Maui County, HI Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Maui County Code § 19.38.060, MRTP use table
- Zoning status
- Permitted (P) in all five MRTP sub-districts
- Excluded activity
- Animal and livestock raising is not covered
- Countywide definition
- Beekeeping classed as agriculture, § 19.04.040
- Dedicated apiary rule
- None found in Titles 6, 8, or 19
Summary
Maui County's zoning code lists beekeeping as a permitted use, by right, in every sub-district of the Maui Research & Technology Park, including its Residential sub-district: the district's use table under Maui County Code § 19.38.060 marks beekeeping "P" for Employment/Campus, Mixed-Use, Residential, Civic, and Open Space/Park alike. Countywide, Title 19's definitions also classify beekeeping as agriculture, but no chapter sets hive limits or setbacks.
Employment/ Campus Mixed -Use Residential Civic Open Space/Park ... P P P P P Greenhouses, flower and truck gardens, nurseries, community gardens, beekeeping, and other similar agricultural uses excluding animal and livestock raising
Full Breakdown
060 of the Maui County Code, the permitted-and-accessory-use table for the Maui Research & Technology Park district, lists "Greenhouses, flower and truck gardens, nurseries, community gardens, beekeeping, and other similar agricultural uses excluding animal and livestock raising" and marks it "P" (permitted) in all five of the district's sub-areas: Employment/Campus, Mixed-Use, Residential, Civic, and Open Space/Park. That means a resident within this master-planned district's residential sub-area may keep bees without a conditional-use permit or public hearing, so long as the activity does not cross into "animal and livestock raising," which the same row excludes.
040, folds beekeeping into the general definition of "agriculture," alongside fruit, vegetable, and flower growing, forestry, aquaculture, grazing, and dairying, meaning beekeeping is treated as an agricultural pursuit wherever agriculture is a listed permitted use in a district's own use table, not only within the Maui Research & Technology Park. Outside that one master-planned area, the code carries no dedicated apiary ordinance: there is no county-wide hive count cap, minimum lot size, water-source requirement, or property-line setback specific to bees anywhere in Titles 6 (Animals), 8 (Health and Safety), or 19 (Zoning) as found in this code.
A beekeeper in a standard residential or agricultural district therefore relies on whichever district's use table treats "agriculture" or a similar use as permitted or accessory, and on Title 8's general nuisance provisions if the hives create a genuine hazard, rather than on any beekeeping-specific rule.
Violations & Fines
Because beekeeping is a listed permitted use rather than a conditional one within the Maui Research & Technology Park district, no separate permit or penalty attaches to keeping bees there. Zoning violations elsewhere in Title 19, such as running an agricultural use a district's table does not permit, are enforced under Maui County Code § 19.530.030: the planning director can issue a notice of violation and order a civil fine up to $1,000, plus up to $1,000 for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep bees in a Maui County residential zone?
Does Maui County limit the number of beehives on a property?
What agency handles a beekeeping complaint in Maui County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maui County
Compare Maui County to another location·View the Hawaii animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.