HIHawaii
Hawaii Lien Law Deadlines for Suppliers and Subcontractors
Hawaii gives suppliers and subcontractors 45 days after the date of completion to file an Application for Lien in circuit court, and the lien expires 3 months after the court orders it to attach unless you start enforcement. Hawaii has no preliminary notice.
Public date calculations cover Florida and Kansas. Hawaii dates require qualified review.
Risk context
Hawaii is High Risk for Suppliers
Hawaii's lien window is only 45 days, and it starts on the statutory date of completion, which depends on a valid completion notice, publication and court filing, or the statutory fallback when no valid notice is published and filed within a year. That clock can start from a published notice you never see. Filing is also a court process: the application must be served like a summons, the court holds a probable-cause hearing, and the lien attaches only when the court orders it.
Deadline schedule
Hawaii Mechanics Lien Deadlines (Updated 2026)
Scroll sideways to see all deadline details.
| Deadline Type | Timing | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lien Filing | 45 days from completion of the improvement | Must file lien by 45 days from completion. File the Application for Lien and Notice of Lien in circuit court no later than 45 days after the date of completion (HRS § 507-43(b)). |
| Date of Completion | Valid publication and court filing, or statutory fallback | The notice requires substantial completion or actual abandonment first, two newspaper publications 7 days apart, and filing of the publication affidavit and notice with the circuit court clerk. Both completed publication and filing matter. A contractor must first demand publication in writing and allow the owner 5 days. If no valid notice is published and filed within one year after actual completion or abandonment, statutory completion is deemed one year after that event (HRS § 507-43(f)-(g)). |
| Preliminary Notice | None required | Hawaii's lien law has no preliminary notice for suppliers or subcontractors. |
| Notice Method | Personal service | Application for Lien and Notice of Lien. Serve them on the owner the way a summons is served, and on anyone else with an interest in the property and the party that contracted for the work; if they cannot be served, post them on the improvement. The court holds a return hearing 3 to 10 days after service (HRS § 507-43(a)). |
| Enforcement | 3 months from date lien attaches | Suit to enforce must be filed within 3 months. The lien attaches when the court enters its Order Directing Lien to Attach, and it expires 3 months after that order unless you commence enforcement proceedings (HRS § 507-43(e)). |
| Statutes | Haw. Rev. Stat. §507-41 et seq.; §507-42; §507-43; §507-44; §507-45; §507-46; §507-47; §507-48; §507-49 | Part II of HRS chapter 507. |
Supplier pitfalls
Common Supplier Mistakes in Hawaii
Counting from the wrong completion date
The 45 days do not run from your last delivery. Verify substantial completion or actual abandonment, both publication dates and the court filing. A first publication alone does not establish the trigger, and an absent notice today does not prove that the one-year fallback applies.
Treating the application as the finish line
A Hawaii lien is a court application, not a recorded form. It must be served like a summons and survive a probable-cause hearing before the court orders it to attach. Build in time for service and the hearing.
Extending credit without paperwork on residential repairs
For property used primarily as a dwelling before the repairs or improvements, a materials sale to a general contractor or its subcontractor can be barred if that buyer was required to be licensed but was not, or if the supplier extended unreasonable credit. An exempt buyer is not automatically disqualified merely for lacking a license, and an ordinary direct-owner sale is not the buyer relationship described in this provision. A current, complete credit application or reasonable credit inquiry supplies evidence of reasonableness; the judge decides the issue (HRS § 507-49(a)).
Deadline calculator
Not Sure Which Hawaii Deadline Applies?
Use this Hawaii guide and collect your project facts for qualified review.
Review Hawaii project factsThe public calculator provides dates only for reviewed Florida and Kansas scenarios; it does not calculate a Hawaii date.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Hawaii lien law deadlines?
File the Application for Lien in circuit court within 45 days after the date of completion, serve it on the owner like a summons, and commence enforcement within 3 months after the court's Order Directing Lien to Attach. There is no preliminary notice step.
What notices are required in Hawaii?
No notice is required before you deliver. The notice that matters is the Notice of Lien you file with your Application for Lien in circuit court within the 45-day window and then serve on the owner like a summons.
When must the lien be filed in Hawaii?
Within 45 days after statutory completion. Check both completed publication and the court filing, plus the underlying completion or abandonment facts. The one-year fallback requires that no valid notice was published and filed within the full year; do not assume it merely because no notice has yet been found.
What is the enforcement period in Hawaii?
3 months from date lien attaches. The lien attaches when the court enters its Order Directing Lien to Attach after the probable-cause hearing, and it expires 3 months later unless you commence enforcement proceedings. See how long a mechanics lien lasts for what happens when a lien expires.
What statutes apply to Hawaii liens?
Haw. Rev. Stat. §507-41 et seq.; §507-42; §507-43; §507-44; §507-45; §507-46; §507-47; §507-48; §507-49. The filing, service, and expiration rules are in § 507-43.
Are these the 2024 Hawaii lien law deadlines?
This guide covers current Hawaii law, reviewed in October 2026 against the official Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than a 2024 snapshot. The 45-day filing window and 3-month enforcement period come from HRS § 507-43. If your claim depends on the law as it stood in 2024, confirm the version in effect with a Hawaii construction attorney.
Important note