Hawaii has opened a temporary route for qualified mainland insurance adjusters to help process damage claims after tropical cyclones Lala, Lowell and Nolo. In a declaration issued Friday, Sept. 25, Insurance Commissioner Scott K. Saiki authorized nonresident independent adjusters to work in the state for as long as 120 days after they are registered.
The measure expands the workforce available to insurers without suspending licensing safeguards. A visiting adjuster must hold a current license in another state that is comparable to Hawaii’s independent-adjuster credential. An insurer, adjusting company or licensed independent adjuster must then send the Insurance Division the worker’s name, home and business addresses, home-state license information and start date within three working days. The declaration gives companies 30 days to register eligible adjusters, while adjusters already working under an earlier storm declaration may continue through Jan. 23, 2027.
The authority comes from Hawaii Revised Statutes §431:9-201. Ordinarily, a person cannot act as an adjuster in Hawaii without a state license. The statute lets the commissioner make a temporary exception when a catastrophe produces losses so severe that resident adjusters cannot handle the work promptly. It also caps the temporary authority at 120 days and leaves violations subject to state penalties.
The declaration covers independent adjusters, who investigate and settle claims on behalf of insurers. It expressly excludes nonresident public adjusters, who are hired by policyholders to represent their interests. That distinction means the order is designed to increase insurer-side claims capacity; it does not create a comparable temporary path for out-of-state consumer representatives.
Other relief remains separate
Saiki has also asked insurers to provide flexibility to policyholders affected by Lowell. In Commissioner’s Memorandum 2026-8A, the Insurance Division requested that insurers through Jan. 7, 2027 avoid cancellations or nonrenewals for nonpayment, offer grace periods and payment plans, waive late fees, and extend deadlines for inspections and medical examinations. Those steps are requests to carriers, not terms of the adjuster declaration, and consumers should confirm any accommodation directly with their insurer.
For households and businesses filing claims, the practical process remains the same: document damage, preserve receipts, contact the insurer, and verify the identity of anyone handling the claim. The division’s storm-claims page links to consumer guides and federal flood-insurance resources and lists its assistance line, 1-844-808-DCCA.
The staffing action follows a statewide emergency proclamation issued earlier in September. That order made state resources and the Major Disaster Fund available for storm response through Nov. 1. The adjuster declaration is narrower: it focuses on the administrative bottleneck that can develop after widespread losses, while retaining a documented chain of responsibility for every temporary adjuster admitted to Hawaii. The additional staffing may reduce claims backlogs, but the declaration sets no deadline for a carrier to inspect damage or issue a payment.
