Hawaii County, HI Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Hawaii County, HI, also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances, define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Key Facts
- Continuous threshold
- 10 minutes straight, § 4-4-25
- Intermittent threshold
- 20 min within any 30 min
- 1st violation fine
- $50, § 4-4-26(c)
- 4th+ violation fine
- $400, § 4-4-26(c)
- Owner defense
- Dog was teased or provoked
Summary
A dog that barks continuously for 10 minutes, or intermittently for 20 minutes within any 30-minute span, is a 'noisy dog' under HCC § 4-4-25, a declared public nuisance regardless of whether it's on private property. § 4-4-26 requires the complainant to warn the owner first, then escalating fines up to $400 apply if the barking isn't abated.
(a) No person shall keep any dog which barks, bays, cries, howls or makes any other noise continuously or incessantly for a period of ten minutes or barks, bays, cries, howls or makes any other noise intermittently for a period of twenty minutes within a thirty-minute period of time to the disturbance of any person at any time of day or night and regardless of whether the dog is physically situated in or upon private property. ... (c) There shall be a penalty of $50 for the first violation of this section. The second violation has a penalty of $100, the third $200, and any subsequent violation $400.
Full Breakdown
' The section carves out a defense: a dog is not 'noisy' if it was reacting to a trespasser or someone who 'teased or provoked' it. Enforcement under § 4-4-26 is complaint-driven and staged. ' The owner is guilty of a violation either for failing to take 'immediate and effective action to abate the nuisance' after being warned, or because the agency responded to a complaint and found the nuisance unabated. Penalties climb steeply with repeat findings: $50 for a first violation, $100 for a second, $200 for a third, and $400 for every violation after that, per § 4-4-26(c), as last amended by Ordinance 24-46 in 2024.
Violations & Fines
A first noisy-dog violation of § 4-4-26 costs $50; a second is $100; a third is $200; a fourth or any later violation is $400. The enforcement agency only acts after a documented notice attempt to the owner has failed to abate the noise, or after its own response to a complaint confirms the nuisance is ongoing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a dog have to bark before it violates Hawai'i County's noise rule?
Do I have to warn my neighbor before calling animal control about a barking dog?
What happens if my dog is repeatedly cited as noisy?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawaii County
Compare Hawaii County to another location·View the Hawaii noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.