Honolulu City Ordinances on the Amount of Pets Per Household

The Animals and Fowl Ordinance, in Chapter 7, Article 2 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, defines pets as animals "maintained on the premises of a dwelling unit and kept by the resident of the dwelling unit solely for personal enjoyment and companionship." The amount of pets per household is only one of many issues addressed in the ordinance, which includes laws pertaining to barking and noise, stray animals, licensing, identification, safety, animal abuse and other animal-related issues.

Residents of Honolulu military housing must abide by military restrictions, which permit a maximum of two pets per household.

  1. Dogs

    • If you live in a residential area in Honolulu, you may have no more than 10 dogs, aged 4 months or older, according to the Hawaiian Humane Society. As of 2010, all dogs over 4 months old must be licensed, with renewals every two years. The licensing fee for dogs 4 to 7 months of age is $10. The fee is $10 for neutered or spayed dogs 8 months or older with a veterinary certificate confirming the neutering, and the license fee for a non-neutered dog older than 8 months of age is $28.50. Wolf hybrid dogs are prohibited in the state of Hawaii.

    Cats

    • There is no law governing the number of cats a Honolulu household may have, but it is illegal for a person in Honolulu to own a cat over 6 months of age unless the person's cat wears identification. Each cat is required to have an identification tag attached to its collar with the owner's name, address and phone number. In addition to the identification ordinance, it is unlawful for a cat owner to allow a cat over the age of 6 months to be outdoors unless the cat has been neutered or spayed by a veterinarian.

    Pet Birds

    • Honolulu has no law specifying or restricting the number of pet birds a resident may keep.

    Small Pets

    • Honolulu does not restrict the number of small pets other than dogs that a resident may have. Rabbits may not be kept on the ground, but must be in hutches built off the ground. The Department of Agriculture enforces this law, created to prevent rabbits from getting loose and becoming a threat to the environment.

    Farm Animals and Fowl

    • The Honolulu law as of 2010 states that the number of pet "chickens or peafowl shall not exceed two per household." This law does not apply to poultry raised, bred or kept for a business enterprise or to be used for food, where keeping livestock is permitted.

      Honolulu Animal and Fowl ordinance requirements allow farm animals, including "pigs, cows, goats, sheep, horses, camels and llamas," in residential areas only if their enclosures are "not located within 300 feet of any property line."

    Honeybees

    • Whether honeybees are kept as pets or for honey production, Honolulu's Animal ordinance specifies the number of hives allowed per household. According to the ordinance's Special Requirements Sec. 7-2.5, "no more than eight honeybee hives are allowed per zoning lot," and bee colonies must be "maintained in movable frame hives, constructed to meet the specifications for beehives set by the American Beekeepers Federation."