Hawaii has no statewide plastic bag preemption law, but all four counties have enacted bans on non-recyclable plastic checkout bags, making Hawaii the first U.S. state with a de facto statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.
Hawaii's legislature has not preempted county regulation of single-use plastics, allowing each county to adopt independent ordinances. Honolulu (ROH Chapter 9, Article 9), Maui County (Title 20.26), Hawaii County (HCC Chapter 14, Article 14), and Kauai County (KCC Chapter 8) all prohibit retailers from providing non-recyclable plastic checkout bags at point of sale. Most ordinances also restrict thin compostable bags and require minimum recycled content for paper bags. Fees on reusable or paper bags vary by county. The combined effect is that retailers across Hawaii must offer reusable, paper, or compliant compostable bags only. Statewide grocery and retail chains generally comply with the most restrictive county rule across all locations.
County ordinance violations typically carry $100 to $1,000 fines per offense, escalating with repeat offenses.
Kailua, HI
Residential pool barriers in Kailua must meet ROH Sec. 16-6.2, which mandates fencing and other protective devices around swimming pools. These rules reduce ...
Kailua, HI
Retaining walls in Kailua follow ROH Sec. 21-4.40, which caps fill-retention walls within required yards at 6 feet. Terraced walls count toward combined heig...
Kailua, HI
Kailua fence materials are defined under ROH Sec. 21-4.60, which recognizes wrought iron, wire, wood, vinyl, plastic, and masonry with post foundations. Corr...
Kailua, HI
Fences along shared property lines in Kailua are governed by ROH Sec. 21-4.30 yard and setback rules. Honolulu has no dedicated spite-fence statute, so dispu...
Kailua, HI
Kailua public parks are closed to entry during posted night hours under ROH Sec. 10-1.2, with narrow exceptions for traversing beach parks to reach the shore...
Kailua, HI
Kailua follows the state juvenile curfew under HRS Sec. 577-16, which bars children under 16 from public places between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. without a pa...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Honolulu County.
See how Kailua's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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