Kauai County, HI Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Unlike jurisdictions that set a specific inch or foot limit, Kaua'i County's weed ordinance, Kaua'i County Code Ch. 22, Article 9 (adopted by Ord. No. 303 in 1977 and amended by Ord. No. 403 in 1980), regulates by nuisance risk rather than by a numeric height. Kaua'i County Code § 22-9.2 defines "weeds" as vegetation that has grown to such quantity that it constitutes a substantial risk of at least one of three things: becoming a fire hazard when dry, serving as a breeding or sheltering place for rats, mice, mosquitoes or other vermin, or overgrowing and spreading onto an abutting property.

The rule reaches "property" defined narrowly as vacant lots, meaning unimproved and unoccupied parcels, located in residentially zoned areas of R-4 density or higher; it does not, on its face, regulate landscaping on occupied, improved residential lots. The Maintenance Superintendent in the Department of Public Works' Maintenance Division investigates written complaints under § 22-9.3(b) and determines whether the lot's vegetation meets the nuisance definition; that determination is prima facie evidence of a violation. If the Superintendent confirms a violation, the County Attorney mails the owner a certified notice under § 22-9.4 describing the required cutting and removal, and the owner has 60 calendar days to comply before facing prosecution and a fine of $25 to $500 under § 22-9.5, with each day past the deadline treated as a new violation.