Hawaii · data through November 10, 2026
Debt collectors in Hawaii
411 complaints about debt collectors came from Hawaii in the last 12 months, up 40% from the year before. Here's who they were about, the time limits on old debts, and the state rules that protect you.
- Complaints, last 12 months
- 411
- Share of all U.S. complaints
- 0.1%
- Say the debt isn't theirs
- 45%
- Credit card time limit
- 6 yrs
Statute of limitations on debt in Hawaii
- Credit cards
- 6 years
- Written contracts
- 6 years
- Oral agreements
- 6 years
- Promissory notes
- 6 years
- Court judgments
- 10 years
Payments: It is not settled whether a payment restarts the clock, so treat any payment on an old debt with care.
Legal details and citations
Credit cards: HRS s. 657-1(1) sets 6 years for 'actions for the recovery of any debt founded upon any contract, obligation, or liability,' with no written/oral or open-account distinction. Credit card debt is therefore 6 years however it is classified.
Payments and acknowledgments: HRS ch. 657 has no acknowledgment or part-payment statute. I checked ss. 657-17 through 657-24, which cover injunction tolling, absence from the state, fraudulent concealment, process issues, crime-victim tolling, and periodic payment of tort judgments. Hawaii appears to rely on common law, and no Hawaii appellate rule on part payment or written acknowledgment was confirmed in this pass. Conservatively, a payment or signed acknowledgment may restart the 6-year period. No consumer-debt revival ban was found.
Judgments: Under HRS s. 657-5, a Hawaii judgment is presumed paid and discharged 10 years after rendition unless extended, and no action may be brought on it after 10 years from rendition or extension. An extension must be sought by motion, with notice, within 10 years of the original judgment, and no judgment may be extended beyond 20 years from the original judgment. Judgments of Hawaii courts not of record and foreign-jurisdiction judgments: 6 years (s. 657-1(2), subject to s. 657-9).
Other rules: The official HRS site (capitol.hawaii.gov) returned HTTP 403, so the text came from FindLaw (current as of Jan 1, 2025). The Alper Law 2026 chart agrees: 6 years in every column, with no written/oral distinction. Under s. 657-18, time a debtor spends outside Hawaii after the claim arises does not count toward the deadline, which can extend the period for people who moved away. Section 657-1(1) excepts debts under ch. 577A, which have their own rule. No Hawaii statute expressly banning suit on time-barred consumer debt was found, but the HRS chs. 443B and 480D collection-practice provisions were not reviewed in full.
- open account: HRS s. 657-1(1)
- written contract: HRS s. 657-1(1)
- oral contract: HRS s. 657-1(1)
- promissory note: HRS s. 490:3-118(a) (6 yrs, per secondary source); HRS s. 657-1(1)
- judgment: HRS s. 657-5; s. 657-1(2)
- other: HRS s. 657-18 (time the defendant is out of state after accrual is not counted); s. 657-20 (fraudulent concealment, 6 yrs from discovery)
Sources: codes.findlaw.com · codes.findlaw.com
The time limit is about lawsuits. A collector can still contact you about an old debt, but federal rules ban it from suing or threatening to sue once the limit has passed. Credit reporting has its own separate seven-year limit.
Collection agency license in Hawaii
Yes. Collection agencies generally need a state license to collect from people in Hawaii.
Details for Hawaii
Regulated under HRS ch. 443B. The statute calls it 'registration', but DCCA's Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (PVL) issues it as a Collection Agency license (types COLA and COLB for branches). Any collection agency, in-state or out-of-state, that collects for another from people who live or do business in Hawaii must register (§ 443B-3). Registration requires a bond, a regular active business office in Hawaii and a designated 'principal collector' (an individual). Out-of-state agencies with no Hawaii office or staff that collect only for out-of-state clients by phone, mail, fax or email can get an 'exempt out-of-state collection agency' designation (§ 443B-3.5, types COLAX/COLXB). They must not collect for creditors with a Hawaii presence. The definition includes creditors collecting under another name, and persons who regularly take assignments of debts and sue on them in their own name. Attorneys, banks, real estate brokers and similar are excluded. HRS ch. 480D (collection practices) also applies. Licenses renew June 30 of even-numbered years. Not on NMLS. The search is PVL's 'Verify a Professional' (MyPVL public license search); complaints go to DCCA's Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO).
Sources: cca.hawaii.gov · capitol.hawaii.gov · capitol.hawaii.gov
Look up a collector's license (Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division)
State law: Hawaii Collection Agencies law (with Collection Practices law, HRS ch. 480D) (HRS ch. 443B). It adds to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Most complained-about collectors in Hawaii
Last 12 months
What Hawaii residents complain about
The most common complaint here is collecting a debt the person says they don't owe (45%).
Kinds of debt in Hawaii complaints
Where the type was named
Complaints from Hawaii over time
Show the monthly numbers
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| November 2026 (so far) | 6 |
| October 2026 | 35 |
| September 2026 | 21 |
| August 2026 | 27 |
| July 2026 | 29 |
| June 2026 | 44 |
| May 2026 | 42 |
| April 2026 | 38 |
| March 2026 | 31 |
| February 2026 | 34 |
| January 2026 | 33 |
| December 2025 | 48 |
| November 2025 | 30 |
| October 2025 | 19 |
| September 2025 | 50 |
| August 2025 | 37 |
| July 2025 | 23 |
| June 2025 | 22 |
| May 2025 | 26 |
| April 2025 | 16 |
| March 2025 | 18 |
| February 2025 | 34 |
| January 2025 | 27 |
| December 2024 | 12 |
| November 2024 | 13 |
| October 2024 | 17 |
| September 2024 | 14 |
| August 2024 | 32 |
| July 2024 | 10 |
| June 2024 | 30 |
| May 2024 | 15 |
| April 2024 | 20 |
| March 2024 | 27 |
| February 2024 | 13 |
| January 2024 | 12 |
| December 2023 | 18 |
Questions about debt collection in Hawaii
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Hawaii?
For most credit card debt it is 6 years in Hawaii. Written contracts: 6 years. Oral agreements: 6 years. Promissory notes: 6 years. The clock usually starts at your last payment or when you defaulted. It is not settled whether a payment restarts the clock, so treat any payment on an old debt with care.
The time limit stops lawsuits, not collection: a collector can still ask you to pay an old debt, but it can't sue or threaten to.
Do debt collectors need a license in Hawaii?
Yes. Collection agencies generally need a state license to collect from people in Hawaii. Look up a license with the Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division.
How do I report a debt collector in Hawaii?
File a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, and with the state at Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division. Keep copies of letters, call logs and voicemails.
Which debt collectors get the most complaints in Hawaii?
In the last 12 months, LVNV Funding (Resurgent Capital Services) (27), Midland Credit Management (25), Jefferson Capital Systems (25) drew the most complaints from Hawaii residents. Large collectors get more complaints partly because they contact more people.
Complaint data: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, by the state the consumer gave, through November 10, 2026. Time limits and licensing are summaries of state law checked against the statutes; laws change and exceptions apply, so this isn't legal advice.