Honolulu County, HI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- ROH § 13-20.1
- Fine
- $100, or community service
- Hours covered
- 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Enforcement
- oral warning required first
Summary
Honolulu law bans blocking a public sidewalk between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. islandwide, with exceptions for medical emergencies, permitted events, and people waiting in line who don't block passage.
No person shall create, cause, or maintain an obstruction on a public sidewalk that interferes, impedes, and/or prevents the full, free, and unobstructed passage of pedestrians upon public sidewalks or interferes with the normal flow of pedestrian traffic upon a public sidewalk during the hours from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) do not apply to a person:
(1) Unable to comply due to suffering a medical emergency;
(2) Unable to comply due to physical or mental incapacitation;
(3) Engaging in protected expressive activity;
(4) Participating in or attending a parade, festival, performance, rally, demonstration, or similar event conducted on the street pursuant to a permit issued by the city;
(5) Acting as authorized or allowed by ordinance, permit, or regulation issued by the city and county of Honolulu;
(6) Engaged in a maintenance, repair, or construction activity on behalf of a governmental entity or a public utility; and
(7) In line for goods or services, unless the person or person’s possessions impede the ability of pedestrians to travel along the length of the sidewalk or enter a doorway or other entrance alongside the sidewalk.
(c) No law enforcement officer shall issue a citation, make an arrest, or otherwise enforce this section against any person unless:
(1) The law enforcement officer visually observes the interference with, impediment to, or prevention of the full, free, and unobstructed passage of
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Supplement 10, 12-2025 Ordinance No. 25-40 through Ordinance No. 25-56).
Full Breakdown
Revised Ordinances of Honolulu § 13-20.1 prohibits creating, causing, or maintaining an obstruction on any public sidewalk across Oahu that blocks free pedestrian passage between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Police can only cite a violator after visually observing the obstruction and after the person ignores an oral request to stop. Exceptions cover medical emergencies, physical incapacity, protected free-speech activity, permitted parades and demonstrations, city-authorized maintenance work, and people waiting in a line who don't block pedestrians' path down the sidewalk or into a doorway.
Violations & Fines
Violating the sidewalk obstruction ban carries a $100 fine, though a judge can order community service instead of the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the sidewalk obstruction ban apply outside Waikiki?
Can police cite me immediately for blocking a sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
Compare Honolulu County to another location·View the Hawaii sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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