The Regulated Industries Complaints Office, or RICO, is an enforcement agency within the DCCA that processes individual complaints involving persons who provide specialized trade or  professional services, to Hawaii consumers, that require a license from one of the professional or vocational boards in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  As of 2021, RICO’s authority covers 52 regulated industries consisting of more than 170,000 active licensees.  RICO  can also sue members of the public too if they provide consumers with services in a regulated industry without having first obtained the license required by law.  RICO relies heavily on education and good evidence to uphold the standards of professional conduct and care that are embodied in the licensing laws.

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