Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

[INS]

Hawaii law requires all motorcycle and motor scooter operators to purchase liability insurance for their vehicles. A valid I.D. card must be kept with the motorcycle or scooter or carried by the operator at all times.

Be aware that insurance premiums are costly and may be difficult to get for a high performance motorcycle or if you have a poor driving record. Check with an insurance agent before buying a motorcycle or a motor scooter. You don’t want to find out after purchasing your motorcycle or scooter that you can’t ride the motorbike because you can’t afford the insurance or you don’t qualify for it.

The motorcycle liability policy must include a $20,000 per person or $40,000 per accident bodily injury liability, which pays claims to those whom you cause death or injury. It must also include $10,000 per occurrence property damage liability which pays for vehicles of property that you have caused damage to.

The insurance company must also offer you optional coverage which include: personal injury medical payments coverage up to $10,000; an income disability plan; and higher liability coverage.

The insurance company may also offer to sell you damage coverage for your motorcycle.

To purchase a liability policy, you must have a valid motorcycle or motor scooter license. Those with a learner’s permit, in order to obtain insurance will need to have enrolled and successfully completed a motorcycle education course which has been approved by the State Department of Transportation and administered by the University of Hawaii. For more information on the classes, please call Leeward Community College at 455-0307 or toll free from the neighbor islands at 1-800-303-1611. Presently, there are seven sites where the classes are held:

• Oahu: USCG Sand Island and Leeward Community College
• Hawaii: Hawaii Community College
• Maui: Wailuku War Memorial Stadium and Maui Community College
• Kauai: Vidinha Stadium and Kauai Community College

Currently, there are at least nine licensed insurance companies in the state which sell motorcycle insurance. They are: AIG Hawaii Ins. Co., AllState Insurance Company, American Reliable Insurance Company, GEICO Indemnity Company, Pacific Specialty Insurance Company, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, and United Services Automobile Association. Contact these insurance companies on prices. Then you can decide which is the most affordable for you.