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Hawaii · checked October 24, 2026

Payday loans in Hawaii: the rules and your way out

Only longer installment-style loans allowed

Hawaii repealed its payday (deferred deposit) law effective January 1, 2022 (Act 56 of 2021) and now allows only licensed small-dollar installment loans of up to $1,500 with 2- to 12-month terms, 36% yearly interest plus a capped monthly maintenance fee, and total charges capped at 50% of principal.

Law: Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 480J (§§ 480J-1 to 480J-45) (Act 56, SLH 2021, eff. Jan. 1, 2022; amended Act 116, SLH 2025); former deferred deposit provision HRS § 480F-4 repealed by L 2021, c 56, § 10. Hawaii Revised Statutes 'hrscurrent' on the Hawaii State Legislature site (includes L 2025, c 116 amendments), read 2026-10-24

Hawaii's rules, line by line

Largest loan
$1,500: a lender may not lend more than $1,500, nor may the amount financed by any one lender exceed $1,500 at any time (HRS § 480J-5(a); § 480J-2(a)(2)).
Shortest term
Two months if the loan is $500 or less; four months if $500.01 or more (a month may be counted as 28 days or longer) (HRS § 480J-2(a)(5)).
Longest term
Twelve months (HRS § 480J-2(a)(13)).
Fee or rate cap
Interest of not more than 36 per cent per year on the unpaid principal (HRS § 480J-4(a)), plus a monthly maintenance fee of up to $25 (loans under $300), $30 ($300-$699.99) or $35 ($700 and up) (§ 480J-2(a)(4)); total loan charges may not exceed 50 per cent of the principal loan amount (§ 480J-2(a)(3)). No origination fees (§ 480J-4(h)). No maintenance fee for active-duty servicemembers or their dependents.
Renewals and rollovers
An installment loan may be renewed only once; after one renewal the consumer must pay the debt in cash or its equivalent (HRS § 480J-8(a)). Charges on the renewed loan may not exceed 50% of the renewal principal (§ 480J-8(b)).
Waiting period between loans
No waiting period between loans found in chapter 480J.
Loans at once
One: the lender must take reasonable measures to ensure the consumer has no more than one installment loan outstanding at a time from that lender, its affiliates, persons in which it has a 10% or greater financial interest, or its employees or agents (HRS § 480J-5(b)); a signed borrower confirmation satisfies this (§ 480J-5(c)). No cross-lender limit.
Payment plan if you cannot pay
No required plan. The parties may agree in writing to defer wholly unpaid installments, and the lender may not charge a deferment fee (HRS § 480J-4(f)). Payment dates may be skipped by written agreement for borrowers with seasonal income (§ 480J-4(c)). Prepayment in full or in part is allowed without penalty, with a prorated refund of unearned interest and maintenance fees (§§ 480J-2(a)(7), 480J-4(e)).
State loan database
No
Limits on collection
One insufficient-funds charge per payment due, no more than $25, regardless of how many times a payment is rejected, and no other NSF-related fees (HRS § 480J-11(a)); no NSF fee on rejected debit-card payments (§ 480J-2(a)(10)). Default charge of $30 only after an installment is more than 10 days late (§ 480J-4(i)). Lender may not threaten criminal prosecution, visit home or work uninvited, impersonate law enforcement, or harass; contacts with a spouse or at work more than once, or at home between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., are presumed harassment (§ 480J-10). A loan made by an unlicensed lender is void and no one may collect principal, interest or fees (§ 480J-31(b)). No lien on real or personal property (§ 480J-2(a)(9)).
Other rights
Right to rescind by 5:00 p.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time on the third business day after the loan by returning the principal, with a refund of all fees and interest (HRS § 480J-6). Payoff statement within five business days of request (§ 480J-2(e)). Lender may not require add-on products such as credit insurance (§ 480J-2(a)(12)). Right to redeem a held instrument by paying it in full (§ 480J-9(c)).

If you are behind on a payday loan in Hawaii

  1. Stop the automatic withdrawals if they are emptying your account. You can revoke the lender's permission to debit your account and tell your bank. How to do it.
  2. Look at a credit union payday alternative loan. Federal credit unions can lend $200 to $2,000 at much lower cost. How they work.
  3. Talk to a nonprofit credit counselor. A counselor can look at all your bills, not just this one. How to find a real one.

Check a lender, or report one

Sources

This page summarizes the law; it is not legal advice. Laws change, and the statute and regulator control. If something here is out of date, write to hello@paydayloan.help.

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