Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission

The State Ethics Code requires state elected officials, members of state boards and commissions, and state employees holding certain positions to file an annual Disclosure of Financial Interests with the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission (“Commission”). The following is a general list of persons who are required to file:

• Elected officials: the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, state legislators, trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and candidates for and delegates to the constitutional convention.
• Agency and department heads: directors, deputy directors, division chiefs, and the executive directors and their deputies of every state agency.
• Legislative Branch: all permanent employees of the legislature and its service agencies, other than persons employed in clerical, secretarial, or similar positions.
• Offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor: all permanent employees in the offices of the governor and the lieutenant governor, other than persons employed in clerical, secretarial, or similar positions.
• University of Hawaiʻi (UH): members of the Board of Regents, the president, vice-presidents, assistant vice-presidents, chancellors, and the provosts of UH and its community colleges. Other UH filers may be required to file under other categories, as a director, department head, or fiscal officer.
• Department of Education (DOE): members of the Board of Education, the superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendents, complex area superintendents, the state librarian, and the special assistant to the state librarian. Other DOE filers may be required to file based on other categories.
• State Judiciary: the administrative director and deputy director of the courts. Other JUD filers may be required to file based on other categories.
• Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA): the administrator and assistant administrator of OHA. Other OHA filers may be required to file based on other categories.
• State boards and commissions: members of state boards and commissions whose original terms of office are more than one year and whose functions are not solely advisory.
• Purchasing agents, fiscal officers, and hearings officers of every state agency.

Please note this is not a complete list of filers. To verify your filing status, please contact the Commission’s office.

The following state officials must take a LIVE ethics training course:

• Elected Officials: Legislators, Governor, Lt. Governor
• Executive Branch: Department heads (Directors & Deputy Directors), Governor’s Chief of Staff
• Department of Education (DOE): Superintendent and Deputy Superintendents
• Judiciary: Administrative Director and Deputy Director
• Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA): Trustees, CEO, and Executive Administrators
• State Library: State Librarian and Special Assistant
• University of Hawai’i (UH): President, Vice Presidents, Assistant Vice Presidents, Provost, and Chancellors

Members of of the following state boards and commissions:

• Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC)
• Board of Agriculture (BOA)
• Board of Education (BOE)
• Board of Land & Natural Resources (BLNR)
• Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM)
• Hawai’i Community Development Authority (HCDA)
• Hawai’i Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC)
• Hawai’i Public Housing Authority (HPHA)
• Hawai’i Public Utilities Commission (HPUC)
• Hawai’i State Ethics Commission (HSEC)
• Hawaiian Homes Commission
• Land Use Commission (LUC)
• Legacy Land Conservation Commission
• Natural Area Reserves System Commission
• Natural Energy Lab. of Hawai’i Authority (NELHA)
• Stadium Authority
• University of Hawai’i Board of Regents

learningmanager.adobe.com/primetimehawaii

*You must login to your Adobe Learning Manager account and watch the entire training in order to receive credit on your learner transcript. If you have questions, email [email protected]. 

https://judiciaryelearning.csod.com

*You must login to the Judiciary eLearning Center, watch the entire Ethics for State Employees training, complete the Hawai’i State Ethics Commission certificate of completion request form, and then complete the Judiciary’s eLearning Center Acknowledgment in order to receive full credit.

Contact your HR office to access your LMS portal

Contact your HR office to access your LMS portal

• Elected State Officials:
  • Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • State Legislators
  • Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees
  • Constitutional Convention Delegates
• Agency and Department Heads
  • Directors
  • Deputy Directors
• Office of the Governor
  • Administrative Director
• University of Hawaiʻi
  • President
  • Vice-Presidents
  • Assistant Vice-Presidents
  • Chancellors
• Department of Education
  • Superintendent
  • Deputy Superintendent
  • State Librarian
  • Assistant to the State Librarian
• State Judiciary
  • Administrative Director
  • Deputy Director of the Courts
• Office of Hawaiian Affairs
  • Administrator
  • Assistant Administrator
• Members of the following state boards are public filers under HRS § 84-17(d):
  • Agribusiness Development Corporation
  • Board of Agriculture
  • Board of Education
  • Board of Land and Natural Resources
  • Commission on Water Resource Management
  • Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority
  • Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation
  • Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority
  • Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission
  • Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission
  • Hawaiian Homes Commission
  • Land Use Commission
  • Legacy Land Conservation Commission
  • Natural Area Reserves System Commission
  • Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi
  • Stadium Authority Commission
  • University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents

State Legislators: January 31 (each year)

Current Employees and Board Filers: May 31 (each year)

New Filers: Within 30 days of hiring, election, or appointment to a state position that is required to file

Exit Filers: Within 30 days of leaving your state position (if your last disclosure was filed more than 180 days prior)

Filers are required to report certain types of financial interests, such as income; business ownership; stocks, bonds, and mutual funds; officer or director positions in for-profit or non-profit businesses; real property; loans; names of clients assisted or represented before state agencies; and creditor interests in an insolvent business.

In addition, state legislators, state board members, and state employee filers are required to disclose their own financial interests, as well as those held by a spouse or dependent child.

If you are a state legislator, state employee, or member of a state board or commission, you must file a gift disclosure if all of the following circumstances apply:

1. During the disclosure period, you (or your spouse or dependent child) receive either directly or indirectly: (a) a gift that is valued at more than $200, or (b) two or more gifts from the same source, where the combined value of the items is more than $200;
2. The source of the gift(s) has interests that may be affected by official action that you take in your state capacity; and
3. The gift is not exempted by law from disclosure.

These gifts must be reported on your gift disclosure if all of the following circumstances apply:

1. You (or your spouse or dependent child) receive either directly or indirectly: (a) a gift that is valued at more than $200, or (b) two or more gifts from the same source, where the combined value of the items is more than $200;
2. The source of the gift(s) has interests that may be affected by official action that you take in your state capacity; and
3. The gift is not exempted by law from disclosure.

Gift disclosures are due by July 31 of each year.

Reporting Period for 2025:  The gift disclosure covers gifts received between June 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

Reporting Period for 2026:  The gift disclosure covers gifts received between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

Candidates running for the offices of:

• Governor
• Lieutenant Governor
• State Senate
• State House of Representatives
• Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee
• State Constitutional Convention Delegates

For incumbent state elected officials, you must file a candidate disclosure, even if you have already filed a regular financial disclosure this year based on your current state position.

Candidate financial disclosures shall be filed no later than ten days after the nomination filing deadline established pursuant to HRS § 12-6. For the 2026 election, the deadline is June 12, 2026.

Filers are required to report certain types of financial interests, such as income; business ownership; stocks, bonds, and mutual funds; officer or director positions in for-profit or non-profit businesses; real property; loans; names of clients assisted or represented before state agencies; and creditor interests in an insolvent business.

Candidates are required to report their own financial interests (including jointly held assets). They are not required to report financial interests that are owned solely by a spouse or dependent child.

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Check our Lobbying Registration Quick Guide, or contact our office for more information.

Yes. File a separate Lobbyist Registration for each Client/Organization that you represent.

Lobbyists and lobbying organizations cannot give gifts to legislators or their staff if those gifts could reasonably be seen as influencing or rewarding official action, such as expensive meals, trips, and invitations to social/entertainment functions. (There are very limited exceptions).

Lobbyists cannot make campaign contributions to elected officials, candidates, or candidate committees while the legislature is in session, and for five days before and after the session.

Lobbyists cannot accept payments that are contingent on the outcome of any legislative or administrative action.

Individuals paid to lobby at the state level must register with the Commission and report lobbying expenses if they meet certain lobbying activity thresholds.

“Lobbying” includes communicating with legislators or staff on legislative matters, or communicating with agency officials on state administrative rules. Lobbying also includes “grassroots lobbying” when people are asked to contact their legislators or state officials regarding legislation or an administrative rule. Beginning January 1, 2027, lobbying will also cover certain communications with department heads about obtaining a state contract.