Quick answer:
HRS §431:9-201
Hawaii normally requires adjusters working in the state to hold a Hawaii license. The state is also one of the few that does not offer ANY reciprocal licensing privileges to adjusters licensed in other states.
Put simply: to get a Hawaii adjuster license, you must pass their state exam.
However, state law allows the commissioner to grant a temporary exception when a major event results in more property claims than Hawaii’s licensed adjusters can reasonably handle.
If the Hawaii Insurance Commissioner determines that the losses are severe enough that local adjusting resources cannot handle them within a reasonable time, he can issue a declaration allowing qualifying nonresident adjusters to help.
To use that emergency exception, you still need a current adjuster license from another state that meets Hawaii’s standard. You also have to complete Hawaii’s emergency registration requirements.
An eligible nonresident adjuster may work losses from the event for up to 120 days from registration, or for a shorter period set by the Commissioner.
If you are not sure whether the emergency exception applies to you or when you are cleared to begin work, check the declaration for that specific event and confirm your requirements with the Hawaii Insurance Division.
2026 Super El Niño & Pacific Hurricane Season
When a major disaster or hurricane threatens Hawaii, adjusters often have questions about what it takes to work claims on the islands, from licensing requirements and emergency rules to the practical realities of deployment.
Those questions may become especially relevant during the remainder of 2026 hurricane season. With Super El Niño conditions potentially influencing Pacific storm activity later this summer and into the fall, now is a good time for adjusters to understand what may be required if a significant event affects Hawaii.
We’ve put together this guide as a practical reference for adjusters considering catastrophe work in Hawaii, including the rules, requirements, and logistics to know before accepting an assignment.
Working CAT Claims in Hawaii
If you already hold an adjuster license, you’ve likely considered, or experienced, working claims out of state. Every deployment comes with its own challenges, but working claims in Hawaii brings a unique set of rules, logistics, and questions.
Can you take claims in Hawaii with the license you already have? And if you get the call, how do you make a Hawaii deployment work when you have flights, lodging, transportation, equipment, and state rules to figure out first?
Hawaii’s state law has an emergency process that conditionally allows qualifying nonresident independent adjusters to work certain catastrophe claims without obtaining the standard Hawaii adjuster license. But a storm or state of emergency does not automatically open that process.
At AdjusterPro, we help adjusters understand licensing rules and get ready for CAT work. For Hawaii, that means answering two questions in the right order: Are you allowed to work the claims? And can you realistically make the deployment work?
This guide is for nonresident independent adjusters considering catastrophe work in Hawaii. We’ll explain when Hawaii may allow outside adjusters to work property claims, what the emergency process requires, and what you need to know before accepting a deployment.
Table of Contents
- Hawaii’s Emergency Adjuster Laws
- What does “State of Emergency” Allow?
- Emergency Adjuster Requirements
- What to Know Before Accepting Hawaii Assignment
- Next Steps for Deployment
What Does Hawaii Law Say About Emergency Nonresident Adjusters?
According to Hawaii statute §431:9-201:
Normally, you cannot work as an insurance adjuster in Hawaii unless you have a Hawaii license. And you can not obtain a Hawaii adjuster license unless you pass their state exam.
But there is one exception.
After a major disaster, the insurance commissioner may allow adjusters from other states to work in Hawaii without a Hawaii license, but only if:
- The disaster causes so many insurance claims that Hawaii adjusters cannot handle them all fast enough
- The out-of-state adjuster gives the commissioner a certified copy of their current license from another state. That state must have licensing rules similar to Hawaii’s
- Within three workdays after the adjuster starts working in Hawaii, the company using that adjuster must give the commissioner:
- The adjuster’s name
- The adjuster’s Hawaii mailing address, business address, and phone numbers
- The adjuster’s permanent home address, business address, and phone numbers
If all of these rules are followed, the out-of-state adjuster may work in Hawaii for up to 120 days from the date of registration (or for a shorter period of time as determined by the commissioner).
In this law, an “event” means a sudden natural or human-caused disaster that causes insured property damage in Hawaii. The commissioner decides whether something counts as an event.
A person who breaks this law may have to pay a fine from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation, so it’s important to understand and follow their rules.
You can read the full law here: Hawaii Revised Statutes §431:9-201.
Prefer not to rely on Hawaii’s temporary emergency exception? You can pursue a regular Hawaii adjuster license instead. That gives you a standard licensing path that does not depend on the Insurance Commissioner opening the emergency process for a specific event.
Does a Hawaii State of Emergency Automatically Let Nonresident Adjusters Work Claims?
No. A governor’s state of emergency does not automatically let an unlicensed nonresident independent adjuster start handling Hawaii claims.
Hawaii’s emergency adjuster rules depend on a separate declaration from the Insurance Commissioner.
Where Can Adjusters Check Whether Hawaii Has Authorized Emergency Adjusters?
Check the Hawaii Insurance Division first. An emergency adjuster declaration will be posted on its website. Its current licensing page also directs nonresident adjusters to the Emergency Independent Adjuster guidance when the exception may apply.
You can also check the Division’s Forms for Insurance Licensing page. The current page says the Emergency Independent Adjuster form is submitted after the Commissioner issues a declaration.
What Are Hawaii’s Emergency Adjuster Registration Requirements?
Hawaii’s emergency process is a registration process, not an application for a separate Hawaii emergency adjuster license. You provide the required license and contact information, and the insurance company, independent adjusting firm, or producer you’ll be working for submits the registration materials.
Two requirements deserve extra attention: a Hawaii street address and an 808 phone number.
Here is how the process works and where to start.
Who Handles Emergency Adjuster Registration in Hawaii?
You do not handle the entire emergency registration process by yourself.
Hawaii’s current Form EIA says the insurance company, independent adjusting firm, or producer you’ll be working with submits the registration materials. That includes a cover letter on company letterhead, the required EIA information, and proof of your active independent adjuster license from another state.
That is why your first step should be to get the assignment and ask how the firm, insurer, or producer plans to handle your Hawaii registration.
Before you travel, ask:
- What Hawaii mailing address should I use?
- What Hawaii business address should I use?
- How should I handle the 808 phone number requirement?
- What documents do you need from me?
- Who is submitting my registration?
- When am I cleared to begin handling claims?
If they cannot answer one of those questions, confirm it with the Hawaii Insurance Division before relying on an assumption.
The Division lists its Licensing Branch at [email protected] and 1-844-808-DCCA (3222) for licensing questions.
How Do Emergency Adjusters Get a Hawaii Address and 808 Phone Number?
Hawaii requires emergency nonresident adjusters to have a Hawaii street address and a phone number with an 808 area code. A P.O. box does not qualify for the Hawaii mailing or business address, and an out-of-state phone number does not meet the phone requirement.
If you live on the mainland, start with the insurance company, independent adjusting firm, or producer you’ll be working with. Ask how they handle the Hawaii address and 808 phone number requirements for emergency adjusters.
The current Form EIA asks separately for your Hawaii mailing address, Hawaii business address, Hawaii phone number, and your permanent home and business information.
What Can I Use as My Hawaii Mailing and Business Address?
Hawaii says you need a street address, but its published EIA guidance does not clearly explain which temporary addresses qualify. It does not say whether a hotel, private mailbox, coworking space, temporary CAT office, or similar address will be accepted.
Start by asking the insurance company, independent adjusting firm, or producer you’ll be working with what address they use for emergency adjusters.
If you are expected to get your own address, do not assume a hotel, private mailbox, or virtual office will qualify just because it has a Hawaii street address. Ask the Hawaii Insurance Division Licensing Branch before you pay for anything.
How Can I Get an 808 Phone Number?
Start by asking whether the insurance company, independent adjusting firm, or producer you’ll be working with provides or arranges an 808 number.
If not, one place to start is your mobile carrier. Ask whether you can add a second line or eSIM with an 808 number. You may also find virtual or forwarded 808 numbers.
However, Hawaii’s published EIA guidance only says that the number must have an 808 area code. It does not say whether virtual, VoIP, forwarded, or other types of phone service qualify.
Before you pay for or activate a phone service, confirm that the setup will meet the requirement.
How Long Does Hawaii Emergency Adjuster Registration Take?
The Hawaii Insurance Division says processing takes three to five business days when the paperwork is complete and in good order.
That is a processing estimate, not a promise for every registration. It also should not be used on its own to decide when you can start handling claims.
What Should I Know Before Accepting a Hawaii CAT Deployment?
Before you accept a Hawaii deployment, make sure you know where you are going, what you need to arrange, what your employer will be handling, and what the assignment will cover.
Unlike many mainland CAT deployments, you cannot simply drive into the affected area. Your claim territory may determine which island you need to fly to, where you should stay, and how you will get to inspections.
How Should I Plan Travel, Lodging, and Transportation?
Start with your claim territory. Hawaii’s airport system includes major airports on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaii Island, so knowing that you are “deploying to Hawaii” is not enough to book the right flight.
Before you book anything, ask the insurance company or independent adjusting firm you’ll be working with:
- Which island and claim territory am I assigned to?
- Which airport should I fly into?
- Has lodging already been arranged?
- Do I need to reserve my own vehicle?
- Who is paying for airfare, lodging, transportation, baggage, and other travel costs?
- What happens if my assignment or claim territory changes?
If weather is still affecting the islands, check your airline and the Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division before you travel.
And make sure you have already worked through the Hawaii address and 808 phone requirements for emergency registration. Do not assume your lodging address will satisfy the state’s registration requirements.
What Equipment Should I Bring on a Hawaii CAT Deployment?
Ask what the assignment requires and what the firm provides before you pay to fly or ship equipment to Hawaii.
For deployment, you will need basic field tools such as a laptop, internet access, measuring tools, camera equipment, and safety gear. It also recommends checking with your IA firm before buying equipment because requirements vary by assignment.
For a Hawaii deployment, ask one extra question:
Do I need to take this on the plane, ship it, get it after I arrive, or will the firm provide it?
That is especially important for bulky equipment. For the full gear list, see our Independent Adjuster’s Deployment Checklist.
Next Steps To Deploy to Hawaii
A Hawaii CAT deployment takes more planning than getting to the disaster area fast. First make sure you are allowed to work. Then make sure you know exactly what you are agreeing to.
Check the Hawaii Insurance Division. Read the declaration for the event you plan to work.
Confirm your license and registration requirements with the company deploying you. Then work through the flight, lodging, transportation, expenses, and equipment.
If a rule is unclear, do not rely on an old storm declaration, an adjuster group, or someone’s memory of the last catastrophe. Ask the regulator.
Get the assignment. Verify your authority. Make the travel plan. Then deploy.
This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Emergency declarations and licensing requirements can change. Confirm the rules for your assignment with the Hawaii Insurance Division and the company deploying you before handling claims.
