What is the minimum age to work as a youth sports referee in Hawaii?

14 (10+ newspaper; 12-13 limited agriculture) Parent-employed exempt; no referee carve-out. State law keys on 'employ/permit to work' - no 1099 carve-out; misclassifying minor officials as contractors does not avoid child-labor rules.

When is a final paycheck due in Hawaii if you let someone go?

Immediately or next working day Penalties under HRS 388-10. PTO per policy.

How does Hawaii decide whether a coach or referee is a 1099 contractor or an employee?

FLSA-modeled economic reality, HRS 387-1 defines 'employ' as 'to permit or suffer to work' with no statutory IC test in ch. 387. The ABC test applies only to UI (HRS 383-6).

Does a youth sports league in Hawaii need workers' compensation for 1099 referees and coaches?

Hawaii requires coverage from the first employee and does not cover independent contractors. HRS 386-1 defines "employee" as any individual in the employment of another under a contract of hire, with no statutory contractor test; the Department of Labor and courts apply both the common-law control test and the relative-nature-of-the-work test, so either control over the work or integration into the hirer's regular business can establish employment (Locations, Inc. v. Hawaii Dept. of Labor, 79 Haw. 208 (1995)). Hawaii has no waiver or exemption certificate for 1099 workers; sole proprietors and partners are not employees and may buy voluntary coverage. The chain-of-liability rule is strong: an independent contractor performing work under contract is deemed the employer of all workers on that contract, including subcontractors' employees, and other employers up the chain are secondarily liable (HRS 386-1). HRS 386-1 "employment" exclusions cover unpaid volunteers for nonprofits, some domestic service and the like, but not sports officials. Unemployment uses the ABC test (HRS 383-6) and no sports-official exclusion was found. Bottom line: no safe harbor for referees or coaches; a league whose referees and coaches work regularly within its programs is likely their employer under the relative-nature test and should carry a policy covering them, or face uninsured-employer penalties under HRS 386-123.

For youth sports organizations and event operators · Hawaii rulebook

Youth sports labor rules in Hawaii: who can you put in the game, and what do you owe them?

State rules for everyone a youth sports organization pays: coaches and trainers on payroll, officials and event staff on 1099, program and front-office staff, and the teenagers you hire for a season. Wages, final pay, minors, contractor status, workers' comp, safe sport and youth safety, 50 states + DC, checked against statute text.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 202651 jurisdictions · 32 rules each

Step 1

Pick the state where the work happens

Rules follow where people work, not where you are based. Running an event? Use the event state. Operating a club or league? Use the state where your staff coach, officiate and work.

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Set a role, age and pay type below to see which rules apply to your organization.

Step 2

Check a staffing plan

Tell us who you are paying, how old they are, and whether they are on payroll or 1099. We rank what applies.

State where the work happens

Role

Worker age

Paid as

Not sure if someone should be 1099 or on payroll?Answer 5 plain-English questions. We explain the sticking points in your state.5-question check

Tourney Direct does not decide classification. Confirm with a tax advisor or attorney before you onboard anyone as a contractor.

Step 3

Everything on file for Hawaii

All 32 rules for this state, with the statutes and agency pages they came from.

Wages and pay
Minimum wage (2026): $16.00; $18.00 on 1/1/2028
Required pay frequency: Semi-monthly (monthly by election)
Final paycheck if you let them go: Immediately or next working day
Final paycheck if they quit: Next regular payday (immediately if ≥1 pay period notice)
Final-pay penalties: Penalties under HRS 388-10. PTO per policy.
State income tax withholding: Yes
Workers' comp required at: 1+
New-hire report due (days): 20
Minors
Minimum working age: 14 (10+ newspaper; 12-13 limited agriculture)
Work permit: Yes: Certificate of Employment under 16 and Certificate of Age 16-17, both issued by HI DLIR (eWork online)
Ages 14 to 15, school in session: 3 hrs/day, 18 hrs/wk, 6 days; 7am-7pm
Ages 14 to 15, summer and breaks: 8 hrs/day, 40 hrs/wk, 6 days; 6am-9pm during authorized school breaks
Ages 16 to 17: None: federal has none
Weekend and evening games: 6-day cap for 14-15; 9pm only during official school breaks (not ordinary weekends)
Referee, coach and recreation exemptions: Parent-employed exempt; no referee carve-out. State law keys on 'employ/permit to work' - no 1099 carve-out; misclassifying minor officials as contractors does not avoid child-labor rules.
Contractors and leave
How this state decides 1099 vs. payroll: FLSA-modeled economic reality, HRS 387-1 defines 'employ' as 'to permit or suffer to work' with no statutory IC test in ch. 387. The ABC test applies only to UI (HRS 383-6).
Same question, for unemployment insurance: ABC test (HRS 383-6)
Referee-specific rule: None found (no officials-specific statute; general tests apply)
Workers' comp for 1099 referees and coaches: Hawaii requires coverage from the first employee and does not cover independent contractors. HRS 386-1 defines "employee" as any individual in the employment of another under a contract of hire, with no statutory contractor test; the Department of Labor and courts apply both the common-law control test and the relative-nature-of-the-work test, so either control over the work or integration into the hirer's regular business can establish employment (Locations, Inc. v. Hawaii Dept. of Labor, 79 Haw. 208 (1995)). Hawaii has no waiver or exemption certificate for 1099 workers; sole proprietors and partners are not employees and may buy voluntary coverage. The chain-of-liability rule is strong: an independent contractor performing work under contract is deemed the employer of all workers on that contract, including subcontractors' employees, and other employers up the chain are secondarily liable (HRS 386-1). HRS 386-1 "employment" exclusions cover unpaid volunteers for nonprofits, some domestic service and the like, but not sports officials. Unemployment uses the ABC test (HRS 383-6) and no sports-official exclusion was found. Bottom line: no safe harbor for referees or coaches; a league whose referees and coaches work regularly within its programs is likely their employer under the relative-nature test and should carry a policy covering them, or face uninsured-employer penalties under HRS 386-123.
Seasonal or recreation carve-out: HRS 387-1 'employee' para. (13) excludes seasonal youth camp staff in a resident situation at a 501-exempt nonprofit or ACA-accredited youth camp; also excludes employees whose wages are governed by FLSA unless state rate is higher. No general seasonal amusement/recreation or coach exemption.
Paid sick leave: No: Hawaii DLIR: 'paid vacation and sick leave is not required by law.' No paid sick leave mandate enacted in the 2026 session (NFIB end-of-session report; checked 9/9/2026).
Paid family and medical leave: No (TDI is disability only; PFML bills pending)
What it costs to get it wrong: HRS 383/386 audit penalties; no per-worker statute
Safety
Background checks: None statewide: check county/league policy (HRS §846-2.7 permits checks for youth-serving orgs).
Safe sport: state law: No state safe-sport statute for private youth leagues; federal SafeSport Act baseline and NGB rules apply. Hawaii has no statute requiring abuse-prevention or SafeSport-style training for youth coaches, staff or volunteers, no mandated written two-adult, one-on-one, electronic communication, locker room or travel policies, and no abuse information-sheet duty to parents for private leagues, clubs, camps or tournaments. Concussion education requirements (HRS 302A-1104.5) apply to DOE and private school athletics and, since 2016, to youth athletic programs for ages 11 to 18, with parent information sheets, which is the only youth-league coach education mandate. No Hawaii statute references the U.S. Center for SafeSport Code or the federal SafeSport Act, and there is no coach-specific hazing offense. Paid employees of agencies providing recreational or sports activities are mandatory reporters, volunteers are not (HRS 350-1.1(a)(7), see mandatory_reporter_coaches); background checks are permissive under HRS 846-2.7 (see background_check_youth_sports). Bills in the 2025 and 2026 sessions (for example HB 267 on AEDs and CPR training for school coaches) address school emergency readiness, not abuse prevention; no youth-sports safe-sport bill was identified.
Safe sport: federal SafeSport Act and NGB rules: Nationally, the SafeSport Act (36 U.S.C. 220541-220543, as amended by Pub. L. 116-189 in 2020; no enacted amendments since, the Safer Sports for Athletes Act remains pending) requires USOPC national governing bodies and the amateur sports organizations they sanction or that compete interstate with adults in regular contact with minors to deliver SafeSport Core training, adopt MAAPP-style policies limiting one-on-one adult-minor contact, and report suspected child abuse to law enforcement within 24 hours and to the Center. Hawaii-specific: paid club coaches are state mandatory reporters who must report immediately to DHS or police (HRS 350-1.1), stricter than the federal window, while volunteer coaches are bound only by the federal 24-hour duty. Interstate travel for Hawaii clubs is routine, so most competitive clubs fall squarely within the Act. HHSAA uses NFHS coach education.
Concussion law: HRS §302A-1? (Act 197, 2012; Act 262, 2016), school (DOE/HHSAA) AND youth sports organizations using DOE facilities; coach training; RTP clearance by licensed health-care provider.
Sudden cardiac arrest law: None.
CPR and AED: None statewide for youth leagues.
Coaches as mandated reporters: Paid coaches yes; volunteers no, HRS §350-1.1(a)(7) names 'employees of any public or private agency providing recreational or sports activities.' Statute says 'employees' only; unpaid volunteer coaches are not named.
Coach certification: None.
Assault-on-official law: Yes: HRS §706-605.6 (Act 58, SLH 2020; amended Act 140, SLH 2023): court may enjoin a person convicted of assaulting/threatening a sports official from attending similar events up to 12 months (life for 2nd offense); 'sports official' includes umpires, referees, timers, scorers and coaches, paid or volunteer. HB 1888 (2026, 'Safety of Educational Workers') signed as Act 234 on July 13, 2026, adds protections for educational workers and sports officials (AG assistance with protective orders; earlier felony-enhancement language was narrowed in committee). Checked 9/9/2026.

All states

Rulebook by state

Hawaii at a glance: minimum wage $16.00; $18.00 on 1/1/2028. Final paycheck when you let someone go: Immediately or next working day. Minimum working age: 14 (10+ newspaper; 12-13 limited agriculture). Background checks for youth sports: None statewide: check county/league policy (HRS §846-2.7 permits checks for youth-serving orgs).