RICO Overview/Services
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The Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) is a statewide agency of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. RICO enforces the regulatory standards of over forty professions, occupations, and programs by receiving, investigating, and prosecuting complaints.
RICO'S AREAS OF JURISDICTION
- Enforcement of licensing laws for the boards and programs licensed by DCCA's Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (PVL).
- State Certified Arbitration Program (SCAP)- Lemon vehicles
Organization
RICO has the Consumer Resource Center (CRC), with whom you can check on complaint history of a business or individual you wish to hire. If you have a complaint, you should also call CRC to discuss your situation and potentially file a complaint. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions to understand how RICO can help you with your complaint. If RICO can help you with your complaint, you may be contacted by RICO's field investigation and legal sections. RICO has field investigation units in Kona and Hilo and on the islands of Kauai, Maui and Oahu.
Education
RICO provides consumer brochures to help you with the hiring of certain licensed professionals. There are also links at this site to general consumer tips and other resources on websites outside of DCCA.