Hawaii: Small Claims Court Dollar Limits
The short answer
Hawaii's small claims limit is $5,000 for a money claim, with no separate cap and no dollar limit at all for a landlord-tenant security deposit dispute. There is no lower tier or bar for a business plaintiff. Unlike most states in this survey, attorneys are generally allowed to appear, except in security-deposit cases where lawyers are barred for either side. There is no appeal from a small claims judgment at all: the only remedy is asking the same court to set the judgment aside within 10 days.
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This is the general rule in Hawaii. Ezel applies current Hawaii law to your specific facts and answers with citations to the statutes.
| Governing law | Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 633-27 to 633-30 (small claims division of the district court) |
|---|---|
| Dollar limit | $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for a money claim or a claim for return of leased/rented personal property (§ 633-27(a)); no dollar cap at all for a residential landlord-tenant security deposit dispute, which the small claims division hears regardless of amount |
| Limit for businesses/entities | Same $5,000 limit applies to any plaintiff, individual or business; the only entity-specific rule is administrative: the court clerk's free help preparing papers is available only to an individual, not to a corporation, partnership, association, or individual proprietorship (§ 633-28(a)) |
| Court name and where to file | The small claims division of the district court, in the judicial circuit where the defendant resides or the claim arose (§ 633-27) |
| Can you bring a lawyer? | Generally allowed, with court approval, for any party (§ 633-28(b)): except that in a landlord-tenant security-deposit case, a licensed practitioner is barred from representing another party; any non-lawyer representative appearing under this section must serve without compensation, or the representation becomes unlawful practice of law |
| Limit on how many claims you can file | None found in Chapter 633 or the small claims rules |
| Can you appeal? | None: there is no appeal from a small claims judgment for either party (§ 633-28(a); Small Claims Rule 12(b)); the only post-judgment remedy is a motion asking the same small claims court to alter or set aside its own judgment, which must be filed within 10 days of entry (Small Claims Rule 12(a)) |
| What you can sue for | Money damages (excluding punitive damages) and, in a landlord-tenant dispute under HRS ch. 521, equitable relief limited to orders to repair, replace, refund, reform, or rescind; a separate order-to-show-cause mechanism (§ 633-8) lets the court order return of specific leased or rented personal property; class actions are prohibited (§ 633-27(c)-(d)) |
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Requirements one by one
Governing law
Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 633-27 through 633-30 create the small claims division of the district court, set its jurisdiction, and govern representation, fees, and counterclaims.
Dollar limit
$5,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for a money claim or a claim to recover leased or rented personal property. This figure hasn't changed since 2003. A residential landlord-tenant security deposit dispute has no dollar limit at all, the small claims division hears those regardless of the amount in controversy.
Business/entity limit
No lower tier. The $5,000 limit (or no limit, for security-deposit cases) applies the same way to an individual or a business. The only distinction that turns on entity type is administrative: the court clerk will help an individual prepare the paperwork for free, but that free help isn't available to a corporation, partnership, association, or sole proprietorship.
Court and forum
The small claims division of the district court, in the judicial circuit where the defendant lives or where the claim arose.
Can you bring a lawyer?
Yes, generally, with the court's approval, Hawaii doesn't run the attorney-free hearing common in most states in this survey. The one exception: in a landlord-tenant security-deposit case, a licensed attorney cannot represent another party at all. Separately, any non-lawyer who represents someone else in small claims court (a friend or relative, for example) has to do it for free, charging a fee turns it into unauthorized practice of law.
Limit on how many claims you can file
None found. Hawaii doesn't cap how many small claims cases one plaintiff can file in a year.
Can you appeal?
No. Neither side can appeal a small claims judgment to a higher court, Hawaii's statute states this flatly, and the small claims rules repeat it. The only available remedy is a motion asking the same small claims court to alter or set aside its own judgment, and that motion has to be filed within 10 days of the judgment being entered.
What you can sue for
Money damages, excluding punitive damages. In a landlord-tenant dispute, the court can also order equitable relief, repair, replacement, a refund, reformation, or rescission. A separate mechanism lets the court order the physical return of leased or rented personal property. Class actions aren't allowed in small claims court at all.
What trips people up
Because there's no appeal, losing in Hawaii small claims court is close to final, the 10-day set-aside motion is a narrow do-over at the same level, not a chance at a fresh trial or a higher court's review, so it pays to get the case right the first time.
Common questions
Can I appeal if I lose in Hawaii small claims court? No. There's no appeal for either side. You can only ask the same court to set aside its own judgment, and only within 10 days.
Is there a dollar limit for a security deposit dispute with my landlord? No, Hawaii's small claims division hears residential security-deposit disputes regardless of the amount at stake, unlike its general $5,000 money-claim limit.
Can I bring a lawyer to small claims court in Hawaii? Generally yes, with the court's approval, unless your case is a landlord-tenant security-deposit dispute, where lawyers are barred from representing either side.
Statutes and sources
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 633-27, https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0633/HRS_0633-0027.htm (accessed 2026-07-09)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 633-28, https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0633/HRS_0633-0028.htm (accessed 2026-07-09)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 633-30, https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0633/HRS_0633-0030.htm (accessed 2026-07-09)
- Rules of the Small Claims Division, Rule 12, https://www.courts.state.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/rscd_ada.pdf (accessed 2026-07-09)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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