How East Honolulu Handles Noise Ordinances: A Practical Guide

East Honolulu maintains 109 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with noise ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where East Honolulu falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Construction Hours

Under HAR 11-46-7(j), a community noise permit may not authorize construction noise exceeding the limits before 7:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, or at all on Sundays and holidays.

Key details: Code Section: HAR 11-46-7(j). Weekday hours: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Mon-Fri). Saturday hours: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.. Sundays/holidays: No permitted construction noise.

Violating the permit hour restrictions or operating without a required permit/variance is subject to HAR 11-46-16 penalties of up to $10,000 per day, with each day a separate offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. East Honolulu actively enforces its construction hours requirements.

Leaf Blower Rules

Leaf blowers and weedwhackers in East Honolulu's manicured Hawaii Kai estates are limited by HAR 11-46 to 8am-7pm weekdays and 9am-7pm Sundays and holidays.

Key details: Weekday Hours: 8am to 7pm. Sunday Hours: 9am to 7pm. Residential Buffer: Within 100 feet. Regulator: Hawaii DOH.

DOH may issue warnings and fines to violators. Repeat offenses by commercial landscaping companies operating across East Honolulu can escalate into administrative enforcement actions.

Amplified Music & Events

Hawaii's state bass-noise statute (HRS 342F-31.5) deems nighttime bass sound over 60 dBC (50 dBC near residential or mixed-use areas) to exceed the maximum permissible nighttime level. Locally, the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu make it unlawful to operate a sound-reproducing device on public property or a vehicle so that it is audible 30 feet away.

Key details: Code Section: HRS 342F-31.5; ROH 41-6.1. Nighttime bass limit: 60 dBC (50 dBC near residential). Public device rule: Not audible 30 ft away (ROH 41-6.1). Nighttime: 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m..

State bass-noise violations are enforced through HAR 11-46 penalties (up to $10,000 per day under 11-46-16) and by county liquor commissions for establishments; ROH 41-6 sound-device violations are petty misdemeanors/citations under the Honolulu code.

Aircraft Noise

No East Honolulu-specific ordinance directly addresses aircraft noise; aircraft and airspace noise are federally preempted and controlled by the FAA under 49 U.S.C. 44715 and the exclusive federal sovereignty of navigable airspace, so the City and County of Honolulu cannot impose local aircraft noise limits.

Key details: Code Section: 49 U.S.C. 44715; 49 U.S.C. 40103. Local authority: Preempted (federal/FAA). Key case: City of Burbank v. Lockheed, 411 U.S. 624. Statute: Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990.

Not locally enforceable; aircraft noise complaints are addressed through the FAA and the airport operator, not the City and County of Honolulu or the State of Hawaii noise program.

East Honolulu is more permissive than most cities when it comes to aircraft noise. That said, there are still limits.

Industrial Noise

ROH Chapter 41 Article 6 supplements state HAR 11-46 decibel limits for any industrial or stationary noise sources impacting East Honolulu residential neighborhoods.

Key details: Code Section: ROH Section 41-6. State Rule: HAR 11-46. Residential Class: Class A strictest. Joint Enforcement: DOH and HPD.

DOH may issue abatement orders and administrative penalties for HAR 11-46 dBA exceedances. Concurrent HPD citations may apply under ROH Section 41-6.1 for plainly-audible nuisances.

Quiet Hours

East Honolulu is part of the City and County of Honolulu, where community noise is governed by the State of Hawaii Department of Health under HAR Chapter 11-46. Nighttime runs 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and the maximum permissible sound level in residential (Class A) districts drops from 55 dBA in the daytime to 45 dBA at night.

Key details: Code Section: HAR 11-46-4; HRS 342F-31.5. Nighttime: 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.. Residential limit: 45 dBA night / 55 dBA day (Class A). Penalty: Up to $10,000/day (HAR 11-46-16).

Under HAR 11-46-16, any person who violates the chapter or a permit/variance is subject to fines of up to $10,000 per offense, with each day of violation a separate offense; obstructing a department inspection is fined up to $500.

Barking Dogs

Under the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Chapter 12, an animal that makes noise continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for one-half hour or more, and disturbs anyone is an 'animal nuisance' that is prohibited at any time of day or night.

Key details: Code Section: ROH 12-2.2 / 12-2.3. Continuous trigger: 10 minutes. Intermittent trigger: One-half hour (30 min). Applies: Any time of day or night.

ROH Chapter 12 animal nuisance violations are enforced by the Honolulu Police Department, typically with a written warning (Notice of Animal Nuisance Complaint) for a first offense and citations with escalating fines for repeat offenses within two years.

Vehicle Noise

HAR 11-46-6(b) requires on-site vehicles and construction equipment to operate with a functioning, unmodified muffler, and Revised Ordinances of Honolulu 41-6.1 bars operating a sound-reproducing device in a vehicle on a public street if it is audible 30 feet away.

Key details: Code Section: HAR 11-46-6(b); ROH 41-6.1. Muffler: Required, unmodified. Vehicle stereo: Not audible 30 ft (ROH 41-6.1). Penalty (state): Up to $10,000/day (11-46-16).

Muffler and equipment-noise violations under HAR 11-46 carry fines up to $10,000 per day (11-46-16); ROH 41-6.1 sound-device violations are enforced by the Honolulu Police Department as citations under the Honolulu code.

The Bottom Line

East Honolulu's noise ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming East Honolulu is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that East Honolulu can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.