The County of Hawai'i sets no maximum grass or weed height for private residential yards. Overgrowth is only actionable when it creates a zoning violation or a genuine fire, health, or sanitation nuisance, reported to the Planning Department or the state Department of Health respectively.
There is no county ordinance capping lawn or weed height, and no automatic 'cut your grass' rule island-wide. Enforcement is complaint-driven: the Planning Department handles land-use nuisances under Chapter 25, while the state Department of Health can abate vegetation that becomes a public-health nuisance under HRS Chapter 322, Part I. On the Big Island, invasive-species vegetation (for example spread of certain pest plants) may also involve the state Department of Agriculture. Routine 'tall grass' alone is generally not a county code violation.
No penalty for ordinary overgrowth. If overgrowth is deemed a public-health nuisance, DOH may abate it under HRS 322 at the owner's expense; zoning-related overgrowth draws Chapter 25 enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hawaii County, HI
Hawai'i County has no separate hoarding ordinance; the matter is handled under state cruelty law. Depriving pet animals of necessary sustenance is cruelty in...
Hawaii County, HI
Ordinance No. 25-63 (Bill 51, 2025) makes it illegal to feed feral animals, including cats, chickens, pigs and goats, on County of Hawai'i property, to prote...
Hawaii County, HI
Home composting is allowed and encouraged in Hawai'i County. The county runs green-waste diversion at its transfer stations and recycling programs, but there...
Hawaii County, HI
The County of Hawai'i has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating artificial turf on residential yards. Installation must still meet zoning setbacks,...
Hawaii County, HI
There is no county rule requiring native landscaping, but the Big Island is ground-zero for invasive-species control. Planting or spreading state-listed noxi...
Hawaii County, HI
Rainwater catchment is legal and common on the Big Island — many Puna and off-grid homes rely on it. The County Department of Water Supply does not recognize...
See how Hawaii County's weeds & overgrown grass rules stack up against other locations.
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