Payday loans in Hawaii
Under HRS chapter 480J, Hawaii permits only licensed installment loans up to $1,500 as small-dollar options after repealing its payday (deferred deposit) law on January 1, 2022.
- Payday lending
- Only as installments
- Max cost
- None in the law
- Top amount
- $1,500
Are payday loans legal in Hawaii?
The Hawaii Installment Loans law replaced payday loans with licensed installment loans in 2022, so payday loans are no longer legal in Hawaii. Instead of paying all at once, you can use an installment loan to pay back your debt over several months. For two to twelve months, you can borrow up to $1,500, but loans over $500 must have at least four months to repay. A 36 percent yearly cap applies to interest, with an added monthly fee of $25, $30, or $35. The original amount borrowed is the principal, and total charges cannot pass 50 percent of it.
Every lender in Hawaii must hold a license from the state commissioner. If a loan is made without that license, it is void, meaning the contract is not valid. Principal, interest, or fees cannot be collected on a void loan, so check first that the lender holds a licence. State law also exempts active duty service members and their dependents from the monthly fee, so they should tell the lender.
- Licensed installment loans replaced payday (deferred deposit) lending in Hawaii when Act 56 of 2021 took effect on January 1, 2022.
- For a Hawaii installment loan, total charges can never exceed 50% of the principal, which is in addition to the 36% interest limit.
- The minimum term varies by size: loans of $500 or less require at least two months, while those above $500 need four months.
- Active-duty service members or their dependents cannot be charged the monthly maintenance fee by lenders.
- The third business day is the deadline to rescind the loan at no charge: 5:00 p.m., Hawaii-Aleutian time.
- Sections 480J-2 and 480J-5 were amended by Act 116 of 2025, with repeal and reenactment of those sections scheduled for June 30, 2030.
Hawaii payday loan laws
- Law in force
- Hawaii Installment Loans law (Act 56 of 2021)
- Cited as
- Haw. Rev. Stat. 480J-1 through 480J-45
- Fees under the law
- total loan charges limited to half the principal; yearly interest no higher than thirty-six per cent; the monthly maintenance fee is $25, $30 or $35, varying with the original principal
- Most you can borrow
- $1,500
- How long a loan runs
- two months ($500 or less) or four months ($500.01 or more) to twelve months
- Rollovers
- only one renewal is allowed
- Loans you can hold at once
- a borrower may hold only one installment loan at once with the lender or related persons
- Installment lending limits
- Under HRS 480J-4, loans from installment lenders are precomputed, and interest is limited to thirty-six per cent a year, figured on the unpaid principal balance
Also checked against cca.hawaii.gov. Full statute text.
Online lenders that list Hawaii
Nine companies we track say they lend in Hawaii: 3 online installment lenders, 5 tribal lenders and 1 loan broker.
| Lender | Kind | Posted APR |
|---|---|---|
 NetCredit | Installment | 34.99% to 99.99% |
 OppLoans | Installment | 99% to 195% |
 Rise Credit | Installment | 60% to 299% |
 Viva Payday Loans | Broker | Partner lenders quote 4.99% to 1,386% |
Tribal loans in Hawaii
Anyone acting as an installment lender in Hawaii must be licensed by the commissioner. An unlicensed loan is void, so the principal, interest and fees cannot be collected.
On the immunity claim tribal lenders make, see are tribal loans legal.
Five tribal lenders we track list Hawaii as a state they lend in. Three of the five publish an APR, from 73.7% to 725%.
| Lender | Posted APR |
|---|---|
 Mobiloans | 73.7% to 405% |
 Spotloan | 99% to 490% |
 BrightLending | 325% to 725% |
 Minto Money | Not published |
| American Web Loan | Not published |
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Hawaii loans with no credit check
Installment loan rates: Under HRS 480J-4, loans from installment lenders are precomputed, and interest is limited to thirty-six per cent a year, figured on the unpaid principal balance.
See no credit check loans: the checks lenders still run, and the price.
Verify a lender's license in Hawaii
- Look the lender up on the license list before you hand over any bank details.
- Lenders here answer to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Division of Financial Institutions (DFI).
- Had trouble with a lender? Report the lender.
Sources for Hawaii
- DFI stated that licensed small dollar installment loans would replace payday lending laws once repealed.; from January 1, 2022, licensed small dollar loans allow up to 12 months to repay and run up to $1,500cca.hawaii.gov
- On January 1, 2022, Act 56 (2021) went into force and introduced the installment lender licence for previous payday lenders.cca.hawaii.gov
- Installment lenders are licensed, and deferred deposit transactions are repealed, under the Act.cca.hawaii.gov
- Installment lenders can charge annual interest up to 36%; Charging origination fees is not allowed for lenders.data.capitol.hawaii.gov
- A cap of 50% of the principal applies to total loan charges.; $35 is the cap for the monthly maintenance fee on loans of $700 or more, with lower tiers $25 and $30; active-duty service members may not be charged any monthly maintenance feedata.capitol.hawaii.gov
- Lending more than $1,500 to one consumer is not allowed.; from the lender or related persons, a borrower may have only one installment loan outstanding at a time; Act 116 amended Section 480J-5 in 2025data.capitol.hawaii.gov
- only one renewal is permitted for a loandata.capitol.hawaii.gov
- A borrower has until the third business day, 5:00 p.m., to rescind.data.capitol.hawaii.gov
- Installment lenders in Hawaii need a licence from the commissioner.; Without that licence, the loan is void.data.capitol.hawaii.gov
- Every installment lender licensee must register with NMLS, which lets you check licences on NMLS Consumer Access.data.capitol.hawaii.gov
- The DCCA complaint page sends lending complaints to Financial Institution Complaints and includes installment lenders as a category.cca.hawaii.gov