HRS §305J-9
Getting permission to run a religious school in Hawaii
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗A seminary or religious training school must get state permission before operating in Hawaii. It can do this by joining a reciprocity agreement the state is part of, or by applying to the director on the state's form and proving it is a real religious school and a post-secondary school. The law does not stop the school from seeking accreditation.
The statute, as written — Authorization to operate in the State; seminary or religious training institutions
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
(a) To operate in the State, a seminary or religious training institution shall : (1) Be party to a reciprocity agreement to which the State is a member; or (2) Apply for, on a form prescribed by the department, and receive authorization from the director; provided that the institution shall establish that it qualifies as a bona fide religious training institution and as an institution of post-secondary education. (b) Nothing in this section shall preclude a seminary or religious training institution from seeking accreditation.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.