Honolulu County, HI Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit threshold
- 125 gallons water capacity
- Issuing agency
- Honolulu Fire Department
- Also required
- Department of Permitting and Planning plan approval
- Permit transfer
- Not transferable
- Max fine
- $1,000 per offense
Summary
Installing, dispensing or maintaining an LP-gas container on Oahu requires a Honolulu Fire Department permit under the city's amended Fire Code § 69.1.2.1, unless the tank is a portable container or interconnected set under 125 gallons water capacity. Permits are non-transferable, and distributors cannot fill an unpermitted tank.
69.1.2.1 Permits and Plans. A permit is required to install or dispense LP-Gas or maintain an LP-Gas container (tank). EXCEPTION: A permit is not required to install or maintain a portable container or the aggregate of interconnected containers of less than a 125-gallon water capacity. Permits shall not be transferable, and any change in use, occupancy, operation, ownership, vendor, or capacity shall require a new permit. Distributors shall not fill an LP-Gas container for which a permit is required, unless a permit for installation has been issued for that location by the AHJ. Where a single container or the aggregate of interconnected containers is of a
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Supplement 10, 12-2025 Ordinance No. 25-40 through Ordinance No. 25-56).
Full Breakdown
1 for Honolulu. The permit trigger is broad: a permit is required to install or dispense LP-Gas or to maintain an LP-Gas container, so simply keeping an existing tank in service falls under the rule, not just new installations. The one exception covers a portable container, or an aggregate of interconnected containers, of less than 125-gallon water capacity; the typical small home tank clears that bar, while anything at or above it needs the permit. For containers at or above the threshold, the AHJ reviews plot and cross-sectional plans, and installations within city jurisdiction also need Department of Permitting and Planning approval before HFD issues the permit, so a larger tank passes through two agencies before it is legal.
The permit is tied tightly to the specific setup: permits are not transferable, and any change in use, occupancy, operation, ownership, vendor, or capacity requires a new permit. Buying a property with a permitted tank therefore does not inherit the permit; the ownership change itself triggers a new one. The code also drafts the propane suppliers into enforcement: a distributor may not fill an LP-Gas container that requires a permit unless an installation permit has been issued for that location by the AHJ, which means an unpermitted large tank cannot lawfully be refilled at all.
Violations & Fines
Installing or filling an unpermitted LP-Gas tank above the 125-gallon threshold violates Fire Code § 69.1.2.1, fineable up to $1,000 per offense under ROH § 1.16.4.4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for my home propane tank?
Who approves LP-gas tank installations in Honolulu?
I bought a property that already has a permitted tank. Does the permit carry over?
Can a propane company fill a tank that has no permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
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