Maui County, HI Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage cap
- 50% of available window area
- Interior signs covered
- Within 3 feet of window/door
- Permit required
- No, for compliant window signs
- Counts toward sign allowance
- No
- Enforcement penalty track
- § 19.530.030
- Fine destination
- Landscape Planting & Beautification Fund
Summary
Maui County caps window signs at fifty percent of available window area. The Commercial Signs chapter defines a window sign as anything placed on the outside of a window or hung inside within three feet of the glass, and lets it cover no more than half that window, all without needing a sign permit.
"Window sign" means a sign that is placed on the outside of a window or inside within three feet of a window, occupies no more than fifty percent of available window area, and is visible from a public right-of-way. Window signs do not count toward any sign allowance for the building, business, or lot.
Full Breakdown
030 defines a "window sign" as a sign placed on the outside of a window, or inside within three feet of a window, that occupies no more than fifty percent of available window area and is visible from a public right-of-way. 070 repeat that a window sign serving as a business identification, building identification, promotional, or directory sign is not counted toward those tables' quantity limits either. The broader "sign" definition in the same section sweeps in interior displays close to the glass: it covers any device "outside a building or inside within three feet of a window or door" that is clearly visible from a right-of-way, which is why a sign sitting just inside a storefront window is treated the same as one stuck to the glass.
050 backstops the whole chapter with a general prohibition: any sign not specifically authorized by the chapter is prohibited outright, so a window sign covering more than half the window area is not merely non-compliant, it is an unauthorized sign. Window signs used for real estate, promotional, or directory purposes must still meet the size caps set for those specific sign types elsewhere in the chapter when those categories apply.
Violations & Fines
Section 16.13.230 makes it a violation for an owner or lessee to erect, own, or allow a sign that does not comply with the chapter, including an oversized window sign. Administrative enforcement and penalty assessment run through Maui County Code Section 19.530.030, and any person can file a written complaint with the director describing the sign's location and the reason it is believed to violate the chapter. Fines collected under Section 16.13.230 are deposited into the county's Landscape Planting and Beautification Revolving Fund under Section 16.13.240.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can a sign cover in Maui County?
Do window signs count against my business's other sign allowance?
Does a sign placed just inside my window still count as a window sign?
What happens if my window sign is too large?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maui County
Compare Maui County to another location·View the Hawaii sign regulations overview
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