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.
Pearl City, HI
Pearl City residential pools must be enclosed under ROH Sec. 16-6.2, with companion standards at 16-7.9 covering public and condo pools at Pearl City Highlan...
Pearl City, HI
Pearl City retaining walls on the Pearl City Highlands and Manana hillsides fall under ROH 21-4.40, capping fill-bearing walls in required yards at 6 feet an...
Pearl City, HI
Pearl City fence materials follow the LUO fence definition in ROH 21-4.60, allowing wrought iron, wood, vinyl, plastic, and wire on post foundations in Waiau...
Pearl City, HI
Pearl City neighbor fence disputes apply ROH 21-4.30 yard setbacks with 21-4.60 height limits, since Hawaii has no dedicated spite fence statute for Waiau or...
Pearl City, HI
Public parks in Pearl City, including Pearl City District Park and Neal S. Blaisdell Park, are closed during posted night hours. Entering closed parks is pro...
Pearl City, HI
Pearl City follows the Hawaii state juvenile curfew under HRS 577-16. Children under 16 cannot be in public places between 10 pm and 4 am without a parent or...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Honolulu County.
See how Pearl City's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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