Permitted Regulated Verified 2026-09-06 · ver. 0.2.3 How we verify these rules

Installment Loans in Hawaii

Hawaii replaced payday lending with licensed installment lending. Chapter 480J covers small-dollar installment loans up to $1,500 with a 36% interest ceiling, maintenance-fee bands, a 50% total-charge cap, and fully amortizing repayment. Larger consumer requests can fall under separate lawful lending authority, including licensed financial services loan companies.

Hawaii legal category: Installment Loan / Financial Services Loan · HRS Chapter 480J for licensed small-dollar installment loans, plus separate lawful lending authority including HRS Chapter 412, Article 9 for licensed financial services loan companies

Hawaii installment loans at a glance

Legal status
Permitted Regulated
Legal category
Installment Loan / Financial Services Loan
Rule structure
2 encoded variants
Amount / term
Varies by statutory variant
Regulator
Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Division of Financial Institutions
Verified
2026-09-06

Choose a loan type by amount

PLS Cash Advance currently presents request amounts from $200 to $5,000. The ranges below are navigation guidance between our state loan guides — not statutory limits, eligibility rules, or a promise of approval.

Not available Unavailable

Payday Loans in Hawaii

Hawaii repealed its former payday/deferred-deposit lending law effective January 1, 2022. The state replaced that high-cost payday model with licensed small-dollar installment lending.

Why unavailable

$200–$5,000 Current guide

Installment Loans in Hawaii

Preferred routing for the full current PLS Cash Advance amount selector. Hawaii Chapter 480J covers licensed small-dollar installment loans up to $1,500, while other lawful consumer-loan authority can apply above that amount.

Amount and term limits

Chapter 480J installment loans are capped at $1,500. For requests above $1,500, other Hawaii lending authority may apply; licensed nondepository financial services loan companies operate under separate Article 9 rules. PLS Cash Advance uses this page for the full $200–$5,000 selector range rather than pretending one statute governs every amount.

Under Chapter 480J, the minimum contracted term is two months for loans of $500 or less and four months for loans above $500, with a maximum term of 12 months. Other lawful installment/financial-services loans can use different terms under their governing authority.

Interest, fees and repayment

Hawaii has more than one lawful installment-loan framework. The $1,500 Chapter 480J small-dollar product and an Article 9 financial-services loan are not the same legal product, so this page keeps them as separate variants instead of forcing one universal rate or term.

Chapter 480J permits up to 36% annual interest on unpaid principal plus a monthly maintenance fee capped by original principal ($25 / $30 / $35 monthly bands), subject to an overall 50% cap on loan charges. Article 9 financial services loan companies may use separate rate structures, including up to 24% APR for simple-interest loans under § 412:9-302.

Chapter 480J loans must be fully amortized and may use once-every-two-weeks, twice-monthly, or monthly payments. Article 9 loans follow their own contract and statutory rate method.

Rollovers, refinancing and early payment

Rollover allowed?
Not reduced to a yes/no rule
Chapter 480J regulates renewals and consecutive loans under its own rules. Other Hawaii installment-loan regimes use different refinancing rules, so a single payday-style rollover flag would be misleading.
Prepayment penalty allowed?
Not reduced to a yes/no rule
Chapter 480J expressly permits full or partial prepayment without a fee or penalty and requires refund of unearned interest and maintenance fees on full prepayment. Other lawful installment-loan regimes may have different contract rules, so the page does not generalize that protection to every Hawaii loan type.

Hawaii borrower protections

  • Chapter 480J small-dollar installment loans may not exceed $1,500.
  • Chapter 480J total loan charges may not exceed 50% of principal.
  • Chapter 480J requires a two-month minimum term at $500 or less, a four-month minimum above $500, and a 12-month maximum.
  • Chapter 480J loans must be fully amortizing and may not be secured by a lien on real or personal property.
  • Chapter 480J permits full or partial prepayment without a penalty and provides a three-business-day rescission right.
  • Hawaii DFI publishes a list of authorized small-dollar installment lenders and other regulated companies.

Hawaii loan cost calculator

Why there is no single statutory calculator: The Hawaii page deliberately spans two distinct legal regimes within the site’s $200–$5,000 offer range. Chapter 480J uses 36% interest plus maintenance-fee bands and a 50% total-charge cap, while Article 9 can use different rate methods. One calculator would incorrectly imply a single statutory formula.

How to verify a lender in Hawaii

Regulator: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Division of Financial Institutions.

Installment Lender license under Chapter 480J or applicable Financial Services Loan Company authority under Chapter 412, depending on the product

Verify a lender license

Official sources

  1. HRS § 480J-2 — Installment loan requirements and payments · primary
  2. HRS § 480J-4 — Authorized interest rate · primary
  3. HRS § 480J-5 — Maximum loan amount and multiple-loan restrictions · primary
  4. HRS § 480J-7 — Consumer notice and rescission rights · primary
  5. HRS § 412:9-302 — Financial Services Loan Company interest rates · primary
  6. Hawaii DFI — Lenders That Do Not Take Deposits fact sheet · primary
  7. Hawaii DFI — Lists of authorized financial companies · primary

Last regulatory verification: 2026-09-06. Laws can change; verify current terms and lender status before borrowing. Read our research methodology.