Honolulu home occupation approvals are issued by the Department of Planning and Permitting under the Land Use Ordinance, ROH Chapter 21, with a written application, location plan, and compliance with limits on traffic, signage, and outward appearance.
To run a home-based business on Oahu, a Honolulu resident typically applies for a home occupation approval with the Department of Planning and Permitting. The process is defined by the LUO (ROH Chapter 21) and the DPP administrative rules. The applicant submits a description of the occupation, a floor plan showing the portion of the dwelling used for the business, expected client visits, parking arrangements, and proposed signage. DPP verifies that the use is clearly secondary, does not exceed the floor area limit, has no employees beyond allowed limits, and will not generate excessive traffic or noise. Approvals are tied to the address and do not transfer to a new occupant. Certain low-impact uses, such as a purely computer-based consulting business with no client visits, may not require a formal permit but still need a State of Hawaii GE tax license. Failing to renew or report changes can invalidate the approval.
Operating without an approval or outside the terms of an approval can bring fines of 100 to 1,000 dollars per day under ROH Chapter 21, plus revocation of the home occupation approval and shutdown orders.
See how Urban Honolulu's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
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