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HRS §78-67

No bachelor's degree required for most state or county jobs

The state and its agencies cannot require a bachelor's degree for most state or county jobs. An exception exists only when the job's needed skills can only be learned through a bachelor's degree program, as decided by the hiring official.

countiesemployersstate agencies

The statute, as written — Bachelor's degree requirements for state or county employment; prohibition

(a) The State or any of its departments, agencies, or political subdivisions shall not require a bachelor's degree as a condition of eligibility for hire to a position in state or county employment. (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply if skills-based hiring is not a viable option because the knowledge, skills, or abilities required for the position for which an applicant is applying can only reasonably be obtained, as determined by the appointing authority, through a course of study in pursuit of, and culminating in the award of, a bachelor's degree.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.