East Honolulu, HI Home Business: Home Occupation Permits (2026)

There is no separate East Honolulu government; the area falls under the City and County of Honolulu and the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (ROH) Chapter 21, the Land Use Ordinance. Home occupations are treated as a permitted accessory use to a dwelling in residential districts, so the City does not issue a discretionary 'home occupation permit' the way many mainland cities do; instead, the operator must simply comply with the home-occupation standards (now codified at ROH Section 21-5.50(c)(3), formerly Section 21-5.350, after Ordinance 25-2 took effect September 30, 2025). The binding licensing requirement comes from State law: under Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 237-9, any person with gross income or proceeds subject to the general excise tax must, as a condition precedent to engaging in business, apply in writing for and obtain a GET license from the Department of Taxation upon a one-time $20 payment, and that license must at all times be conspicuously displayed at the place for which it is issued. Hawaii does not impose a general statewide business license, but the GET license is mandatory for essentially all home businesses, including sole proprietors. Construction-related home occupations or any work altering the dwelling may also trigger a building permit from the Department of Planning and Permitting.