Hawaii mechanics lien deadlines: notice, lien and suit (2026)
By Oussama Chicha, EditorUpdated Checked against primary sources · not yet reviewed by a licensed professionalFact-checked
Quick answer
In Hawaii the preliminary notice stage reads None required. Each lien filing rule in Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43 turns on a condition, and the lien attaches only when the court so orders (§ 507-43(a)). Deadline to sue: Proceedings to enforce the lien commenced within three months after the entry of the Order Directing Lien to Attach (§ 507-43(e)).
Hawaii · Lien deadlinesVerified 2026-10-02
Lien filing
Where a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned is published and its affidavit of publication is filed: 45 days after publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned is complete and the affidavit of publication is filed; If a valid notice of completion is not published and filed within one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement: 45 days after the date one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement; Where title to the property is registered in the land court and the lien is not claimed solely against the lessees' interest in one or more leasehold time share interests: A certified copy of the Order Directing Lien To Attach filed in the office of the assistant registrar of the land court within seven days after the order is entered
Preliminary notice
None required
Deadline to sue
Proceedings to enforce the lien commenced within three months after the entry of the Order Directing Lien to Attach
Any person or association of persons furnishing labor or material in the improvement of real property shall have a lien upon the improvement as well as upon the interest of the owner of the improvement in the real property upon which the same is situated, or for the benefit of which the same was constructed, for the price agreed to be paid (if the price does not exceed the value of the labor and materials), or if the price exceeds the value thereof or if no price is agreed upon by the contracting parties, for the fair and reasonable value of all labor and materials covered by their contract, express or implied.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-42 · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
Any person claiming a lien shall apply therefor to the circuit court of the circuit where the property is situated.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(a) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
Lien filing
Who
Project type
Branch
Deadline
Statute
Direct contractor, Subcontractor, Sub-subcontractor, Supplier, Laborer
Any
Where a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned is published and its affidavit of publication is filed
45 days after publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned is complete and the affidavit of publication is filed
Direct contractor, Subcontractor, Sub-subcontractor, Supplier, Laborer
Any
Where title to the property is registered in the land court and the lien is not claimed solely against the lessees' interest in one or more leasehold time share interests
A certified copy of the Order Directing Lien To Attach filed in the office of the assistant registrar of the land court within seven days after the order is entered
What the statute says about it. The copy is filed to preserve the lien against later encumbrancers and purchasers of the property.
Any person claiming a lien shall apply therefor to the circuit court of the circuit where the property is situated.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(a) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
The Application and Notice shall be filed not later than forty-five days after the date of completion of the improvement against which it is filed.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(b) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
The term "date of completion" as used in this section means the time when the owner or the general contractor for the improvement completes the publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or has been abandoned and an affidavit of the publication, together with a copy of the notice has been filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court where the property involved is situated; provided that notice of completion shall not be effective for any purpose unless prior to the notice there has been substantial completion of the improvement or the improvement has been actually abandoned; and provided further that the notice shall not be published by the contractor until after the contractor has first made written demand upon the owner to publish the notice and the owner has failed to publish the notice within five days from the date of the demand.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(f) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
If a valid notice of completion is not published and filed within one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement the "date of completion" shall be deemed to be one year after actual completion or abandonment.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(g) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
Where title to the property involved, or any portion thereof, is registered in the land court and the lien is not claimed solely against the lessees' interest in one or more leasehold time share interests as described in section 501-20, it shall be incumbent upon the lienor to file a certified copy of the Order Directing Lien To Attach in the office of the assistant registrar of the land court within seven days after the entry thereof in order to preserve the lienor's rights against subsequent encumbrancers and purchasers of the property.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(b) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
Deadline to sue
Who
Project type
Branch
Deadline
Statute
Direct contractor, Subcontractor, Sub-subcontractor, Supplier, Laborer
Any
Default
Proceedings to enforce the lien commenced within three months after the entry of the Order Directing Lien to Attach
What the statute says about it. The lien expires three months after the entry of the Order Directing Lien to Attach unless proceedings to enforce it are commenced within that time.
The lien shall expire three months after the entry of the Order Directing Lien to Attach unless proceedings are commenced within that time to collect the amount due thereon by enforcing the same.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(e) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
The lien shall not attach to the property until the court finds probable cause exists and so orders.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(a) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
Notice of commencement and completion
The date of completion is when the owner or the general contractor completes publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned and the affidavit of publication, with a copy of the notice, is filed with the clerk of the circuit court. The notice has no effect unless the improvement was first substantially completed or actually abandoned, and a contractor may publish it only after the owner fails to publish it within five days of the contractor's written demand. It is published twice, seven days apart, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.
The term "date of completion" as used in this section means the time when the owner or the general contractor for the improvement completes the publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or has been abandoned and an affidavit of the publication, together with a copy of the notice has been filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court where the property involved is situated; provided that notice of completion shall not be effective for any purpose unless prior to the notice there has been substantial completion of the improvement or the improvement has been actually abandoned; and provided further that the notice shall not be published by the contractor until after the contractor has first made written demand upon the owner to publish the notice and the owner has failed to publish the notice within five days from the date of the demand.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(f) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
The notice required herein shall be published twice, seven days apart, in a newspaper of general circulation, printed and published in the county in which the property involved is situated, and the publishing newspaper shall promptly file the affidavit of publication above mentioned in the office of the clerk.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(f) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
If a valid notice of completion is not published and filed within one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement, the date of completion is one year after actual completion or abandonment.
If a valid notice of completion is not published and filed within one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement the "date of completion" shall be deemed to be one year after actual completion or abandonment.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 507-43(g) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
How the days are counted
The day of the event is not counted, and the last day of the period is.
The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a Sunday or holiday and then it is also excluded.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 1-29 · Official text · retrieved 2026-09-30
A last day that falls on a Sunday or a legal holiday moves to the next day that is not one.
When so provided by the rules of court, a last day that is a Saturday also moves.
When so provided by the rules of court, the last day also shall be excluded if it is a Saturday.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 1-29 · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-02
Who the deadlines apply to
Hawaii's rules all name the same five roles: direct contractors, subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, suppliers and laborers. Each is written for any project type.
The first stage reads None required for all five roles [1][2]. Its statute blocks are § 507-42 and § 507-43(a). Under § 507-43(a), a lien claimant applies to the circuit court, and the lien attaches only when the court so orders [2].
How the periods run
Application and Notice. Each lien filing rule begins with a condition, and the statute names the filing itself the "Application and Notice" [2].
Where a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned is published and its affidavit of publication is filed, the period is 45 days after publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned is complete and the affidavit of publication is filed[2].
If a valid notice of completion is not published and filed within one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement, the period becomes 45 days after the date one year after the actual completion or abandonment of the improvement[2]. The calculator counts no date for this rule.
Land court registration. Where title to the property is registered in the land court and the lien is not claimed solely against the lessees' interest in one or more leasehold time share interests, one more step follows the court's order: A certified copy of the Order Directing Lien To Attach filed in the office of the assistant registrar of the land court within seven days after the order is entered[2]. Under § 507-43(b), the copy is filed to preserve the lien against later encumbrancers and purchasers of the property [2]. The calculator counts no date for it, since the entry of the order is not one of its inputs.
Suit to enforce. The deadline to sue runs from the court's order: Proceedings to enforce the lien commenced within three months after the entry of the Order Directing Lien to Attach[2]. Under § 507-43(e), the lien expires three months after that entry unless proceedings to enforce it are commenced within that time [2]. The entry of the order is not a calculator input either, so no date is counted.
Notice of completion
The date of completion, under § 507-43(f), arrives when the owner or the general contractor completes publication of a notice that the improvement has been completed or abandoned, and the affidavit of publication is filed with a copy of the notice in the office of the clerk of the circuit court [2]. The notice has no effect unless the improvement was substantially completed or actually abandoned before it. A contractor may publish it only after making a written demand on the owner and the owner failing to publish within five days [2]. Publication runs twice, seven days apart, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the property is situated [2].
Under § 507-43(g), when no valid notice is published and filed within one year after actual completion or abandonment, the date of completion is one year after actual completion or abandonment [2].
Counting the days
Section 1-29 leaves out the first day of a period and counts the last [3]. A last day that is a Sunday or a holiday is left out as well, at every stage [3]. When so provided by the rules of court, a last day that is a Saturday may also move [3].
Section 8-1 sets apart the state holidays [4]. Under § 8-2, a state holiday that falls on a Sunday is observed the following Monday, and one that falls on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday [5].
What changed recently
Section 507-43 was last amended by L 2019, c 111, § 32 [2].
