Galliumnitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices are available in a limited current range at nominal device voltages of typically 650V. A parallelization of GaN devices enables the realization of converters with increased power. Since GaN power semiconductors feature a high switching speed, a well-designed circuit layout is required to enable a symmetric current distribution of parallel GaN devices. The very fast short circuit protection is a further demanding challenge. This paper presents a characterization of the short circuit type 1 and type 2 behavior of parallel connected GaN HEMTs for different driving conditions. The influence of important design parameters is considered.