Recent major legal change

Surrogacy laws in Hawaii

Hawaii adopted a substantially updated parentage framework in 2025. Chapter 584A now contains express rules for gestational-surrogacy agreements, parentage and enforcement.

Gestational-surrogacy agreements

Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 584A provides a statutory framework for gestational-surrogacy agreements. An agreement that satisfies the statutory requirements is enforceable, subject to the protections and exceptions in the law.

Medical autonomy

The statute does not allow specific performance to force a gestational surrogate to undergo an embryo transfer, terminate or continue a pregnancy, or submit to medical procedures. The surrogate remains the patient and retains control over her medical decisions.

Parentage

The updated law provides rules for parentage under qualifying gestational-surrogacy agreements and permits a court proceeding before, on or after birth for orders addressing parentage and birth-record information. The exact procedure should still be confirmed for the specific case.

What this means for a surrogate

Because the framework is recent, use independent Hawaii reproductive counsel to review the current statute, agreement requirements, compensation and expenses, insurance, medical autonomy and expected parentage procedure before treatment begins.

Use the current law, not an older Hawaii guide.

Confirm the 2025 framework and your agreement with independent counsel.

Read legal considerations