The mediator board in Hawaii is not a licensing board

Last updated 2026-08-21

Do you need a license to mediate in Hawaii?

No. Hawaii issues no statewide occupational license that you must hold before you mediate a private case or call yourself a mediator. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional and Vocational Licensing Division publishes the boards and programs it actually regulates. A mediator board is not on that list. ^[5]

Court work is a different pile of paper. A judge, a circuit ADR coordinator, or a community center can still keep you off a roster if you skip their local rules. That is program access, not a state license.

Someone tries to sell you a Hawaii mediator license packet? Walk away. That product does not exist. What exists is contract work in the private market, volunteer and staff roles at community mediation centers, and court-annexed panels that each write their own intake rules.

Non-attorneys mediate in Hawaii every week. Attorneys who sit as neutrals carry an extra ethics layer under the Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct. Rule 2.4 requires a lawyer serving as a third-party neutral to tell unrepresented parties that the lawyer is not representing them. ^[6] You still do not pick up a DCCA mediator card.

I would not spend a dollar chasing a credential that sounds official. I would spend it on a real basic training course, liability insurance, and (if you plan to charge fees) ordinary Hawaii business and tax setup. The license myth is imported from states that wrote mediator certification into a single court rulebook. Hawaii built a judiciary ADR center and a privilege statute instead. ^[1][3]

Is there a Hawaii mediator board that issues credentials?

No licensing board. Yes, program offices that people casually call the board.

The closest statutory office is the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, created inside the Judiciary. HRS §613-1 established that center. It is an ADR resource for courts and the public. It is not a vocational board, and it does not hand out a portable statewide mediator license. ^[1]

When practitioners say they applied to the board, they usually mean one of four things. A circuit court roster or settlement panel. The Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program. A community mediation center that screens volunteers. Or CADR staff who design and support court ADR. Those offices can require training hours, observations, references, and conflict checks. They can also say no.

That local-roster model sits closer to the Arizona mediator board setup than to a medical board.

Need a hard fact for a website bio? Use this. DCCA's Professional and Vocational Licensing Division lists no mediator board among its licensing programs. ^[5] HRS Chapter 613 creates no licensing scheme. ^[1] Anything you put after your name (advanced practitioner, court qualified, roster member) should name the actual program. Vague board certified language is how people talk themselves into advertising trouble.

Confirm every current form with the office that owns the roster. Pages move. Coordinators change. I will not invent a processing time or a quota, because the Judiciary publishes no single statewide clock.

What does the Hawaii Judiciary CADR actually do?

CADR helps the courts and the public use cheaper, faster dispute processes than a full trial calendar. It sits in the Judiciary under HRS Chapter 613. HRS §613-3 sets out its functions, which include supporting ADR programs rather than testing and licensing private neutrals. ^[2]

In practice you meet CADR's work as court-annexed mediation, settlement projects, training resources, and referrals toward community mediation centers. The Judiciary describes its alternative dispute resolution services as a system resource, not a professional licensing desk.

Do not mail CADR a license application. There is not one. If you want court cases, ask the specific court which roster, contractor list, or volunteer panel it uses this year. First Circuit on Oahu is not interchangeable with Second Circuit on Maui, Third Circuit on Hawaii Island, or Fifth Circuit on Kauai.

I like CADR as a research stop. I would not treat a chat with CADR staff as admission to practice. Get the written program rules. Read them. Then apply where the cases you want actually sit.

Community centers do a large share of the face-to-face work people picture when they say mediator hawaii. On Oahu that often means the Mediation Center of the Pacific. On Hawaii Island, Ku'ikahi Mediation Center is the name you will hear. Maui Mediation Services covers the Second Circuit's community docket. Those centers have their own boards of directors. That is nonprofit governance. Still not a state license. Confirm each center's current volunteer path before you plan a start date.

How do Hawaii court mediator rosters work?

They are local. There is no single statewide court mediator list that automatically covers every island and every case type.

The Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program is a concrete example. The Judiciary publishes a program page for appellate mediation and explains that selected civil appeals can go to mediation. Eligibility, timing, and who sits as the mediator are program rules. Confirm them on the current page before you tell a client you handle appeals.

Trial-level practice splits by court and case type. Family court parenting and divorce referrals do not use the same intake as a commercial circuit court settlement conference. District court and small claims work often runs through community centers or volunteer panels. Federal court in the District of Hawaii is another system entirely.

Paper that often shows up (this is a pattern, not a promise): a training certificate, a resume, references, a description of subject-matter experience, and written conflict procedures. HRS §658H-9 requires a mediator to inquire into and disclose facts that a reasonable person would think affect impartiality before accepting a mediation. ^[9] Build that disclosure habit even if a coordinator never asks.

Pick one circuit and one case type for the first year. Chasing every island at once is how people collect incomplete packets. Want a comparison to a heavier court-certification culture? Read how California court panels differ. Hawaii is lighter on statewide rules and heavier on local custom.

How much does it cost to become a mediator in Hawaii?

There is no statewide mediator license fee, because there is no statewide mediator license. ^[5]

Your real cash out the door is training, insurance, ordinary business setup, and travel between islands if you chase more than one circuit. Training tuition is set by the provider. Community mediation centers and private trainers both teach basic courses. A 40-hour basic mediation course is the usual gate for volunteer panels. Confirm this year's price with the school. I will not invent a tuition number.

Skip paid certification mills that imply Hawaii has a state card. That is money in the trash. If you want a paper checklist for a 40-hour course and a roster packet, MediatorPath publishes a $149 one-time 40-Hour + Roster Kit at /start. MediatorPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a placement service.

Business costs are separate. If you charge fees, Hawaii's general excise tax law reaches gross receipts from services. HRS §237-13 imposes GET on business activities in the state. ^[10] Confirm the current rate and filing method with the Department of Taxation. Entity registration, if you form an LLC or corporation, runs through DCCA's Business Registration Division, which is not PVL and is not a mediator board. ^[11]

Professional liability coverage for neutrals is optional as a matter of state licensing. I still would not work without it. Premiums vary by volume and claims history. Confirm with a broker who actually writes mediator policies.

First-year budget reality: training plus insurance plus GET compliance will dwarf any imaginary license fee. Plan for that. Do not plan for a board invoice that never arrives.

How much does a mediator cost in Hawaii for a case?

There is no official statewide mediator fee schedule I can honestly quote as current. Private mediators set their own rates. Community centers often use sliding scales or court contracts. Some court programs use volunteers.

If a website lists a single average Hawaii mediator hourly rate, treat it as marketing unless it cites a dated survey. Nobody has a clean public dataset for private mediator hawaii fees. The closest official wage series mixes arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators in one federal occupation code, and it is an employment wage series, not a private session price list. I am not going to recycle that number as if it were what you invoice a divorcing couple in Kailua.

Here is what I would do. Ask for the fee in writing. Ask whether it is per hour, per party, or per half day. Ask about cancellation. Ask whether the community center runs a current hardship scale. For court-ordered work, ask the clerk or the ADR coordinator whether the parties pay, the court pays, or the mediator donates the time.

Path	State license fee	Who sets case fees	Paper you handle
Private practice	None	You and the parties	Contract, 658H disclosures, GET
Community center	None	Center policy	Center application, training cert
Court roster	None statewide	Program rules or the parties	Roster forms, conflicts, resume
Lawyer as neutral	None extra	You and the parties	HRPC 2.4 plus disclosures

Party cost is also time. A half-day civil mediation plus briefing can run past the invoice once lawyers sit in. Family cases that need three short sessions can cost less per sitting and more across the month.

Pricing your own services? Look at mediator cost in Colorado and mediator cost in Florida only as context. Those markets are not Honolulu, Hilo, or Lihue. Price to your case type and your island.

How long does it take to become a mediator in Hawaii?

There is no state processing time, because there is no license application sitting in a DCCA queue. ^[5]

A basic 40-hour mediation course is usually taught over one intensive week or several weekends. That is the common community-center starting line, not a statute I can point to as a statewide hour minimum. Confirm the current calendar with the trainer. Some centers also want you to observe or co-mediate before you solo a case. Those extra steps can add weeks or a few months, depending on case flow. Nobody publishes a reliable median.

Court roster placement is a local decision. I will not promise a number of days. Programs open and close. Some want subject-matter experience (construction, family, employment) that you either already have or you do not. Building that experience is measured in cases, not in a stamped waiting period.

Already mediate in another state? Hawaii still does not copy your roster status. Budget time to redo local paperwork. Compare the lighter Alaska mediator board path and the heavier Florida mediator board path if you like state-by-state contrast. Then come back and ask the Hawaii circuit you actually care about.

I would block one quarter for training plus observations, and I would refuse to quote clients a start date until a named program has accepted me. Anything faster is a private practice with no court badge, which is legal, and which still takes as long as it takes you to line up a contract, insurance, and a GET account.

How long does a mediation take in Hawaii?

A single session often runs a half day or a full day. Multi-issue family or construction cases can take several shorter meetings over weeks. No statute sets a universal session length.

Appellate mediation follows the Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program's timing rules, which sit on top of the appeal calendar. Confirm the current program description rather than assuming trial-level habits apply.

Court-ordered family mediation can be a short parenting-plan meeting or a longer series. Do not confuse parent-education classes with mediation. They get mixed up in hallway talk. They are not the same paper.

Private commercial cases last as long as the people in the room stay willing to bargain. I schedule a full day when the file is thick and the lawyers are flying in. I schedule two hours when the fight is a single number. If you want a hard booking rule, you will not find it in HRS 658H. That chapter covers privilege and mediator duties, not the kitchen timer. ^[3]

Tell parties the difference between session time and case time in the first email. That one sentence prevents a lot of angry fee disputes.

Interisland travel changes the clock too. A Maui morning session with Honolulu counsel is not a 9 a.m. start in anyone's real life. Build the flight into the plan, more than the conference room.

What paper do you actually need for Hawaii court work?

Start with the program's current application. Not a generic national form.

Expect some mix of identity information, training certificates, a short practice history, references, and a written conflicts process. Keep a template disclosure that tracks HRS §658H-9 so you can show how you inquire and what you disclose before you accept a case. ^[9]

If you are a lawyer, add the Rule 2.4 conversation to your opening script and, if the program wants it, to your form. ^[6] If you are not a lawyer, do not borrow lawyer letterhead and do not imply you can give legal advice. That is how non-attorney neutrals land in real trouble.

Privilege paper matters too. HRS Chapter 658H is Hawaii's Uniform Mediation Act. The statute says the chapter "may be cited as the Uniform Mediation Act." ^[12] Read the scope section before you promise confidentiality in a flyer. Not every hallway chat is a mediation communication. ^[4]

Many Hawaii programs also point neutrals toward the ABA Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators. Those standards say they "are designed to serve as fundamental ethical guidelines for persons mediating in all practice contexts." ^[13] They are ethics guidance, not a Hawaii license.

I keep a folder with the statute, the program rules, my training cert, insurance declarations, and blank intake forms. I do not keep a fake license. There is nothing to laminate.

Confirm filing method (email, portal, paper) with the circuit. I will not invent a clerk's preferred format.

What rules protect mediation communications in Hawaii?

Hawaii adopted the Uniform Mediation Act as HRS Chapter 658H. The privilege rule is the one parties actually care about. HRS §658H-4 states: "Except as otherwise provided in section 658H-6, a mediation communication is privileged as provided in subsection (b) and is not subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in a proceeding unless waived or precluded as provided by section 658H-5." ^[3]

Read that twice. Privilege can be waived. Exceptions live in 658H-6. Do not market everything said here stays here, period. That sentence is not what the statute says.

HRS §658H-3 sets the scope. Some proceedings and some communications sit outside the chapter. ^[4] Mediate a dispute the scope section excludes, and your flyer confidentiality promise overshoots the law.

HRS §658H-9 still makes you look for conflicts and speak up. Privilege is not a shield for hiding a conflict. ^[9]

I would put a short, accurate confidentiality paragraph in every agreement to mediate, cite HRS Chapter 658H, and refuse to improvise exceptions in the room. If a party wants a broader contractual confidentiality clause, that is a contract issue on top of the statute. Get your own legal advice on the wording. This article is a reference. It is not legal advice.

Can you mediate in Hawaii with mainland training?

Yes for private cases, with ordinary business setup. Maybe for a court roster, if that roster accepts the training you already have. Confirm with the program. There is no automatic reciprocity statute for mediator credentials, because there is no license to reciprocate.

A 40-hour basic course from a known community program or a well-run private institute is usually the conversation starter. Exotic specialty certificates impress marketing pages more than court coordinators. I would rather show observed hours and two co-mediations than a wall of pins.

If your training is old, take a current ethics and HRS 658H refresher before you apply. Coordinators notice when your materials still talk about another state's privilege rule.

Working across islands means travel cost and sometimes a second set of local customs. The Fifth Circuit is not a satellite office of the First Circuit. Ask.

For a feel of how other states handle no license, local roster, the Arizona roster model is useful contrast. For a state that built a heavier court certification machine, Florida is the other pole. Neither one files your Hawaii packet for you.

What should you confirm with the circuit before you take a case?

Confirm four boring things in writing. Whether the case type is even eligible for that program. Who pays you, if anyone. What disclosure form they want. How a party complains if the process goes badly.

Then confirm the current contact person. Program pages on the Judiciary site get reorganized. An old PDF in your downloads folder is not the rule.

Appellate matter? Start with the Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program page, not with trial-court folklore. If the matter is a private commercial case with no court order, you do not need a roster at all. You need a signed agreement to mediate, a conflicts check, and a fee term.

I would also confirm parking, language access, and whether the session is remote. Those are not in HRS 613. They still blow up a morning.

Do not promise a settlement. Do not promise admission to a roster. Do not promise how long CADR or a clerk will take to return an email. Variable facts get confirmed with the office that owns them.

What would I actually do in the first year as a Hawaii mediator?

I would take one solid 40-hour course, preferably one that lets me observe live cases after. I would volunteer or shadow at a community center before I printed private-practice cards. I would register the tax and entity paper if I planned to invoice. I would buy insurance. I would read HRS 658H and, if I am a lawyer, HRPC 2.4. I would skip the motivational workbook.

I would not buy a framed Hawaii certified mediator product. I would not apply to every circuit at once. I would not quote a court a start date I do not control.

Private work can start as soon as you have a contract, a conflicts process, and (if you are charging) GET compliance. Court-connected work starts when a named program says you are on the list. Those are different clocks. Treat them that way.

Want a simple roster-and-training paper kit after you have read the statutes yourself? The MediatorPath 40-Hour + Roster Kit is at /start. Read the Judiciary pages and the statutes first. The kit does not replace them.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license for mediator in hawaii?

No. Hawaii does not require a statewide occupational license to mediate private cases. DCCA's Professional and Vocational Licensing Division lists no mediator board. Court and community programs can still require their own training, observations, and roster forms. Confirm those local gates with the circuit or center. Do not buy a product that pretends to be a Hawaii mediator license.

How much does mediator cost in hawaii?

There is no statewide license fee and no official statewide session-fee schedule. Private mediators set their own rates. Community centers often use sliding scales. Some court programs use volunteers. Confirm the current number in writing with the mediator or the center. Also budget GET if you will invoice for services, and confirm the current tax rate with the Department of Taxation.

How long does mediator take in hawaii?

There is no DCCA processing clock, because there is no license application. A common 40-hour basic course runs about a week or several weekends. Center observations can add weeks or a few months depending on case flow. A single mediation session is often a half day or a full day. Multi-session family matters stretch longer. Confirm calendars with the trainer and the program.

Is mediation a DCCA licensed profession in Hawaii?

No. DCCA PVL publishes the boards it regulates, and a mediator board is not among them. If you form an LLC or corporation you may still use DCCA's Business Registration Division. That is entity paper, not a mediator credential. Charging fees also pulls you into Hawaii GET compliance under HRS Chapter 237. Confirm both with the current agency pages.

Do I need to be a lawyer to mediate in Hawaii?

No. Non-attorneys mediate private and community cases. Some court rosters prefer or require legal or subject-matter experience for certain case types. Confirm that with the specific roster. Lawyers who sit as neutrals must follow HRPC Rule 2.4 and tell unrepresented parties they are not representing them. Non-lawyers must not imply they can give legal advice.

What is CADR and is it the mediator board?

CADR is the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution inside the Hawaii Judiciary. HRS §613-1 established it. It supports court and public use of ADR. It does not issue a portable statewide mediator license. People call it the board out of habit. Treat it as a program office. Ask which roster actually owns the cases you want.

Does HRS 658H apply to community mediation?

HRS Chapter 658H is Hawaii's Uniform Mediation Act. Privilege and disclosure rules apply when the matter fits the chapter's definitions and scope. Read HRS §658H-3 before you promise confidentiality. Some communications and proceedings sit outside the statute. Community centers usually have their own agreement to mediate on top of the statute. Confirm both documents.

Are mediator rules different on each Hawaiian island?

Yes in practice. The First, Second, Third, and Fifth Circuits run their own ADR intake. A First Circuit habit is not a Fifth Circuit rule. Community centers also differ by island. Confirm the current application, fee practice, and training gate with the circuit or center that will actually assign the case. Do not assume Oahu paper works on Kauai.

Do I pay GET on mediation fees in Hawaii?

If you charge for services in Hawaii, general excise tax is the ordinary business tax to check. HRS §237-13 imposes GET on business activities. This is not a mediator license tax. Confirm whether your facts create a GET filing duty and confirm the current rate with the Department of Taxation. Do not copy a rate off an old blog post.

Can I advertise as a certified Hawaii mediator?

You can describe a real credential you actually hold, such as a named center's roster status or a completed 40-hour course. You should not imply DCCA licensed you. There is no statewide mediator license to certify. Vague board certified language is sloppy and easy to challenge. Name the program. Date the training. Stop there.

How do I get on the Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program roster?

Start with the Judiciary's current Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program page and follow that program's intake, not a trial-court rumor. Eligibility and mediator selection are program rules. I will not invent a quota or a processing time. Confirm the live instructions before you tell anyone you handle appeals. Private trial mediation experience does not automatically transfer.

Does a 40-hour mediation certificate expire in Hawaii?

No statewide statute sets an expiration date, because the 40-hour course is a common program gate, not a DCCA license term. A center or circuit can still want recent training, observations, or an ethics refresher. Confirm that office's current recency rule. If your certificate is old and cites another state's privilege statute, update your materials before you apply.

Sources

1. Hawaii Revised Statutes §613-1, Center for alternative dispute resolution; established: HRS §613-1 established the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution inside the Judiciary, not a licensing board.
2. Hawaii Revised Statutes §613-3, Functions: HRS §613-3 assigns CADR program-support functions rather than vocational testing and licensing of private mediators.
3. Hawaii Revised Statutes §658H-4, Privilege against disclosure; admissibility; discovery: HRS §658H-4 makes mediation communications privileged and generally not discoverable or admissible unless waived or excepted.
4. Hawaii Revised Statutes §658H-3, Scope: HRS §658H-3 limits which mediations and communications fall under the Uniform Mediation Act.
5. Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Boards and Programs: DCCA PVL's published boards and programs list does not include a mediator licensing board.
6. Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 2.4 (Lawyer Serving as Third-Party Neutral): HRPC Rule 2.4 requires a lawyer serving as a third-party neutral to inform unrepresented parties that the lawyer is not representing them.
7. Hawaii Revised Statutes §658H-9, Mediator's disclosure of conflicts of interest; background: HRS §658H-9 requires a prospective mediator to inquire into and disclose facts likely to affect impartiality before accepting a mediation.
8. Hawaii Revised Statutes §237-13, Imposition of tax: HRS §237-13 imposes Hawaii general excise tax on business activities, which can include fee-for-service mediation.
9. Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division, Business registration: Forming an LLC or corporation in Hawaii is a Business Registration Division filing, separate from any PVL professional license.
10. Hawaii Revised Statutes §658H-1, Short title: HRS §658H-1 provides that the chapter may be cited as the Uniform Mediation Act.
11. American Bar Association, Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators (September 2005): The ABA Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators are written as fundamental ethical guidelines for mediators in all practice contexts, not as a Hawaii license.