Hawaii County, HI Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Hawaii County, HI, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governing law
- HCC Article 10, Sections 14-56 to 14-64
- What's covered
- Only council-designated 'exceptional trees'
- Pre-permit review
- Arborist committee consulted before building/grading permits
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 per tree or incident
- Enforcing agency
- Planning department; has citation authority
- Extra remedy
- County may seek a circuit court injunction
Summary
Hawai'i County protects designated "exceptional trees" under County Code Article 10 (Sections 14-56 to 14-64). It is unlawful to substantially damage, remove or destroy an exceptional tree, and before any building permit, grading permit or final subdivision approval the planning department can pull in the County arborist advisory committee to keep those trees from being cut down during development.
It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, public agency or other entity to substantially damage, remove or destroy an exceptional tree in the County. Any person, corporation, public agency or other entity who violates this section shall be fined not more than $1,000 per tree or incident. ... Prior to the issuance of any building or grading permit or granting of final subdivision approval, the planning department and department of public works, building division, may request advice from the arborist advisory committee concerning trees within any proposed development to assure that exceptional trees are retained and to prevent the unnecessary destruction of such trees during development or redevelopment of land within the County.
Full Breakdown
Exceptional trees are those the council has designated, on the arborist advisory committee's recommendation, for historic or cultural value or for their age, rarity, location, size, aesthetic quality or endemic status; trees grown for commercial forestry do not qualify (Sections 14-56, 14-57). Section 14-60 sets the designation procedure: any interested person may petition the six-member committee, which studies the tree, notifies the owner or lessee, holds a public hearing, and forwards a proposed list to the County council, which can affirm, modify or reject it before adopting the final list by ordinance.
Once a tree is on the list, Section 14-61 lets the planning department and the public works building division call on the committee for advice before issuing any building or grading permit, or before granting final subdivision approval, specifically to keep exceptional trees from being needlessly destroyed during development; a tree's lack of formal designation does not excuse either department from still recommending it be worked into a development plan. The planning department enforces the whole article and can issue citations directly (Section 14-62), and this article is never superseded by a permit issued under any other part of the County Code. Section 14-64 lets the County additionally seek an injunction in circuit court against a threatened violation before a tree is cut down.
Violations & Fines
Substantially damaging, removing or destroying a designated exceptional tree is a fine of up to $1,000 per tree or per incident under Section 14-63, and the violation applies to any person, corporation or public agency, including County agencies themselves. Because Section 14-64 also authorizes injunctive relief, the County can go to circuit court to stop a removal that is only threatened, not just punish one already completed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property in Hawaii County?
What is the fine for removing a protected tree in Hawaii County?
Who enforces the exceptional tree ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawaii County
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