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Hawaii County, HI Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

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

Key Facts

Speed rule
Reasonable and prudent for conditions, no fixed mph
Bike lanes require
Schedule 42 listing, § 24-294, plus signage
Bike routes require
Schedule 43 listing, § 24-295, plus signage
Bike parking rule
Least obstruction to sidewalk/street traffic
Default penalty
Up to $100 fine or 90 days jail (§ 1-10)
Enforcing office
Department of Public Works signs/marks lanes

Summary

Hawaii County Code Chapter 24 sets a reasonable-and-prudent speed standard for bicycles rather than a fixed mph limit, and it only recognizes a route as an official bike lane or bike route once the County has designated it in Schedule 42 or 43 and posted traffic-control signs. Parking a bike so it blocks a sidewalk or street is a separate violation under section 24-186.

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

(a) No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing. (b) Bike Lanes, Established. The areas designated in schedule 42, section 24-294, once appropriately identified with traffic-control devices, signs, signals, or markings by the director of public works or the director's representative, are established as bicycle lanes. (c) Bike Routes, Established. The areas designated in schedule 43, section 24-295, once appropriately identified with traffic-control devices, signs, signals, or markings by the director of public works or the director's representative, are established as bicycle routes. Section 24-186, Parking bicycles without obstructing street or sidewalk: No person shall park a bicycle upon a street other than upon the roadway against the curb or upon the sidewalk in a rack to support the bicycle or against a building or at the curb, in such manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Full Breakdown

Section 24-185 of the County Code governs bicycle operation island-wide: riders may not exceed a speed that is reasonable and prudent for the conditions then existing, a standard enforced case-by-case rather than by a posted number. The same section creates two categories of official bicycle infrastructure. Bike lanes exist only where the segment is listed in Schedule 42 (cross-referenced at section 24-294) and has been marked with traffic-control devices, signs, signals, or markings put up by the director of public works or the director's designee; bike routes work the same way but sit in Schedule 43 (section 24-295).

A painted stripe with no Schedule 42/43 listing behind it is informal striping, not a legally established bike lane, which matters for who has priority and how a blocking complaint gets enforced. Section 24-186 separately bans obstructive bicycle parking: a bike left on a street must go against the curb on the roadway, in a rack, or against a building, in whatever manner leaves the least obstruction to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, so chaining a bike across a sidewalk or bike lane itself is a Chapter 24 violation, not just a courtesy issue.

Neither Division 7 section carries its own fine, so a violation of 24-185 or 24-186 falls to the Code's general penalty at section 1-10: up to $100 per offense or up to 90 days in jail, or both, plus the court may add attorneys' fees for the County under 1-10(b). 4) carries its own $500 penalty and Division 9 bans pedicabs outright on public streets, so bicycles are treated more leniently under this chapter than either.

Violations & Fines

A confirmed violation of section 24-185 (unsafe bicycle speed or riding outside a designated lane/route) or section 24-186 (obstructive bicycle parking) is prosecuted under the Code's general penalty, section 1-10: a fine of not more than $100 per offense, or imprisonment of not more than 90 days, or both, since Division 7 sets no penalty of its own. The court may also award the County its attorneys' fees on top of the fine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a posted speed limit for bicycles on the Big Island?
No. Section 24-185(a) uses a reasonable-and-prudent standard tied to the conditions at the time, not a numeric mph limit, so an officer judges whether the speed was safe for the traffic, weather, and road surface actually present rather than checking it against a sign.
How do I know if a painted lane is an official Hawaii County bike lane?
It only counts if the segment is listed in Schedule 42 (cross-referenced at section 24-294) and the director of public works has posted the traffic-control devices, signs, signals, or markings required by section 24-185(b). Striping alone, without that listing, is not a legally established bike lane.
Can I lock my bike against a store window or across a sidewalk?
Section 24-186 requires bicycle parking on a street to be against the curb, in a rack, or against a building in whatever way leaves the least obstruction to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, so locking it across a sidewalk or in a doorway that blocks foot traffic violates the section.
What's the fine for a bike lane or bicycle-parking violation in Hawaii County?
Division 7 (bicycles) has no penalty of its own, so violations of section 24-185 or 24-186 fall under the Code's general penalty, section 1-10: up to $100 per offense or up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, with the court free to add attorneys' fees for the County.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Hawaii County

All Hawaii County rules

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