Kauai County, HI Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Kaua'i County's code-reporting process for vacant-lot nuisances runs through Chapter 22, Article 9 of the County Code, first adopted in 1977 as Ordinance No. 303 and amended by Ordinance No. 403 in 1980. A resident who believes a vacant lot is overrun with weeds, garbage, trash or waste files a written complaint with the Maintenance Superintendent, the head of the Maintenance Division within the Department of Public Works. Kaua'i County Code § 22-9.3(b) requires the Superintendent, personally or through a Maintenance Division employee, to inspect the specific vacant property named in the complaint; the office's resulting determination that a violation exists is treated as prima facie evidence of the violation, meaning it stands unless the owner rebuts it.

Once the Superintendent confirms the violation, § 22-9.4(a) directs the County Attorney to notify the owner by certified mail addressed to the owner's last known address, and requires a copy of the notice to be posted on the property itself so anyone visiting the lot can see it. The notice must describe the cutting and removal work required and warn that the owner faces prosecution and a fine under § 22-9.5 if the work is not finished within 60 calendar days of receipt. The Maintenance Superintendent's office keeps a permanent written record of every complaint acted on, including the parcel description, the owner's name if known, and the date the notice was mailed and posted, which gives a reporting resident a paper trail if the problem persists.