Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Honolulu County, HI Hotels & Lodging: Transient Occupancy Tax (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

City TAT rate
3% of gross rental
Who pays
Operators, brokers, plan managers
Collected by
Dept. of Budget & Fiscal Services
Return due
20th of each month

Summary

Honolulu levies a 3 percent transient accommodations tax on gross rental income from hotels and other transient lodging, collected by the city on top of state taxes.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Honolulu County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Pursuant to HRS §§ 46-20.7 and 237D-2.5, there is hereby established a 3 percent transient accommodations tax on all gross rental, gross rental proceeds, and fair market rental value that is taxable under HRS Chapter 237D on property in the city, which will be levied and collected by the director of budget and fiscal services; provided that all moneys collected under this chapter must be deposited as follows:

(1)   Into the general fund as follows:

(A)   For two years commencing on December 14, 2021, 58.33 percent of all transient accommodations taxes collected pursuant to this chapter; and

(B)   Beginning two years after December 14, 2021 and thereafter, 41.66 percent of all transient accommodations taxes collected pursuant to this chapter;

(2)   Into the transit fund as follows:

(A)   For two years commencing on December 14, 2021, 33.33 percent of all transient accommodations taxes collected pursuant to this chapter; and

(B)   Beginning two years after December 14, 2021 and thereafter, 50 percent of all transient accommodations taxes collected pursuant to this chapter; and

(3)   Into a special account in the general fund to be appropriately named by the department of budget and fiscal services, 8.34 percent of all transient accommodations taxes collected pursuant to this chapter; provided that the funds in the special account must:

(A)   Be used to mitigate the impacts of visitors on public facilities and

View official code

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

The city imposes a 3 percent tax on gross rental, gross rental proceeds, and fair market rental value from transient accommodations under ROH Chapter 8A, layered on top of the state's own transient accommodations tax and general excise tax. Every operator, transient accommodations broker, travel agency, tour packager, and resort time share plan manager must pay the tax monthly to the director of budget and fiscal services. Revenue is split between the general fund, the transit fund, and a visitor-impact account for beach and park maintenance.

Violations & Fines

Failure to register as required under this chapter is a city civil violation punishable by up to $1,000 per violation, appealable to the director within 30 days of the notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Honolulu's hotel occupancy tax rate?
The city imposes a 3 percent transient accommodations tax on gross rental income from hotels and other transient lodging, per ROH § 8A-1.1.
Who must pay Honolulu's transient accommodations tax?
Every operator, transient accommodations broker, travel agency, tour packager, and time share plan manager doing business in the city, per ROH § 8A-1.3.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Honolulu County

All Honolulu County rules

Compare Honolulu County to another location·View the Hawaii hotels & lodging overview

Get notified when Transient Occupancy Tax in Honolulu County, HI changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Transient Occupancy Tax in Cities Across Honolulu County