Hawaii Auto Insurance

With each state carrying its own regulations and requirements, finding Hawaii auto insurance can prove difficult.  This webpage will tell you which coverage is mandatory, recommended coverage, and even suggest a few ways to save some money on your car insurance while living in HI.  After reading over the basics of auto insurance in Hawaii, start your search for better insurance by utilizing our free search tools at the top of the webpage.

Hawaii Auto Insurance State Requirements

The state of Hawaii regulates auto insurance under what is referred to as “no fault” legislation.  This means that no matter who is at fault, the insurance company is required to pay out on claims.  This is important because it changes the requirements for what you must carry, and those are as follows:

• Bodily Injury: $20,000 per person/$40,000 per occurrence
• Property Damage: $10,000
• PIP: $10,000 per person

If you own a vehicle in Hawaii, these are the minimum coverage amounts you must carry to be legal with the state.  However, let’s go over the definitions of each of these terms as well as a few others so you understand what these cover.

• Bodily Injury:  As a required coverage, this will pay for medical bills for the opposing party if you have caused an accident.
• Property Damage:  As another required coverage, this will pay for repairs for the vehicle or other property damaged in an accident you caused.
• PIP (Personal Injury Protection):  This is a mandatory coverage for all Hawaii residents and will cover medical bills for injuries sustained to you and your passengers in an accident you caused.
• Comprehensive:  This is not a required coverage by the state.  However, if you are financing your vehicle, your lender may require you to carry this.  This coverage pays for repairs or replacement for theft, vandalism, wind storms and other acts of nature.
• Collision:  Again, this is not a required coverage by Hawaii but may be required by your lender.  This covers repairs or replacement to your vehicle in an accident you caused.
• Uninsured Motorists Bodily Injury:  This coverage protects you and your passengers by paying medical bills during an accident that was not your fault, when the driver of the opposite vehicle doesn’t carry insurance.
• Underinsured Motorists Bodily Injury:  This coverage protects you and your passengers by paying medical bills during an accident that was not your fault, but the driver of the opposite vehicle did not carry enough insurance.
• Although the state only requires you to carry 3 types of coverage, none of those protect your vehicle.  If you were to cause an accident, you need to have collision coverage to pay for repairs to your vehicle.  Insurance is not to be taken lightly. Once the accident is over, it’s too late to add on the additional coverage. 

Hawaii Auto Insurance FAQ

What is a deductible and how much should mine be?

• A deductible is what must come out of your pocket first before the claim will be paid.  Most often you will see deductibles with comprehensive and collision coverage.  The best way to determine what your deductible should be is to consider what you will be able to pay out of pocket if you were to cause an accident.  However, also keep in mind that the lower your deductible is, the higher your monthly premium will be.

What factors affect my insurance premium?

• Hundreds of factors are used to determine your insurance policy.  However, here is a list of the main components that affect your auto insurance premium in Hawaii: Age, Make and model of car, Driving history, Daily commute, and Geography.

Who else should be listed on my policy?

•  Easy- who else is driving the vehicle?  Also, depending on the insurance company, who else is living in your household with access to the vehicle and no other insurance?  You may be required to add them to your policy since your insurance company will be liable if they use your vehicle and cause an accident.

Should I get gap insurance and can my insurance company offer that?

• First, let’s define gap insurance.  Gap insurance covers the difference between what you still owe to your lender and what the car was worth at the time of the accident. For example, say that you cause an accident and total your vehicle. It may only be worth $5,000 at the time of the accident, yet you still have $7,500 left in payments.  Your insurance company will pay the $5,000 but you will be responsible to pay your lender the remaining $2,500. So yes, get gap insurance if you are financing your vehicle.  However, that will typically be offered through your lender, not through your insurance company.

Hawaii Car Insurance Savings

Now that you understand what coverage is required and which is best for your needs, let’s take a look at some of the options you have to save money on your HI auto insurance premium.  Remember, not all insurance companies will offer these up front, so make sure to ask about these potentially available Hawaii car insurance discounts:

• Multi-vehicle:  By combining all your vehicles (and everyone in your household) onto one policy, it can often lead to an automatic discount of 10-20%.  Think of it this way: if you have 2 drivers on your policy but 4 vehicles, those vehicles can’t be driven all the time, thus a discount is offered.
• Multi-line:  Many companies that offer both auto and homeowners insurance will give an extra incentive for you to insure both policies with them.  Not only will it get you a discount on your auto, but usually on your homeowners as well.  Double bonus!
• Good driver:  Seems simple doesn’t it?  Stay ticket and accident free for 3 to 5 years (depends on the company), and get rewarded for it.  Next time you are speeding to get somewhere, remember how much money you could save on your insurance.
• Passive restraint/vehicle safety:  If your vehicle is relatively new and offers safety features such as airbags, be sure to check to see if you qualify for this discount.
• Good Student: This discount is typically reserved for students that meet certain minimum GPA marks (usually 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale). 

Hawaii Auto Insurance Companies 

Some of the best Hawaii car insurance companies include:

• AIG Hawaii Insurance Company
• AAA Hawaii
• Hawaii Insurance Bureau, Inc.
• First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Ltd.
• Liberty Mutual
• GEICO
• State Farm
• All State 

Find Hawaii Car Insurance Quotes Online Today!

You have all the basics to start your search.  Begin by using our free HI auto insurance quote tools to find better Hawaii auto insurance now!