Hawaii penny rounding law
Optional symmetric rounding of cash transactions to the nearest 5¢; totals of 1–2¢ round up to 5¢.
Hawaii cash rounding calculator
Enter a cash total, or item prices plus your sales tax rate. The result updates as you type.
The rounding rule
A cash transaction may be rounded up or down to the nearest five cents (1 and 2 cents down, 3 and 4 up, 6 and 7 down, 8 and 9 up). Cash transactions that total $0.01 or $0.02 are rounded up to $0.05. Rounding applies to the “total transaction amount,” which includes fees, surcharges and taxes.
Who it applies to
Persons selling goods or services for cash in Hawaii. An earlier version of the bill would have required merchants to accept cash; that requirement was removed before passage.
Customer notice
Act 159 does not require a customer sign.
Make a printable Hawaii cash rounding sign.
Sales tax
Act 159 has no tax provision. We found no Hawaii Department of Taxation guidance on rounding as of October 30, 2026. Because the rounded “total transaction amount” includes taxes, compute general excise tax on the actual price before rounding. More on sales tax and cash rounding.
What is not rounded
- Payment by negotiable instrument, electronic funds transfer, check, gift card, money order, credit card or similar method is not rounded.
Pennies, enforcement and safe harbors
The act does not require merchants to accept pennies or cash.
Rounding under the act is not a price misrepresentation under HRS § 486-116, and the act states that no private lawsuit may be brought to enforce the section.
The law
| Law | SB 3255 SD1 HD2 CD1, Act 159 (2026) |
|---|---|
| Signed | June 25, 2026 |
| Effective | July 1, 2026 (effective July 1, 2026) |
| Status | Law in effect |