond.

Open related guide →

Contractors License Board (DCCA / PVL)

Licenses contractors and may require a bond of at least $5,000 based on financial condition and experience.

Open related guide →

Division of Financial Institutions — Money transmission

Licenses money transmitters and receives the bond or other approved security.

Open related guide →

DCCA PVL — Collection agencies

Registers collection agencies under chapter 443B and receives Form CA-02 bonds for each Hawaii office.

Open related guide →

Department of the Attorney General — Notary Public

Commissions notaries; the $1,000 official bond is approved by a circuit court judge and filed with the circuit clerk.

Open related guide →

Insurance Division — Public adjusters

Licenses public adjusters and receives the $10,000 bond or approved deposit.

Open related guide →

Before you apply

Confirm these details from the agency notice

Bring these five items when you request a bond. For the full checklist, see how to read a bond requirement.

  1. 1

    Confirm whether your dealer file needs a bond or a line of credit

    The Motor Vehicle Industry Board checklist treats inventory/flooring credit as the ordinary path. Order a MOVE-13 bond only when the Board will accept surety because that credit cannot reasonably be obtained, and match the amount to your new, used, motorcycle, or auction tier.

  2. 2

    Do not assume every Hawaii contractor must buy a license bond

    HRS §444-16.5 lets the Contractors License Board require a bond of not less than $5,000 after reviewing finances and experience. Confirm whether the Board has actually imposed a bond on your application or license before purchasing coverage.

  3. 3

    Mortgage licensees: budget recovery-fund fees, not a company surety

    DFI’s Chapter 454F FAQ states bonding is no longer required. Initial and renewal Mortgage Loan Recovery Fund fees apply instead of a statewide mortgage company bond.

Learn more about surety bonds

Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.

Frequently asked questions

Does every Hawaii contractor need an $8,000 license bond?

No. Hawaii does not publish a single statewide amount that every contractor must post. Under HRS §444-16.5 the Contractors License Board may require a specialty or general contractor to furnish a bond of not less than $5,000 after considering financial condition and experience. HAR §16-77-76 addresses maintenance and possible waiver of a bond the Board has already imposed. Many licensees operate without a board-ordered bond.

Do Hawaii mortgage loan originators need a surety bond?

No. DFI’s Chapter 454F materials state that bonding is no longer required. Licensees contribute to the Mortgage Loan Recovery Fund through initial and renewal fees instead of posting a statewide company bond for that license.

When does a Hawaii car dealer use a surety bond instead of a line of credit?

The Motor Vehicle Industry Board checklist requires an inventory or flooring line of credit for dealers (and a secured line for auctions). When that credit cannot reasonably be obtained, the Board may accept a surety bond on the published motorcycle, used, new, or auction amounts using the official MOVE-13 form.

Start your Hawaii bond application

Hawaii will be preselected in the application. Choose the bond type on the next step—we verify the current agency form before anything is issued.

Start a bond application

Last verified 2026-08-11. Official sources are retained with this guide and checked before publication.

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Need help matching a Hawaii agency notice to the correct bond form? Our surety team can review the requirement with you.

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