Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
Hawaii does not issue an arbitrator license, so there is no DCCA card to renew. Renewal is roster upkeep plus, for lawyers, annual bar registration and three ethics CLE hours. Court Annexed Arbitration Program slots run through the Judiciary. Private cases follow HRS 658A and the parties' contract. Confirm forms and fees with the office that listed you. Nobody can honestly guarantee appointment timing.
Do you need a license for arbitrator in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii does not license the job of arbitrator. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional and Vocational Licensing program runs boards for occupations the legislature put in Title 25. Arbitrator is not one of them. You will not find an arbitrator card, an arbitrator exam, or an arbitrator renewal invoice at DCCA.[1]
Private cases sit under the Hawaii Uniform Arbitration Act, HRS Chapter 658A. That chapter tells you how an arbitrator gets appointed. It does not create a vocational license. HRS 658A-11 says, "If the parties to an agreement to arbitrate agree on a method for appointing an arbitrator, that method shall be followed, unless the method fails."[2] The parties can name you in the contract, use an arbitration organization, or go to court if the method breaks.
Court work is a different pile of paper. The Court Annexed Arbitration Program (CAAP) is a Judiciary program, not a DCCA program. CAAP uses a list the Arbitration Administrator keeps. The Hawaii Arbitration Rules set who can sit on that list. In practice that means Hawaii-licensed attorneys who consented to serve, plus whatever training the Administrator is requiring this year. Confirm the current list rules with that office. Do not treat a CAAP slot as a statewide license.[4][5]
If you are not a Hawaii attorney, you can still sit private 658A cases when the parties pick you. You cannot talk your way onto CAAP with an out-of-state bar card. That is the split people miss. One path is contractual. The other is a court roster.
I would not call yourself a "licensed Hawaii arbitrator" on a website. That phrase implies a DCCA credential you do not have. If you are an attorney, say you are a Hawaii-licensed lawyer who takes arbitrator appointments. If you are not, say you take private arbitrations by party appointment. Boring language keeps you out of advertising trouble.
What does arbitrator renewal in Hawaii actually mean?
It means keeping the lists that actually send you cases, and keeping the law license if you have one. There is no annual arbitrator permit. There is no birthday-month renewal at DCCA. People who sell "arbitrator license renewal" for Hawaii are selling fog.
For a private practice, renewal is your own hygiene. Conflicts system. Calendar. Engagement letter. Proof of any insurance your clients demand. If you belong to a private panel, that panel's reapplication cycle is the only clock that matters. Those cycles are contract terms, not statutes. Read the panel's current rules. Do not assume last year's form still works.
For CAAP, renewal is staying on the Administrator's list. The Hawaii Arbitration Rules, not a licensing statute, control that list.[5] Ask the Arbitration Administrator what they want each year. A stale email address has killed more court appointments than a missing CLE certificate.
If you are an active Hawaii attorney, you already have a real renewal. You keep your bar registration current and you complete the ethics CLE the Supreme Court requires. That is lawyer paper. It is not arbitrator paper. It still matters, because CAAP and most court appointments assume you can practice law here.[6][11]
Compare that to states that also skip a vocational license. Arbitrator renewal in Arizona is roster work, not a license. Arbitrator renewal in Colorado is roster work, not a license too. Hawaii fits that pattern. The myth is the national "get licensed" script. The paper is local.
| Item | What Hawaii actually does | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Need a DCCA arbitrator license? | No board, no card | DCCA PVL boards list [1] |
| Private appointment | Method in the agreement | HRS 658A-11 [2] |
| CAAP list | Judiciary roster under the Hawaii Arbitration Rules | Arbitration Administrator [4][5] |
| Active attorney ethics CLE | 3 credit hours each year | RSCH Rule 22 [6] |
How do you stay on a Hawaii court arbitration roster?
You stay on it by doing what the Arbitration Administrator asks, on the Administrator's calendar, not on a national checklist. CAAP is the court roster most people mean when they say arbitrator hawaii in a courthouse hallway. The Judiciary describes CAAP as a mandatory, non-binding program for certain Circuit Court civil cases, with a probable jury award limit published in the program materials and the Hawaii Arbitration Rules. That limit has long been stated as $150,000. Confirm the figure in force before you rely on it, because court rules get amended.[4][5]
The Administrator keeps the list of people who consented to serve. You get on by meeting the current eligibility rules and actually applying. You stay on by remaining eligible. If the rules still require a Hawaii law license, a suspension or inactive status will knock you off even if you never missed an arbitration hearing. That is why lawyer renewal and roster renewal travel together here.
I would call the First Circuit Arbitration Administrator's office and ask three dull questions. What form do you want this year. Do you still require a training session. How do you want address and availability updates. Write down the name of the person who answered. Keep the email.
Do not expect a published processing time. The Judiciary does not owe you a statutory clock for list maintenance. Anyone who quotes a guaranteed number of days is guessing. Confirm with the board, which in this case is the Arbitration Judge and Administrator for the circuit, not DCCA.
Other court-adjacent work runs through the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, created in HRS Chapter 613. CADR is a Judiciary program that supports ADR. It is not an arbitrator licensing bureau. Use it for program information. Do not send it a license renewal, because it cannot issue one.[9]
How much does arbitrator cost in Hawaii?
There is no state arbitrator license fee, because there is no state arbitrator license. You will not find a DCCA invoice for this occupation.[1][7] That is the honest cost answer for the credential people imagine.
What you will spend depends on the path. If you need CAAP work, the long cost is becoming and remaining a Hawaii attorney. Bar admission fees, HSBA registration, and ethics CLE are real. I am not going to invent this year's HSBA dues or the Judiciary's current civil filing amounts. Those numbers move. Confirm them on the current HSBA dues page and the Judiciary fee schedule before you budget.
Private panel dues are optional. AAA, JAMS, and Honolulu providers such as Dispute Prevention & Resolution charge what their current schedules say. You do not need those memberships to sit a 658A case if the parties appoint you directly.[2] I would not buy a national panel membership in year one unless a client already asked for that roster. It is a marketing spend, not a legal requirement.
Hearing fees are a private contract in non-CAAP cases. Nobody has a clean public dataset of Hawaii arbitrator hourly rates. The closest thing you will find is a panel's published compensation statement, and those are not a state survey. Do not price yourself off a blog number. Ask two local practitioners what the file in front of you usually bears, then write your own rate letter.
CAAP compensation is not your private rate. It is whatever the Hawaii Arbitration Rules and the Administrator currently pay. Confirm that number with the Administrator before you accept a list appointment. Do not assume a private commercial rate applies to a court-annexed file.[5]
Insurance is a cost people skip. Hawaii does not hand you a mandatory arbitrator malpractice policy that I can cite. If you are a lawyer, talk to the carrier that already writes your practice. If you are not, get a written quote for ADR work before you take a paid case. Paying for coverage you can produce on request is cheaper than explaining a bare file after a party complains.
How long does arbitrator take in Hawaii?
There is no statutory training clock for the occupation, because the occupation is not licensed. How long it takes depends on which door you want.
Private 658A work can start when the parties sign your appointment. That can be a week if they already know you. It can be never if they do not. The statute follows their method. It does not create a waiting period.[2]
CAAP is slower in a different way. You first need a Hawaii law license if the Hawaii Arbitration Rules still limit the list to licensed Hawaii attorneys, which they have.[5][11] Law school plus the bar is measured in years, not weeks. After admission, list placement takes as long as the Administrator's process takes. There is no honest public SLA. Confirm with that office. Refuse anyone who sells a guaranteed onboarding date.
If you already hold an active Hawaii license, the remaining delay is paperwork and training the Administrator requires. Build in time to sit whatever orientation they are running. Build in time for a complete application. Incomplete packets sit.
First year operations take longer than the appointment itself. You need a conflicts process, a rate letter, a place to hear a case, and a way to issue an award that a Circuit Court can confirm under HRS 658A. That is office work. It is not a license delay. People who skip it still call themselves ready. They are not.
Out-of-state lawyers sometimes ask if they can shortcut CAAP. A foreign license does not substitute for HRS Chapter 605 admission if the roster rule demands a Hawaii attorney.[11] Pro hac vice is a case-by-case court permission. It is not a roster card. Plan accordingly.
What paper do you keep current if you sit Hawaii cases?
Keep four stacks, and throw out the fake fifth.
Stack one is the appointment document. For a private case that is the agreement, the submission, or the court order naming you. HRS 658A cares about that method.[2] For CAAP it is the Administrator's assignment. Do not start work without a writing that shows who appointed you.
Stack two is identity and eligibility. If you sit as a Hawaii attorney, that is your bar status and your annual ethics credits.[6] If you sit as a non-lawyer on a private case, that is whatever resume and disclosures the parties asked for. Disclose prior relationships in writing. Do it early.
Stack three is the award and the record the parties will need if someone moves to confirm or vacate. HRS 658A sets the court-side remedies. Your job is a complete award they can file. Sloppy awards create confirmation fights you do not get paid to referee later.[10]
Stack four is tax and business paper. Hawaii general excise tax is a Department of Taxation problem if you are doing business here. I will not invent your GET rate or your filing cadence. Confirm with Taxation. An arbitrator kit does not replace that filing.
The fake fifth stack is a DCCA arbitrator renewal. Toss it. If a course vendor wants money for a Hawaii arbitrator license packet, keep your wallet closed. A paper checklist can still help you organize stacks one through four. ArbitratorPath's $199 one-time Hearing + Roster Kit at /start is that kind of checklist. It does not file anything and it is not a law firm.
Immunity language lives in HRS 658A-14, which addresses arbitrator immunity, testimony, and related fees. Read the section. Do not confuse statutory immunity with a promise that nobody will ever sue you. Keep the engagement letter tight anyway.[10]
How does Hawaii's Court Annexed Arbitration Program treat arbitrators?
CAAP treats you as a court-program arbitrator, not as a free-range private neutral. The Judiciary's program page is the public description. The Hawaii Arbitration Rules are the controlling text. Read both. Then call the Administrator, because local practice fills gaps the PDF does not.[4][5]
The program is mandatory and non-binding for the civil tort files that fall inside its probable-award limit. Parties can still go to trial after the award. That design changes how you run a hearing. You are not the last stop. You are a required stop. Write the award like a trial judge may read it later.
Pay is program pay. Availability is program availability. If you only want high-dollar commercial work, CAAP may be a poor fit. If you want courtroom-adjacent volume and a public list, it is the main Hawaii roster that exists.
Training, if the Administrator is requiring it, is for this program. It does not convert into a statewide license. It does not satisfy another state's roster. Arbitrator renewal in California is a different court system with different forms. Do not recycle a Honolulu training certificate as a California filing.
I would take CAAP seriously or stay off the list. Late awards and vanished calendars are how people get quietly unused. The Administrator does not need to revoke a license that never existed. They can stop calling you.
What does HRS Chapter 658A require of an arbitrator?
Chapter 658A is Hawaii's version of the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act. It is the statute for agreements to arbitrate and for court involvement after an award. It is not a hiring code and it is not a renewal code.[2][3]
Appointment is the first duty. Follow the parties' method. If that method fails, the court can appoint. You do not appoint yourself. You do not need DCCA's blessing to accept a lawful appointment.[2]
Neutrality and disclosure sit in the same chapter. If you are supposed to be a neutral, say so in the record and act like one. Disclose facts a reasonable person would consider likely to affect impartiality. Do it in writing. Do it before the hearing if you can.
The award has to be something a Circuit Court can work with. Parties confirm awards in court. They also move to vacate. HRS 658A-14 gives arbitrators specified immunity and limits on being dragged in as a witness, with fee-shifting language in that section. Read the actual text before you ignore a subpoena.[10]
The Federal Arbitration Act still matters when the contract involves interstate commerce. 9 U.S.C. § 2 says a written arbitration provision in a contract evidencing a transaction involving commerce "shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, save upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract."[8] Hawaii state court will often be looking at 658A and the FAA together on those files. Your hearing script does not change much. Your confirmation path might.
None of that chapter asks you to renew a license. If you remember one thing, remember that.
Do you need CLE hours to keep arbitrating in Hawaii?
Only if you are an active Hawaii attorney, and even then the hours are lawyer hours. The Rules of the Supreme Court of Hawaii require each active member to complete at least three credit hours of approved ethics or professional responsibility CLE each year.[6] That is the number. It is not twelve. It is not a general-skills buffet. It is ethics or professional responsibility.
Those three hours keep your law license in good order. They do not, by themselves, renew a CAAP listing. They do not create a private right to sit 658A cases. They just stop you from creating a bar problem that then becomes a roster problem.
If you are not a Hawaii attorney, the Supreme Court's CLE rule is not your rule. A private panel can still demand its own training. That is a contract. Read it.
I would not buy a 40-hour "national arbitrator certification" just to impress a Honolulu construction file. Some clients like the certificate. Many do not care. Spend the money on the ethics credits you actually must complete, and on the case law for the disputes you take. The rest is optional wallpaper.
How does Hawaii arbitrator renewal compare to other states?
Hawaii matches the states that never built an arbitrator vocational license. The work is appointment plus roster hygiene. What arbitrator renewal in Connecticut really means is the same basic story. Arbitrator renewal in Delaware is roster work, not a license. Arbitrator renewal in Florida is roster work, not a license as well.
The difference is local paper. Hawaii's public volume path is CAAP under the Hawaii Arbitration Rules, with a published probable-award cap you must re-check.[4][5] Other states use different court-annexed programs, different dollar gates, and different administrator offices. You cannot port a Honolulu list letter to Miami or Wilmington.
Attorney overlay is the other difference. CAAP expects a Hawaii law license. Some states let non-attorneys onto court lists for certain case types. Do not import those rules. Read HAR and HRS 605 if the list is the job you want.[5][11]
If you work more than one state, keep a folder per state. One ethics transcript does not satisfy every court. One insurance certificate might. Confirm each roster's current affidavit instead of recycling last year's PDF.
What should you confirm with Hawaii offices before you file anything?
Confirm the live rule, the live form, and the live fee. Then file. Screenshots of this article are not a filing.
Call or write the Arbitration Administrator for the circuit if CAAP is the goal. Ask whether the list is open. Ask what training is required this year. Ask how they want you to update a name, address, or availability. The program page is the starting map, not the last word.[4]
If you are a lawyer, confirm bar status and the three ethics hours with the channels the Supreme Court and HSBA currently name. RSCH Rule 22 is the requirement. The reporting portal is whatever HSBA is using this year.[6]
If someone told you DCCA licenses arbitrators, open the PVL boards list and look. Confirm it yourself.[1] If you are forming an entity or charging GET, confirm with the Department of Taxation and the Business Registration Division. Those are real Hawaii filings. An arbitrator title is not.
For private 658A cases, confirm the appointment method in the contract before you send a scheduling order.[2] If the method names an organization, use that organization's current rules. If it names you personally, get a signed acceptance into the file.
I do not give timing guarantees. Neither should a vendor. Courts and administrators move at their own speed.
What is a waste of money on Hawaii arbitrator renewal?
Paying for a Hawaii arbitrator license course is a waste. The license does not exist.[1] Paying a rush service to "file your renewal" with DCCA is a waste for the same reason.
Buying three national certifications in your first year is usually a waste. One respected panel can help if your clients already use it. Three logos do not. Put that cash toward insurance and toward the ethics credits you must actually finish if you are an active Hawaii attorney.[6]
Printing "Licensed Hawaii Arbitrator" on a banner is worse than a waste. It is a marketing claim you cannot back with a statute. Use accurate words.
What is not a waste: the current Hawaii Arbitration Rules PDF, a phone call to the Administrator, a clean engagement letter, and a conflicts system you will actually run.[5] Those are cheap. They prevent the expensive problems.
If you still want a single paper checklist after you have read HRS 658A and the CAAP page, the kit at /start is a one-time $199 Hearing + Roster Kit from ArbitratorPath, an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. It will not submit your name to the Judiciary. You will. That is the point.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for arbitrator in Hawaii?
No. DCCA does not issue an arbitrator license and has no arbitrator board. Private cases use the appointment method in HRS 658A-11. Court Annexed Arbitration Program work uses a Judiciary roster under the Hawaii Arbitration Rules. Confirm list rules with the Arbitration Administrator, not with a licensing vendor.
How much does arbitrator cost in Hawaii?
There is no state arbitrator license fee. Costs are the ones you choose: Hawaii bar dues and three ethics CLE hours if you are an active attorney, optional private panel dues, insurance, and your own hearing rate. CAAP pay follows the Hawaii Arbitration Rules. Confirm every current dollar figure with HSBA, Taxation, or the Administrator. Do not use outdated blog prices.
How long does arbitrator take in Hawaii?
Private 658A appointments can happen as soon as the parties name you. There is no statutory waiting period. CAAP first requires a Hawaii law license if the roster rules still limit the list to Hawaii attorneys, which is a multi-year path if you are not already admitted. List processing time is not published as a guarantee. Confirm with the Arbitration Administrator.
Can a non-lawyer take a private arbitration in Hawaii?
Yes, on a private HRS 658A case, if the parties' appointment method names you. The statute follows that method unless it fails. CAAP is different. The Hawaii Arbitration Rules have limited that court list to licensed Hawaii attorneys. Do not assume a private appointment puts you on the court roster.
How do I get on the CAAP arbitrator list?
Contact the Arbitration Administrator for the circuit and ask for the current application and training requirements. Read the Hawaii Arbitration Rules first. Eligibility has required a Hawaii law license and consent to serve. There is no DCCA form for this. Confirm every step with the Administrator because local practice changes.
Does an out-of-state law license count for CAAP?
Plan on no. CAAP list eligibility has been tied to licensure in Hawaii, which sits under HRS Chapter 605 and the Supreme Court's admission rules. An out-of-state card is not a substitute. Pro hac vice is a single-case permission, not roster membership. Ask the Administrator before you apply.
What happens if I miss Hawaii ethics CLE?
Active Hawaii attorneys must complete at least three approved ethics or professional responsibility hours each year under the Rules of the Supreme Court of Hawaii. Missing that is a bar-compliance problem, not an arbitrator-license problem. It can still remove you from work that requires an active Hawaii license, including CAAP. Confirm cure steps with HSBA and the Court.
Is AAA or JAMS membership required in Hawaii?
No statute requires it. HRS 658A lets parties pick their appointment method, which may name an organization. If the contract names AAA or another provider, follow that provider's current rules. If the contract names you, membership is optional marketing. I would not buy it until a client or a contract actually asks.
Can I advertise as a licensed Hawaii arbitrator?
You should not. Hawaii does not issue that license. If you are a Hawaii attorney who takes arbitrator appointments, say that. If you take private appointments only, say that. Overstating credentials is a fast way to create an advertising complaint you did not need.
Are arbitrator awards filed with a Hawaii licensing board?
No. Confirmation and vacation run through the courts under HRS Chapter 658A, not through DCCA. You deliver the award to the parties as the statute and the agreement require. A party who wants a judgment files in Circuit Court. Keep a complete award so that filing is possible.
Do retired judges need to renew an arbitrator license in Hawaii?
There is still no arbitrator license to renew. A retired judge sitting private cases follows HRS 658A and the appointment document. Court-program lists have their own eligibility rules. Confirm any post-retirement practice limits with the Judiciary and, if the person remains an attorney, with bar status rules.
Does the Federal Arbitration Act apply in Hawaii?
It can, when the contract involves interstate commerce. 9 U.S.C. § 2 makes written arbitration clauses in those contracts valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, subject to ordinary contract defenses. Hawaii's HRS 658A still governs many in-state procedures. On mixed files, counsel will argue both. Your job is a clean record either way.
Who do I call to confirm roster status?
For CAAP, the Arbitration Administrator in the relevant circuit. For private panels, the panel's roster staff. For lawyer status, the channels HSBA and the Supreme Court name for membership and CLE. For the question "is there a DCCA arbitrator board," the PVL boards list is the answer. There is not.
Sources
- Hawaii DCCA, PVL Boards list: DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing lists the state's vocational boards; arbitrator is not among them
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §658A-11: If parties agree on a method for appointing an arbitrator, that method shall be followed unless the method fails
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §658A-1: HRS Chapter 658A defines arbitration terms including arbitration organization and governs Hawaii's Uniform Arbitration Act
- Hawaii Judiciary, Rules of the Supreme Court of Hawaii: Active Hawaii attorneys must complete at least three credit hours of approved ethics or professional responsibility CLE each year
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §436B-1: The Professional and Vocational Licensing Act is the framework for DCCA-licensed occupations, a list that does not include arbitrator
- 9 U.S.C. § 2, Federal Arbitration Act: A written arbitration provision in a contract evidencing a transaction involving commerce shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §613-1: HRS Chapter 613 establishes the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Judiciary
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §658A-14: HRS 658A-14 addresses arbitrator immunity, competency to testify, and related attorney's fees and costs
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §605-1: HRS Chapter 605 governs attorneys and admission to practice in Hawaii courts