TL;DR: Hawaii property carriers file security with the PUC at $250,000 per person and $750,000 per accident bodily injury plus $250,000 property damage, before operating, from Hawaii-authorized insurers. Every registered vehicle adds $10,000 no-fault PIP, workers comp applies from the first employee, and the islands' logistics majors require $1,000,000 certificates.
What insurance does Hawaii law require for truckers?
A genuinely regulated stack. The PUC's rule, HAR 6-62-8, bars any motor carrier from operating on public streets until evidence of security is filed with the commission: insurance from a Hawaii-authorized company, surety bonds, or approved self-insurance, at the rule's minimums. The no-fault law adds $10,000 PIP to every registered vehicle. Workers compensation applies from the first employee. And the market layer, the islands' shippers, logistics companies, and construction primes, requires $1,000,000 certificates in the mainland pattern, sitting comfortably above floors that are already high by state standards.
What are the required amounts?
| Requirement | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Property carriers, BI per person | $250,000 | HAR 6-62-8(c) |
| Property carriers, BI per accident | $750,000 | |
| Property carriers, property damage | $250,000 | |
| Passenger carriers | $200,000 to $1,000,000 by seating | HAR 6-62-8(b) |
| PIP, all registered vehicles | $10,000 per person | HRS 431:10C |
| Hazmat | $1,000,000 / $5,000,000 | Federal tiers |
How does the PUC filing work?
Directly with the commission, as a condition of operating: applications proceed without insurance, but an approving Decision and Order starts a 100-day clock for proof, and the security must remain continuously on file thereafter, with certificates suspended when coverage lapses. The insurer must be authorized in Hawaii, which matters in a small market where mainland programs sometimes arrive on non-admitted paper; surety bonds and self-insurance are the alternatives the rule allows. Tariff obligations ride alongside, since Hawaii still regulates carrier rates under chapter 271.
How does the no-fault system interact with trucking coverage?
The $10,000 PIP pays medical costs for occupants and pedestrians regardless of fault, with employee drivers routing through workers comp first, and tort claims proceeding above Hawaii's no-fault threshold, where the PUC-level liability limits answer. For fleets the PIP layer is a per-unit cost with claim mechanics attached, familiar to anyone from other no-fault states, unusual only in accompanying state floors this high. Coordination language among PIP, comp, and health coverage deserves attention at binding.
What does workers comp require in Hawaii?
Coverage from the first employee under HRS 386, in a private market where HEMIC, the onetime state fund turned mutual, remains a major writer. The islands' medical costs and wage levels price into comp rates, and the trades trucking serves, construction, hospitality supply, harbor work, carry their class realities. Owner-operator classification follows Hawaii's tests, with the usual documentation cautions.
What does a complete Hawaii program look like?
PUC-filed liability at or above the 250/750/$250,000 floors, practically $1,000,000 for the market layer; cargo coverage for the freight the islands actually move, with ocean-freight interfaces at the harbors; physical damage priced for island repair economics, where parts arrive by ship and downtime runs long; workers comp from hire one; PIP on every registered unit; and hurricane-season catastrophe thinking for yards and equipment. The insurer list is short, which makes complete submissions and island-savvy placement worth real money.
Real questions Hawaii owner-operators and fleet managers ask
What liability must a Hawaii property carrier file with the PUC?
At least $250,000 per person and $750,000 per accident for bodily injury plus $250,000 property damage under HAR 6-62-8, from a Hawaii-authorized insurer, surety, or approved self-insurance, filed before operating and maintained continuously.
How long do I have to provide insurance proof after PUC approval?
One hundred days from the commission's approving Decision and Order, per the PUC's guidance. Applications proceed without coverage, but the approval lapses if proof does not arrive in the window.
Does Hawaii's PIP apply to commercial vehicles?
Yes, the $10,000 no-fault benefit rides on registered vehicles including trucks. Employee injuries route through mandatory workers comp first, and serious claims proceed in tort above the no-fault threshold.
Why must the insurer be Hawaii-authorized?
The PUC's rule requires security from companies authorized in the state, or qualifying sureties or self-insurance. Mainland programs on non-admitted paper fail the filing, a placement detail that matters in a small island market.
What cargo coverage do Hawaii carriers need?
The market's requirement, typically $100,000, for the distribution and drayage freight the islands move, with attention to where ocean-carrier liability ends and motor-carrier liability begins at the harbors. The PUC's own cargo requirements apply where applicable by carrier type.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Hawaii?
Not directly today. Morrow is the brand name of Afthonea Inc, licensed in Massachusetts, Florida, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Texas. If your trucking company is based in Hawaii, we can refer you to a licensed Hawaii agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Hawaii and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Hawaii trucking guides
The other Hawaii trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Hawaii (start here)
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Minimum liability limits for trucks
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Hawaii
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- What is an MCS-90 endorsement?
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- Workers comp for transportation companies
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Limits, forms, and deadlines change, so verify current requirements with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.