Hawaii Auto Insurance Facts

Hawaii's unique location makes its auto insurance industry somewhat unique as well. While many items such as gasoline and other necessities are more expensive in Hawaii, Hawaii auto insurance is actually some of the cheapest in the nation, especially if you have a clean driving record. If you are moving to Hawaii, are ready to get your Hawaii driver's license, or are having to relocate because of military deployment, the information in this article could be helpful to you as you search for Hawaii auto insurance.

Hawaii Auto Insurance Is Required

A minimum amount of liability auto insurance is required by the state of Hawaii. The minimum requirements for Hawaii are 20/40/10 liability insurance, which translates to $20,000 per person for bodily injury, topping out at $40,000 per accident for bodily injury and $10,000 per accident for property damage. These are policy limits, which mean that an accident that exceeds these limits will have to be paid out of your own pocket.

In addition to the 20/40/10 liability auto insurance required, you are also required to have $10,000 worth of PIP (Personal Injury Protection) Hawaii auto insurance. This type of insurance helps to pay mainly for lost wages and medical bills, though different policies may be more extensive.

Hawaii Auto Insurance Companies

Even though Hawaii is an isolated state geographically speaking, many of the same nationwide auto insurance companies you recognize serve Hawaiian residents.

Here are a few of the larger Hawaii auto insurance companies.

• AAA
• AIG
• All State
• GEICO
• Liberty Mutual
• State Farm
• The Hartford
• USAA

Because of the high amount of military personnel in Hawaii, GEICO is the number one Hawaii auto insurance company. USAA is also very popular for the same reason. In addition to the larger Hawaii auto insurance companies, there are many locally owned auto insurance companies, agencies and brokers to help you choose the right Hawaii auto insurance for you .

Hawaii Auto Insurance and the Military

The relatively high military presence in Hawaii means the auto insurance industry has to take military personnel's situation into consideration. If you are relocating to Hawaii, the government will pay for one vehicle to be shipped to your new home. Once there, you will have to take care of the auto insurance.

There is a good chance that your auto insurance carrier from your previous state will provide auto insurance in Hawaii as well. This can make the transfer pretty painless. The most important thing to understand is that your coverage will have to change if you come from a tort state rather than a no-fault state such as Hawaii.

Immediate need for Hawaii auto insurance:

Once you arrive in Hawaii, and are seeking totally new Hawaii auto insurance you will have to register your properly insured vehicle with your base within three days and with the state within 10 days. This means you will have to shop around quickly for Hawaii auto insurance. Therefore, it probably should be done before even arriving on the island as you can use the internet to shop around and get rate quotes.

Hawaii auto insurance and vehicle registration:

If you are moving to Hawaii under military orders, you do not necessarily have to register your car with the state of Hawaii, but you do have to get Hawaii auto insurance. If you intend to move back to your home state once your orders are completed, then you can simply keep your state registration, but with new Hawaii auto insurance.

Hawaii Auto Insurance is Affordable

Hawaii is the 3rd cheapest state in which to purchase auto insurance according to 2007 statistics. This is good news for you if you are a resident, but it does not mean you should still not look around for the most affordable Hawaii auto insurance you can find. You should still attempt to get as many rate quotes as possible and research Hawaii auto insurance companies to make sure you are indeed getting what you are paying for.