Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In Hawaii, hawaii follows the Uniform Probate Code pattern: no bond is required by default for a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings. In formal proceedings the court may order bond, but bond is not required if the will relieves the PR of it, unless an interested party requests bond and the court finds it desirable.
Does Hawaii require an executor to post a bond?
Hawaii follows the Uniform Probate Code pattern: no bond is required by default for a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings. In formal proceedings the court may order bond, but bond is not required if the will relieves the PR of it, unless an interested party requests bond and the court finds it desirable.
“No bond is required of a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings, except: (1) Upon the appointment of a special administrator where bond has been requested by an interested party and the court is satisfied that it is desirable; (2) When an executor or other personal representative is appointed to administer an estate under a will containing an express requirement of bond; or (3) When bond is required under section 560:3-605.”
Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:3-603
Can the will waive it in Hawaii?
Yes. In formal proceedings, bond is not required if the will relieves the personal representative of bond, unless bond has been requested by an interested party and the court is satisfied that it is desirable (HRS §560:3-603), and bond required by a will can be dispensed with in formal proceedings if the court determines it is not necessary.
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Can the heirs or beneficiaries waive it in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii has no provision letting heirs or beneficiaries waive bond themselves. An interested person may demand bond under §560:3-605 (and, in formal proceedings, ask the court to find bond desirable under §560:3-603), and under §560:3-604 an interested person may petition the court, which may excuse a requirement of bond.
If a bond is required, how much?
When a bond is required and the will or order does not specify the amount, Hawaii requires a bond in an amount not less than the person’s sworn best estimate of the value of the decedent’s personal estate and of the income expected from the personal and real estate during the next year, per its own bond-amount statute. On petition the court may excuse the bond or increase or reduce its amount.
“best estimate of the value of the personal estate of the decedent and of the income expected from the personal and real estate during the next year…in an amount not less than the estimate”
Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:3-604
What makes Hawaii different
Hawaii treats the proceeding types differently: in informal proceedings no bond is required unless an exception applies (a will can add a bond requirement), while in formal proceedings the court may order bond at appointment unless the will relieves the personal representative of it.
A note on sourcing: Justia returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch this session; FindLaw (a reputable mirror quoting HRS text verbatim with citation) was used, and the official capitol.hawaii.gov site was not separately attempted this session.
| Bond-requirement source | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:3-603 |
| Hawaii courts (general reference) | Hawaii judicial branch |
| Hawaii Secretary of State / legislature | Hawaii state government |
| Confidence | Medium |
Every statute quoted on this page was read directly from the state’s own legislature/code site this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from a reputable legal-citation mirror quoting the same official text with its official citation (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; a probate court has final discretion over bond in every state; confirm your own case with the court or a local attorney before relying on the default described here.
Related: how long creditors have to file a claim against an estate in Hawaii.