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Maui County, HI Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Feeding wildlife
Banned in parks unless permitted
New feral colonies
Establishing them is unlawful
Existing colonies
Manageable only to reduce/eliminate
Pet exception
Owners may give pets water/treats
Applies to
All County parks and recreation facilities

Summary

Maui County bars feeding animals or staging food or water for them in any County park or recreational facility unless a director-issued permit specifically allows it. The same section bans establishing new feral-animal colonies, letting owners maintain only existing colonies under a controlled reduction plan.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Maui County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

6.Establish feral animal colonies. ... 14.Feed any animal or animals, or stage any food or water for any animal or animals, except as provided in subsection D.15.Manage feral animal colonies. Any colony management authorized by a permit, license, lease, or contract issued in accordance with this code must be designed to reduce and eliminate the colony. ... 7.No one shall feed any animal or animals, or stage any food or water for any animal or animals, unless authorized per 13.04A.070(B)(14), provided that pet owners may provide water and training treats for their pets.8.New feral animal colonies shall not be established. Only existing colonies may be maintained as authorized per 13.04A.070(B)(15).

Full Breakdown

070 of the Maui County Code, the general prohibitions applying to every County park and recreational facility, addresses wildlife feeding twice. Subsection (A)(6) makes it unlawful, without exception, to establish feral animal colonies anywhere within a park. Subsection (B)(14) then bars anyone from feeding any animal or animals, or staging any food or water for any animal or animals, unless the activity is authorized under subsection (D); subsection (B)(15) allows managing an existing feral colony only under a permit, license, lease, or contract, and only if that authorization is designed to reduce and eliminate the colony, meaning the County will not sanction feeding programs meant to sustain or grow a colony.

Subsection (D), the animals section, repeats the ban in operational terms: paragraph 7 states no one shall feed any animal or animals, or stage any food or water for any animal or animals, unless authorized under (B)(14), while carving out an exception letting pet owners give their own leashed pets water and training treats. Paragraph 8 restates that new feral animal colonies shall not be established, and that only existing, already-authorized colonies may continue under the reduction-focused management plan. Together the sections cover the common targets of wildlife feeding rules, feral cats, chickens, and stray dogs, on any park or recreational facility land, whether or not a formal colony has formed.

Violations & Fines

Feeding animals, staging food or water for them, or starting a new feral colony in a Maui County park or recreational facility violates section 13.04A.070, and the department can bar the activity outright since it falls outside the prohibitions' listed permit exceptions; repeated violations can also count against a person's eligibility for future park-use permits under section 13.04A.100(F).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I feed the feral cats or chickens at a Maui County park?
No. Section 13.04A.070(B)(14) bars feeding any animal or staging food or water for one in a County park or recreational facility unless it is specifically authorized under subsection (D), and general feeding is not one of the listed authorizations.
Is it legal to start a feral cat colony at a park?
No. Subsections (A)(6) and (D)(8) both make establishing a new feral animal colony unlawful within any County park or recreational facility, no matter the species involved, and only colonies that already existed may continue.
Can an existing feral colony at a park keep being fed?
Only under a permit, license, lease, or contract, and subsection (B)(15) requires that authorization to be designed to reduce and eventually eliminate the colony, not sustain or grow it, so ongoing bulk feeding is not permitted.
Can I give my own dog water or a treat at the park?
Yes. Subsection (D)(7) exempts pet owners from the feeding ban specifically so they can give their own pets water and training treats while at a County park or recreational facility.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Maui County

All Maui County rules

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