Who requires it
Contractors License Board — DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Branch
License & permit · Hawaii
Hawaii Contractors Bond
Hawaii contractor licensing through the Contractors License Board does not impose one fixed surety amount on every general or specialty licensee. HRS §444-16.5 authorizes the Board to require a specialty or general contractor—individual or corporate—to furnish a surety bond of not less than five thousand dollars after weighing financial condition and experience. When that bond is imposed, HAR §16-77-76 and the Board’s maintain-bond instructions control how long it must stay in force and when a waiver may be requested.
Common bond amount
≥ $5,000 (when required)
Conditional Board-ordered surety; statutory floor not less than $5,000; amount set by the Board—not a universal fixed statewide amount.
How you file
File the Board’s Contractor Bond Form only when the Board requires a bond
Renewal
Maintain while imposed (≥1 year before waiver request); 60-day reinstatement window after forfeiture
Who requires it
Applicants or licensees whom the Contractors License Board specifically requires to post a surety under HRS §444-16.5 (or related HAR chapter 16-77 financial-integrity conditions). Contractors who demonstrate financial integrity without a Board-ordered bond do not automatically need this coverage.
How much is required
Section 444-16.5 sets a statutory floor of not less than five thousand dollars for either a specialty-contractor or general-contractor bond the Board elects to require. The statute does not publish a single statewide amount above that floor; the Board sets the amount when it exercises discretion, taking the licensee’s or applicant’s financial condition and experience into account. The bond must be on a form the Board prescribes and must be executed by a surety authorized in Hawaii.
How to get and file it
Confirm in writing whether the Board has actually imposed a bond on your application, renewal, discipline, or reinstatement file and what amount it set. Have an authorized surety complete the Board’s current Contractor Bond Form for that amount, file it with PVL as directed, and keep proof of coverage in the Board’s office for the entire period the bond is imposed. Maintain any Board-imposed surety for at least one year before requesting a waiver under HAR §16-77-76. Failure to keep required coverage causes automatic license forfeiture; if coverage is not reinstated within sixty days, the Board’s maintain-bond page requires applying as a new applicant. Waiver requests use the Reactivation, Status Change, Bond Waiver, Conversion path with CPA financials and related integrity evidence.
Cost note
Five thousand dollars (or a higher Board-ordered amount) is the required bond amount when a bond is required, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Trigger
- Required only when the Contractors License Board imposes a bond under HRS §444-16.5 / HAR ch. 16-77
- Statutory floor
- Not less than $5,000 for specialty or general contractors when required
- Amount above the floor
- Set by the Board after reviewing financial condition and experience
- Waiver
- May be requested after maintaining the imposed bond at least one year and showing financial integrity
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Is a Hawaii contractors license bond required for every licensee?
No. HRS §444-16.5 uses discretionary language—the Board may require a specialty or general contractor to post a bond of not less than $5,000 after considering financial condition and experience. The Board’s maintain-bond materials likewise speak to coverage “if required.” Many financially solid licensees never carry a board-ordered bond.
How is the Hawaii contractors bond different from the Contractors Recovery Fund?
The §444-16.5 surety is a Board-imposed obligation on a specific licensee or applicant. The Contractors Recovery Fund under chapter 444 is a separate statutory consumer-recovery mechanism funded by licensees; it is not a substitute for a bond the Board has ordered on your file.
Related Hawaii bond guides
Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond
$10,000–$200,000
Hawaii motor vehicle dealer and auction applicants ordinarily satisfy financial-security rules with an inventory, flooring, or secured line of credit from a qualifying lender. When that credit cannot reasonably be obtained, the Motor Vehicle Industry Board may accept a surety bond on the Board’s published motorcycle, used-vehicle, new-vehicle, or auction amounts. The official MOVE-13 bond form is what dealers file on that alternative path, under Chapter 437, HRS and HAR §16-86-12.
Collection Agency Bond
$25,000 / $15,000
Hawaii collection agencies registering with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs must file and maintain a surety bond under Chapter 443B. The first office in the State carries a twenty-five-thousand-dollar amount; each additional Hawaii office carries a fifteen-thousand-dollar amount. Official Bond Form CA-02 is what PVL’s registration checklist requires for every office.
Public Adjuster Bond
$10,000
Hawaii public adjuster applicants must file a ten-thousand-dollar surety bond with the insurance commissioner before the license issues and keep it in force while licensed. HRS §431:9-223 conditions the bond on accounting to insureds for moneys or settlements the adjuster handles. A like deposit of cash or commissioner-approved securities may substitute for the surety bond.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Hawaii application
Hawaii will be preselected. Choose your bond type in the application—we confirm the correct product against your agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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