Title 1, General Provisions

§1-13 Official languages. English and Hawaiian are the official languages of Hawaii. Whenever there is found to exist any radical and irreconcilable difference between the English and Hawaiian version of any of the laws of the State, the English version shall be held binding. Haw…

§1-13.5 Hawaiian language; spelling. (a) Kahakō and `okina may be used in the spelling of words or terms in the Hawaiian language in documents prepared by or for state or county agencies or officials. (b) Effective July 1, 2023, any letterhead prepared by or for state or county a…

[§1-13.7] American Sign Language. American Sign Language is recognized as a fully developed, autonomous, natural language with its own distinct grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and cultural heritage. [L 2023, c 246, §2]

§1-14 Words have usual meaning. The words of a law are generally to be understood in their most known and usual signification, without attending so much to the literal and strictly grammatical construction of the words as to their general or popular use or meaning. [CC 1859, §9; …

§1-15 Construction of ambiguous context. Where the words of a law are ambiguous: (1) The meaning of the ambiguous words may be sought by examining the context, with which the ambiguous words, phrases, and sentences may be compared, in order to ascertain their true meaning. (2) Th…

§1-16 Laws in pari materia. Laws in pari materia, or upon the same subject matter, shall be construed with reference to each other. What is clear in one statute may be called in aid to explain what is doubtful in another. [CC 1859, §11; RL 1925, §11; RL 1935, §12; RL 1945, §11; R…

§1-17 Number and gender. Words in the masculine gender signify both the masculine and feminine gender, those in the singular or plural number signify both the singular and plural number, and words importing adults include youths or children. [PC 1869, c 1, §5; RL 1925, §14; RL 19…

§1-18 "Or", "and". Each of the terms "or" and "and", has the meaning of the other or of both. [PC 1869, c 1, §4; RL 1925, §15; RL 1935, §16; RL 1945, §15; am L 1945, c 233, §2; RL 1955, §1-23; HRS §1-18]

§1-19 "Person", "others", "any", etc. The word "person", or words importing persons, for instance, "another", "others", "any", "anyone", "anybody", and the like, signify not only individuals, but corporations, firms, associations, societies, communities, assemblies, inhabitants o…

§1-2 Certain laws not obligatory until published. No written law, unless otherwise specifically provided by legislative enactment, except general or special appropriation acts, loan fund acts, pension acts, and franchise acts, shall be obligatory without first being printed and m…

§1-20 "Month", "year". The word "month" means a calendar month; and the word "year", a calendar year. [CC 1859, §18; RL 1925, §17; RL 1935, §18; RL 1945, §17; RL 1955, §1-25; HRS §1-20]

§1-21 "Oath". The word "oath" includes a solemn affirmation. [CC 1859, §19; RL 1925, §18; RL 1935, §19; RL 1945, §18; RL 1955, §1-26; HRS §1-21; am L 1973, c 31, §1]

§1-22 "County". The word "county" includes the city and county of Honolulu. [L 1935, c 121, §1; RL 1945, §19; RL 1955, §1-27; HRS §1-22]

§1-23 Severability. If any provision of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affec…

§1-24 Interpretation of uniform acts. All provisions of uniform acts adopted by the State shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate their general purpose to make uniform the laws of the states and territories which enact them. [L 1955, c 57, §1(f); RL 1955, §1-30; HR…

§1-25 References apply to amendments. Whenever reference is made to any portion of the Hawaii Revised Statutes or of any other law of the State, the reference applies to all amendments thereto. [L 1955, c 57, §1(f); RL 1955, §1-28; HRS §1-25]

§1-26 References inclusive. Whenever reference is made to a series of sections in the Hawaii Revised Statutes by citing only the numbers of the first and last sections connected by the word "to", the reference includes both the first and last sections. [L 1955, c 57, §1(f); RL 19…

§1-27 Citations of laws included in supplements and replacement volumes. Any act of the legislature may be cited in any subsequent legislative act or in any other proceeding by reference to the chapter or section numbers as set forth in the supplements and replacement volumes pub…

§1-28 Service of notice by mail. Wherever a state statute provides for the giving of notice or service of legal process by registered mail the sending of such notice or service of such legal process may be made by means of certified mail, return receipt requested and deliver to a…

§1-28.5 Publication of notice. (a) Notwithstanding any other statute, law, charter provision, ordinance, or rule to the contrary, whenever a government agency is required to give public notice or to publish notice, the notice shall be given only as follows: (1) For statewide publ…

§1-29 Computation of time. The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a Sunday or holiday and then it is also excluded. When so provided by the rules of court, the last day also sha…

§1-3 Laws not retrospective. No law has any retrospective operation, unless otherwise expressed or obviously intended. [CC 1859, §5; RL 1925, §5; RL 1935, §5; RL 1945, §4; am L 1955, c 57, §1(a); RL 1955, §1-6; HRS §1-3]

§1-30 Hawaiian standard time applicable. In all statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, and orders relating to the time of performance of any act by any state or county officer or agency, whether in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of the government, or relating…

§1-31 Hawaiian standard time; definition; observance. Hawaiian standard time is ten hours slower than Greenwich time, based on the mean solar time of the one hundred and fiftieth degree of longitude west from Greenwich and shall be the time which the entire State, including all o…

§1-32 Acts to be done on holidays. Whenever any act of a secular nature other than a work of necessity or mercy is appointed by law or contract to be performed upon a particular day, which day falls upon a Sunday or holiday, the act may be performed upon the next business day wit…

§1-4 Persons and property subject to laws. The laws are obligatory upon all persons and property within the jurisdiction of the State. [CC 1859, §6; am imp PC 1869, c 3, §1 (same as PC 1850, c 3, §1); RL 1925, §6; RL 1935, §6; RL 1945, §5; am L 1955, c 57, §1(b); RL 1955, §1-7; H…

[§1-4.5] Cession of concurrent jurisdiction. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the State of Hawaii hereby cedes concurrent legislative jurisdiction to the United States over the lands and improvements located in the State presently owned or hereafter acquired, …

§1-5 Contracts in contravention of law. Private agreements shall have no effect to contravene any law which concerns public order or good morals. But individuals may, in all cases in which it is not expressly or impliedly prohibited, renounce what the law has established in their…

§1-6 Prohibitory law, effect. Whatever is done in contravention of a prohibitory law is void, although the nullity be not formally directed. [CC 1859, §8; RL 1925, §8; RL 1935, §8; RL 1945, §7; RL 1955, §1-9; HRS §1-6]

§1-7 Repeal of laws. Laws may be repealed either entirely or partially by other laws. [CC 1859, pt of §20; RL 1925, §21; RL 1935, §23; RL 1945, §23; RL 1955, §1-10; HRS §1-7]

§1-8 No revivor on repeal; exception. The repeal of any law shall not revive any other law which has been repealed, unless it is clearly expressed. [CC 1859, pt of §20; RL 1925, §22; RL 1935, §24; RL 1945, §24; RL 1955, §1-11; HRS §1-8]

§1-9 Express or implied repeals. The repeal of a law is either express or implied. It is express when it is literally declared by a subsequent law; it is implied when the new law contains provisions contrary to, or irreconcilable with, those of the former law. [CC 1859, §21; RL 1…

[§1B-1] Rural areas and federal programs. (a) The term "rural" under this section shall be strictly used to determine if an area qualifies for a federal program that requires that an area be defined or designated as rural under state or federal law. This section does not connote …

§3-1 Commission. There shall be established a commission to promote uniform legislation, placed within the department of the attorney general for administrative purposes, to promote uniformity of legislation in the United States, to be composed of five commissioners, who shall be…

§3-2 Duties. (a) The commissioners shall examine all subjects upon which uniformity of legislation in the several states and territories is desirable; ascertain and recommend the best means to effectuate such uniformity and represent the State in conventions of like commissioners…

§4-1 Districts, generally. For election, taxation, city, county, and all other purposes, the State shall be divided into the following districts; provided that the establishment of election districts shall be exclusively governed by article IV of the constitution of the State of …

§4-3 Districts include archipelagic waters, etc. Each of the districts includes archipelagic waters and smaller islands adjacent thereto. [L 1909, c 84, §2; RL 1925, §145; RL 1935, §7621; RL 1945, §152; RL 1955, §10-2; HRS §4-3; am L 1980, c 163, §2]

§4E-1 State board on geographic names. There shall be in the office of planning and sustainable development a state board on geographic names, consisting of the following persons or their representatives: the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, the chairperson…

[§4E-2] Chairperson, secretary. The representative from the department of land and natural resources shall serve as secretary of the board and as custodian of its official records. The board shall select one of its members as chairperson of the board to serve for a term of four y…

[§4E-3] Responsibilities of the board. (a) The board shall designate the official names and spellings of geographic features in Hawaii and provide for circulation thereof to the appropriate state and other agencies. In its deliberations, the board shall solicit and consider the a…

§5-10 State song. The song "Hawai`i Pono`i" is adopted, established, and designated as the official song of the State, to be effective for as long as the legislature of the State does not otherwise provide. [L 1967, c 301, §2; HRS §5-10; am L 1990, c 215, §3]

[§5-10.5] State musical instrument; `auana; kahiko. (a) The `ukulele is established and designated as the official `auana musical instrument of the State. (b) The pahu is established and designated as the official kahiko musical instrument of the State. [L 2015, c 6, §2]

[§5-11.2] State snails. (a) Hini hini kua mauna (Succinea konaensis) is established and designated as the official snail of the island of Hawai`i. (b) Pūpū kua mauna (Lyropupa striatula) is established and designated as the official snail of the island of Maui. (c) Pūpū kua mauna…

[§5-11.3] State insect. The pulelehua (Vanessa tameamea), also known as the Kamehameha butterfly, is established and designated as the official insect of the State. [L 2009, c 15, §1]

[§5-11.5] State fish. The humuhumunukunukuapua`a (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish, is established and designated as the official fish of the State. [L 2006, c 67, §2]

[§5-11.7] State shrimp. The `ōpae `ula (Halocaridina rubra), also known as the red shrimp, is established and designated as the official shrimp of the State. [L 2025, c 71, §2]