Hawaii physician non-compete law
Hawaii enforces physician non-competes within defined limits.
Hawaii treats a reasonable physician non-compete as binding, so assume yours will apply and negotiate the scope down before you sign. Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 5–25 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. Narrow the radius to the specific sites where you practiced, shorten the term, and ask for a defined buyout as a release valve.
- Posture
- Enforceable; courts apply reasonableness narrowly (physician-favorable)
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-10
- Radius that tends to stand
- 5–25 miles
- Term that tends to stand
- 12–24 months
Governing law: HRS § 480-4 (restraint of trade; statutory noncompete/nonsolicit ban under § 480-4(d) reaches only "technology business" employees (Act 158, 2015), not physicians)
These are the general rules for Hawaii. Your contract's exact radius, term, and buyout decide how it actually lands. See how your own clause compares — free.
Check your contract — free →A case that shaped this
Prudential Locations, LLC v. Gagnon (2022, Hawaii Supreme Court) — Invalidated a non-compete because restricting ordinary competition is not a legitimate ancillary purpose under HRS § 480-4(a); held a non-solicitation breach requires active initiation of contact. The controlling modern, employee-favorable standard.
The detailed picture
Hawaii has NO physician- or healthcare-specific non-compete statute as of 2026; physician covenants are governed by general common-law reasonableness within HRS § 480-4 (restraint of trade), under which a covenant must be ancillary to a legitimate purpose, reasonable in time/geography, and not injurious to the public — and merely suppressing ordinary competition is not a legitimate ancillary purpose (Gagnon). The only statutory ban (HRS § 480-4(d), Act 158 of 2015) voids noncompete/nonsolicit clauses for "technology business" employees and does not reach physicians. Post-Gagnon (2022) the Hawaii Supreme Court construes enforceability narrowly and leans toward the restrained employee; no 2023-2026 amendment, mandatory-buyout, duration/radius cap, or continuity-of-care rule has been enacted for physicians (2026 SB1161 targets only restaurant/retail employees), and the FTC's voided 2024 federal ban does not control.
Common questions
Are physician non-competes enforceable in Hawaii?
Hawaii enforces physician non-competes within defined limits. Governing law: HRS § 480-4 (restraint of trade; statutory noncompete/nonsolicit ban under § 480-4(d) reaches only "technology business" employees (Act 158, 2015), not physicians).
How far and how long can a Hawaii physician non-compete reach?
Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 5–25 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. The radius and term in your specific contract decide how it lands — check your own clause.
Other states
General legal information, not legal advice. Non-compete enforceability turns on the exact wording of your contract and your circumstances; this page describes the state's general posture as last reviewed 2026-06-10.