In accordance with Gov. Ige’s Executive Order, beginning Sept. 13, 2021, all visitors to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs should be prepared to provide verification of being fully vaccinated or a negative COVID-19 test result in order to enter the state facility. The test sample cannot be taken more than 72 hours prior to time of entry and must be administered or observed by an authorized site or healthcare provider. All approved visitors are still required to wear masks, physically distance, and obey instructions as directed by staff while inside. People under the age of 12, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, are exempt from the requirement.
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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