(a) It is a misdemeanor for any person, including a person who is exempt by § 444-2 from this chapter, to advertise with or without any limiting qualifications as a contractor unless such person holds a valid license under this chapter for the goods and services advertised. “Advertise” as used in this section includes, but is not limited to, the issuance of any card, sign, or device to any person; the causing, permitting, or allowing of any sign or marking on or in any building, vehicle or structure; or advertising in any newspaper or magazine; any listing or advertising in any directory under a classification or heading that includes the word “contractor”; or commercials broadcast by airwave transmission.

Attorney's Note

Under the Hawaii Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
misdemeanorup to 1 year$2,000
For details, see Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-663

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 444-9.2

  • Board: means the contractors license board. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 444-1
  • Contractor: means any person who by oneself or through others offers to undertake, or holds oneself out as being able to undertake, or does undertake to alter, add to, subtract from, improve, enhance, or beautify any realty or construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, move, wreck, or demolish any building, highway, road, railroad, excavation, or other structure, project, development, or improvement, or do any part thereof, including the erection of scaffolding or other structures or works in connection therewith. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 444-1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(b) A contractor may advertise in print or broadcast medium, as defined in subsection (a) only if the contractor includes in the advertisement or listing the contractor’s applicable and current license number, and provides proof of the number’s validity to the publisher or producer of the advertising medium. The publisher or producer of a print or broadcast advertising medium shall refuse to publish or broadcast an advertisement or listing for a contractor who does not comply with the provisions of this subsection. A publisher or producer who obtains a signed statement from the contractor which states that the contractor has read the text of the advertisement or listing, has an applicable and current contractors license for the goods and services advertised, has included all applicable and current license numbers in the advertisement or listing, and is aware of civil and criminal penalties for advertising as a contractor without a valid license, shall be entitled to a rebuttable presumption of compliance with this subsection.
(c) Upon entry of either a final order of the contractors license board pursuant to chapter 91 or a judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction finding that a contractor has advertised in violation of either § 444-9 or 444-9.2(a), the public utility furnishing telephone service to the contractor shall disconnect the telephone number contained in the advertisement or listing.
(d) The publisher or producer of a print or broadcast advertising medium shall not be liable in any suit, action, or claim arising from its refusal to list or accept advertisements pursuant to subsection (b). Good faith compliance by a public utility with subsection (c) is a complete defense to any civil or criminal action brought against it arising from the termination of telephone service.

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