Hawaii has a tow-specific rule: $500,000 bodily injury plus $200,000 property damage, or a $1,000,000 combined single limit alternative — plus $175,000 on-hook under the split-limits option. The state sets no garagekeepers, cargo, or filing requirement.
Tow-specific rule. Does not apply to a county that has adopted ordinances regulating towing operations. No garagekeepers, cargo, or filing requirement in this section.
Got your number? Get a quote built for it.
Message us on Messenger Typically responds within 15 minutes during business hours. Prefer to talk now? Call · Text Get a quote for Hawaii →Independent-contractor test: Judicial control test (no statutory test in HRS ch. 386), overlaid by the § 386-73.5 coverage presumption. An employment relationship exists when the person for whom the work is done has the power, express or implied, to dictate the means and methods by which the work is accomplished (Tomondong v. Ikezaki, 32 Haw. 373 (1932), quoted in Locations, Inc. v. Hawai'i DLIR, 79 Hawai'i 208, 900 P.2d 784 (1995)). In Locations the court held the control test, not the relative-nature test, is the proper test — but since 1996, HRS § 386-73.5 presumes coverage applies, and the party seeking exclusion must establish under BOTH the control test and the relative nature of the work test that coverage is not appropriate. An "independent contractor" label or agreement alone does not control; control required by statute or regulation does not create employment unless it pervasively and significantly exceeds the statutory scope. Do NOT use the unemployment-insurance ABC test (HRS § 383-6) for WC.
Not required doesn’t mean not liable: if you don’t carry workers’ comp — even where it isn’t required for you — an injured worker may be able to sue you in court instead of being limited to comp benefits, because the exclusive-remedy shield generally depends on having coverage.
Minimums are the legal floor, not a recommendation — most operators carry more. Your operation (light-duty, heavy-duty, repo, rotation, motor club) decides which coverages fit. Take the coverage quiz →
Rotation is a local contract, not state law. Rotation agreements commonly require auto liability around $1,000,000 CSL, on-hook/cargo $50,000–$100,000, garagekeepers $50,000–$500,000, and the agency named as additional insured — check your agency’s agreement for its exact terms. Rotation readiness checklist →
More tools: state requirements lookup · workers’ comp lookup · coverage quiz · fuel cost calculator · rotation checklist
Informational only — not legal advice and not a quote. Requirements change — confirm the exact limits with your state DOT / public utilities commission and your rotation agreement before you buy. Minimums are the legal floor, not a recommendation — most operators carry more.