Tree removal permit rules in Honolulu County, HI — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Honolulu County protects designated exceptional trees island-wide under ROH Chapter 40, Article 8, prohibiting removal or destruction without a Parks and Recreation permit except in emergencies under Sec. 40-8.9.
ROH Secs. 40-8.1 through 40-8.9 establish the exceptional tree program, with an official Register under Sec. 40-8.7 and Regulations under Sec. 40-8.8. Emergency removals are allowed only when a tree poses imminent threat per Sec. 40-8.9. The program implements the state Exceptional Tree Act, HRS Chapter 58, across Oahu, covering banyans, monkeypods, kukui, and other significant specimens in places like Nuuanu, Manoa, and plantation-era parcels on the North Shore. Street-tree removal is handled separately under ROH Sec. 10-1.4 through Urban Forestry.
Unauthorized removal of an exceptional tree is prosecutable and can carry substantial civil penalties plus restoration and replacement costs determined by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
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See how Honolulu County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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