Animal Ordinances in Hawaii (2026)
35 rules on the books across Hawaii, 4 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Chickens & Livestock
Combined rules for keeping chickens and other livestock such as goats, rabbits, and ducks on residential property, including lot size requirements.
Hawaii: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsHawaii makes livestock owners strictly liable for damage their animals cause when straying onto cultivated land, roads…
Read full rule →Honolulu County
Significant RestrictionsFarm animals like pigs, cows, goats, sheep, horses, camels and llamas need enclosures set back 300 feet from every…
Read full rule →Hawaii County
Some RestrictionsHawai'i County lets residential lots keep backyard hens as a 'household hennery' under Code section 25-4-18, but only…
Read full rule →Kauai County
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County's zoning code defines 'poultry raising' as breeding, feeding, sheltering, or gathering more than four…
Read full rule →Dog Leash Laws
When and where dogs must be on a leash, off-leash park rules, leash length limits, and penalties for dogs running loose.
Hawaii: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsHawaii has no comprehensive statewide leash law; dog leash and at-large rules are set by county ordinance. State law…
Read full rule →Hawaii County
Some RestrictionsIn County of Hawai'i parks, school grounds and airports a dog must be on a leash no longer than six feet, and dogs are…
Read full rule →Kauai County
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County requires dogs off their own property to stay on a leash, cord or chain no longer than eight feet, under…
Read full rule →Maui County
Some RestrictionsMaui County requires every dog owner to keep the dog 'under restraint' at all times, meaning enclosed on the owner's…
Read full rule →Breed Restrictions
Bans or special requirements for specific dog breeds, including breed-specific legislation, muzzle requirements, and insurance mandates.
Hawaii County
Significant RestrictionsHawai'i County has no breed-specific ban; instead it declares a dog 'dangerous' by its conduct. HCC § 4-4-32 makes it a…
Read full rule →Honolulu County
Significant RestrictionsHonolulu does not single out any dog breed as inherently dangerous. ROH § 12-7.1 defines a dangerous dog purely by…
Read full rule →Kauai County
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County has no breed-specific dog ban. Instead, Kaua'i County Code § 22-17.3 punishes an owner who negligently…
Read full rule →Maui County
Few RestrictionsMaui County's dangerous dog ordinance is written to be breed-neutral: section 6.04.046 tells enforcement officers a…
Read full rule →Beekeeping
Rules for keeping bees in residential areas, including hive placement, number of colonies allowed, and registration requirements.
Hawaii: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsHawaii regulates beekeeping statewide through the Department of Agriculture. Under HRS 142-100, beekeepers may register…
Read full rule →Honolulu County
Some RestrictionsOahu beekeepers may keep up to eight honeybee hives per zoning lot in movable-frame hives, set at least 25 feet from…
Read full rule →Hawaii County
Light RestrictionsHawai'i County regulates beekeeping through 'generally accepted apiary management practices' rather than a permit. HCC…
Read full rule →Maui County
Few RestrictionsMaui County's zoning code lists beekeeping as a permitted use, by right, in every sub-district of the Maui Research &…
Read full rule →Exotic Pets
Which non-traditional pets are allowed or banned, such as reptiles, ferrets, potbelly pigs, and other exotic animals.
Wildlife Feeding
Rules about feeding wild animals like deer, coyotes, or feral cats, and requirements for securing trash to prevent wildlife encounters.
Kauai County
Heavy RestrictionsKaua'i County Code Section 22-24.9 flatly makes it unlawful to feed cats anywhere on county property, an outright ban…
Read full rule →Maui County
Significant RestrictionsMaui County bars feeding animals or staging food or water for them in any County park or recreational facility unless a…
Read full rule →Pet Limits
Maximum number of cats, dogs, or other companion animals allowed per household, including counts that trigger kennel-license requirements.
Kauai County
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County Code § 8-1.5 defines "pet keeping" as feeding or sheltering more than two animals or four birds as a…
Read full rule →Maui County
Light RestrictionsMaui County sets no fixed head-count cap on dogs or cats. The county's amended Residential Code bars horses, cows…
Read full rule →Cat Rules
Rules specific to cats, outdoor roaming, feral cat colonies, leash laws (yes, some cities require them), and licensing requirements.
Hawaii County
Some RestrictionsHawai'i County issues no cat license: a loose cat is legally a 'stray' under HCC § 4-1-1, and the animal control and…
Read full rule →Honolulu County
Some RestrictionsEvery cat over four months old on Oahu must wear identification or carry a registered microchip under ROH § 12-6.2(a)…
Read full rule →Kauai County
Some RestrictionsKaua'i County requires every cat over three months old to carry a microchip under Section 22-24.2. The Kaua'i Humane…
Read full rule →Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Requirements that dogs and cats over a certain age be sterilized, with intact-animal permits, exemptions for breeders, and penalties for noncompliance.
Honolulu County
Significant RestrictionsA stray dog impounded three or more times in 12 months in Honolulu must be spayed or neutered by animal control before…
Read full rule →Kauai County
Significant RestrictionsKaua'i County Code Section 22-24.5 makes it unlawful for a cat owner to let a cat over three months old be at large…
Read full rule →Hawaii County
Light RestrictionsHawai'i County does not mandate spaying or neutering. HCC § 4-4-1 sets a biennial dog license fee of $2 for a…
Read full rule →Maui County
Light RestrictionsMaui County doesn't require every owned pet to be sterilized, but no dog or cat can leave animal control on adoption…
Read full rule →Microchipping
Mandates that dogs and cats be microchipped before leaving a shelter or by a certain age, including registration and tag requirements.
Kauai County
Heavy RestrictionsEvery dog over three months old on Kaua'i must be microchipped. Kaua'i County Code § 22-10.3(a)-(b) makes it unlawful…
Read full rule →Hawaii County
Some RestrictionsHawai'i County has no general microchip mandate for pets. The one place chipping is required is HCC § 4-4-35(a)(5): a…
Read full rule →Maui County
Some RestrictionsMaui County does not require every pet to be microchipped, but a dog officially designated 'dangerous' must be…
Read full rule →Coyote Management
How your city handles urban coyotes, including hazing protocols, feeding bans, and what residents should do when sighting one near homes.
Pet Groomer Rules
Health and safety standards for commercial pet grooming, including animal-handling certifications, sanitation, and zoning where mobile groomers may operate.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Where veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, and emergency animal-care facilities may be located, including overnight-boarding and noise buffers.
Hawaii County
Some RestrictionsHawaii County Code Section 25-5-52 lists animal hospitals and veterinary establishments as permitted uses in the RA…
Read full rule →Maui County
Some RestrictionsMaui County's zoning code allows veterinary clinics, including indoor boarding tied to an established clinic, as a…
Read full rule →