Hawaii Condo Insurance Basics
Insurance isn't the most exciting part of running an HOA, but the gaps here — a missing fidelity bond, an assumption about volunteer protection that doesn't actually apply — are the kind that only surface after something's gone wrong. Here's what varies by state, and what to check regardless of where you are.
Hawaii at a Glance Condominium Association
Most self-managed boards think about insurance once, when the association is first formed, and then rarely revisit it. That's a reasonable amount of attention for some coverage — but a few gaps are worth actively checking for, because they expose individual volunteer board members personally, not just the association, and because what's actually required varies more sharply by state than most boards assume.
⚠ Common mistake: Assuming a volunteer-immunity or insurance-mandate rule you read about for another state applies to yours. Some states protect HOA directors specifically; others only protect general nonprofit directors, which may or may not cover your board depending on how the association is organized; and several states have no volunteer-immunity statute reaching HOA board service at all. Check the state reference below before assuming protection exists.
Volunteer director & officer immunity
This is not the same thing as D&O insurance, and mixing the two up is one of the most common mistakes in this area. A volunteer-immunity statute protects the individual director or officer from personal liability for good-faith decisions made in their volunteer role — but it's a legal shield with real limits, not a substitute for coverage. Most immunity statutes carve out gross negligence and willful or wanton misconduct, and several are tied to the association actually carrying liability insurance in the first place.
Some states have an immunity statute written specifically for HOA or common-interest-development boards. Others only have a general nonprofit- corporation volunteer statute, which may or may not reach your board depending on how the association is legally organized. And some states have neither — or have a statute that looks relevant but is actually scoped to something narrower, like cooperative associations or sports and safety programs.
Hawaii — Volunteer Director Immunity
No general condominium-specific immunity located — §514B-143 requires D&O liability coverage, but that is insurance rather than immunity; current framework imposes fiduciary/care obligations on board members. Coded as no specific statutory volunteer immunity rather than treating D&O insurance or indemnification as immunity
Statutory insurance mandates
Separately from volunteer immunity, some states require the association itself to carry specific coverage — typically property insurance on common areas and commercial general liability — as a statutory duty, not just good practice. Where a mandate exists, it often specifies a minimum, like a percentage of replacement cost or a dollar floor tied to the declaration.
A recurring pattern worth watching for: several states mandate insurance for condominiums specifically but say nothing about ordinary non-condo planned- community HOAs, or the reverse. Don't assume a "yes" for one regime carries over to the other in the same state.
Hawaii — Insurance Mandate
Yes — HRS §514B-143(a)-(b). Unless varied by the declaration/bylaws: property insurance on common elements; special-form causes of loss; at least full insurable replacement cost, less deductibles, including increased construction costs resulting from building-code requirements; commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million, or more if the board determines appropriate; for attached-unit buildings, property coverage must extend to the units and limited common elements to the extent reasonably available, subject to statutory exceptions. The board must also obtain directors-and-officers liability coverage at a level it considers reasonable
Fidelity / crime bond coverage
This covers the association against theft or embezzlement by someone with access to association funds — a board member, a bookkeeper, or a management company if one is used for part of the work. It's particularly relevant for a self-managed association where a volunteer treasurer has direct access to bank accounts with limited outside oversight.
Where states require it, the formula for the minimum amount varies quite a bit — some tie it to reserves plus a number of months of assessments, others use a "maximum funds in custody at any one time" test, and some require the coverage without specifying a formula at all.
Hawaii — Fidelity/Crime Bond
Yes — HRS §514B-143(a)(3). For an association with more than five dwelling units, a fidelity bond must cover persons, including the managing agent and its employees, who control or disburse association funds. Amount: $500 × number of units; minimum $20,000; maximum $200,000. Management companies responsible for association funds must also have the required fidelity coverage
⚠ Common mistake: Treating a fidelity bond as optional because the association is small and "everyone trusts the treasurer." The statutory versions of this requirement exist precisely because trust isn't a control — a self-managed board with one person handling deposits, another making withdrawals, and no bond in place has no backstop if something goes wrong, regardless of how well everyone gets along today.
Getting the right agent
A general business insurance agent may not fully understand the specific risks a community association faces, or which of these requirements actually apply in your state. Look specifically for an agent or broker experienced with HOA and community-association coverage — they'll know what's standard for associations of your type and size, and are more likely to flag a real gap like missing fidelity coverage or a misunderstanding about volunteer immunity.
State-by-State Quick Reference
Select your state below for its actual volunteer-immunity, insurance-mandate, and fidelity-bond rules. This guide is being built out state by state — where a state hasn't been through a verification pass yet, the reference says so plainly rather than guessing at an answer.
| Governing statute | Hawaii Condominium Property Act, HRS Chapter 514B |
| Volunteer director immunity | No general condominium-specific immunity located — §514B-143 requires D&O liability coverage, but that is insurance rather than immunity; current framework imposes fiduciary/care obligations on board members. Coded as no specific statutory volunteer immunity rather than treating D&O insurance or indemnification as immunity |
| Insurance mandate | Yes — HRS §514B-143(a)-(b). Unless varied by the declaration/bylaws: property insurance on common elements; special-form causes of loss; at least full insurable replacement cost, less deductibles, including increased construction costs resulting from building-code requirements; commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million, or more if the board determines appropriate; for attached-unit buildings, property coverage must extend to the units and limited common elements to the extent reasonably available, subject to statutory exceptions. The board must also obtain directors-and-officers liability coverage at a level it considers reasonable |
| Fidelity/crime bond | Yes — HRS §514B-143(a)(3). For an association with more than five dwelling units, a fidelity bond must cover persons, including the managing agent and its employees, who control or disburse association funds. Amount: $500 × number of units; minimum $20,000; maximum $200,000. Management companies responsible for association funds must also have the required fidelity coverage |
| 2025-2026 legislative watch | No recent amendment found to §514B-143 itself. In 2025, legislation amended HRS §514B-148, dealing with budgets and replacement reserves, including treatment of good-faith reserve calculations — relevant to condominium financial-risk analysis but not an amendment to the insurance mandate in §514B-143 |
| Citation | HRS §514B-143 |
Hawaii — Common Questions
One way software helps here
While Formtabulous doesn't sell or manage insurance, a documented, consistent enforcement record — the kind the Violations tool builds automatically — is exactly the kind of evidence that helps a claim if a board decision is ever challenged.
See how it works →This article is general information about common HOA insurance coverages and statutory provisions as of this writing, and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice. Coverage needs and legal requirements vary by state, association type, and size. Consult a licensed insurance agent experienced with community associations, and an attorney where needed, for your specific situation.