Noise ordinances › Honolulu, HI

Honolulu noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 1, 2026

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Quiet hours in Honolulu

The state rules set the clock: daytime is 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and nighttime 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in Table 1 (HAR 11-46-4), where Class A drops from 55 to 45 dBA and Class B from 60 to 50, while Class C stays at 70. Construction noise above those limits needs a Department of Health permit, and no permit may allow it before 7:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, or at all on Sundays and holidays (11-46-7(j)); construction above the limits outside those hours requires a variance (11-46-8), whose application must be publicly noticed with a comment period of at least 30 days, except that applications for "off-hour road work" are excused from the public notice (11-46-8(d)); "off-hour roadwork" (road reconstruction or resurfacing between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.) is defined as work requiring a variance. A dwelling, or a project under $250,000, may replace the permit with a written notification but is still held to those hours and to 78 decibels at or beyond the property line (HRS 342F-4.5). Approved school activities are exempt only from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (11-46-5; HRS 342F-30). Leaf blowers and weed whackers in or within 100 feet of a residential zone in an urban district may run only from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on any day except Sunday or a state or federal holiday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on those days (HRS 342F-30.8). The City's own rules mostly have no hours: the 30-foot device rule (ROH 41-6.1) and the animal-nuisance rule ("at any time of day or night," 12-2.2) apply around the clock, and the state disorderly-conduct test weighs "the time of the day or night" (HRS 711-1101(2)). Within the noise articles of ROH Chapter 41 the one clock is at the Waikiki Shell: its 68 dBA limit applies from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and no event may continue after 10:00 p.m. (ROH 41-8.3).

Decibel limits

Yes, for machinery and equipment, under state rules. HAR 11-46-4, Table 1, "Maximum permissible sounds levels in dBA": Class A 55 dBA daytime (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and 45 dBA nighttime (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.); Class B 60 / 50; Class C 70 / 70 (classes defined in 11-46-3). The limits apply to stationary noise sources (air conditioning units, exhaust systems, generators, compressors, pumps and similar equipment) and to equipment related to agricultural, construction and industrial activities, "at any point at or beyond (past) the property line of the premises"; they may not be exceeded for more than ten per cent of the time within any twenty-minute period without a permit or variance; mixed zones take the primary land use's class; and impulsive noise is allowed 10 dBA above Table 1, measured on "fast" response (11-46-4(b)–(e)). Measurement (11-46-9): A weighting and "slow" response on ANSI S1.4-1983 meters, windscreens where appropriate, an allowance for instrument accuracy (the rule's example: plus or minus two dBA), and measurements "shall normally not be used for enforcement" unless the noise at the point of measurement is more than three decibels above the ambient; measurers must be trained and certified by the director (11-46-10). Construction projects exempt from the permit requirement are capped at 78 decibels at or beyond the property line (HRS 342F-4.5). The City's ordinances set no general decibel limit: the only decibel limit in ROH Chapter 41's noise articles (6 through 9) is 68 dBA for Waikiki Shell events, not to be exceeded more than 10 percent of any 20-minute period, measured at or near the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel (41-8.3). Parties, music and voices are judged without a meter: a radio or other sound-reproducing device on public property or in a motor vehicle on a public street, highway or public space violates ROH 41-6.1 if audible at 30 feet, and on private property the police use HRS 711-1101, under which noise is unreasonable if it is a "gross deviation" from what a law-abiding citizen would do, or if a police officer's admonition to stop or reduce it is ignored.

What the ordinance actually says

HAR § 11-46-4(a): "The maximum permissible sound levels specified in Table 1, as provided in this subsection and in section 11-46-3, shall apply to the following excessive noise sources: stationary noise sources; and equipment related to agricultural, construction, and industrial activities." Table 1 (Daytime 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. / Nighttime 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.): "Class A 55 45; Class B 60 50; Class C 70 70"

HAR § 11-46-4(b): "The maximum permissible sound levels in Table 1, as provided in subsection (a), shall apply to any excessive noise source emanating within the specified zoning district, and at any point at or beyond (past) the property line of the premises in a manner deemed appropriate by the director."

HAR § 11-46-7(j): "(1) No permit shall allow any construction activities which emit noise in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels for the hours before 7:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. of the same day, Monday through Friday; (2) No permit shall allow any construction activities which emit noise in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels for the hours before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday; and (3) No permit shall allow any construction activities which emit noise in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels on Sundays and on holidays."

ROH § 41-6.1(a): "It is unlawful for any person or persons to play, use, operate, or permit to be played, used, or operated, any radio, tape recorder, cassette player, or other machine or device for reproducing sound, if it is located in or on any of the following: (1) Any public property, including any public street, highway, building, sidewalk, park, or thoroughfare; or (2) Any motor vehicle on a public street, highway, or public space; and if the sound generated is audible at a distance of 30 feet from the device producing the sound."

HRS § 711-1101(2): "Noise is unreasonable, within the meaning of subsection (1)(b), if considering the nature and purpose of the person's conduct and the circumstances known to the person, including the nature of the location and the time of the day or night, the person's conduct involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a law-abiding citizen would follow in the same situation; or the failure to heed the admonition of a police officer that the noise is unreasonable and should be stopped or reduced." "The renter, resident, or owner-occupant of the premises who knowingly or negligently consents to unreasonable noise on the premises shall be guilty of a noise violation."

ROH § 12-2.2 (Animal Nuisance, item (1)): "Makes noise continuously or incessantly, or both, for a period of 10 minutes or intermittently for one-half hour or more to the disturbance of any person at any time of day or night and regardless of whether the animal, farm animal, or poultry is physically situated in or upon private property;"

HRS § 342F-30.8(a): "In any urban land use district, as designated pursuant to section 205-2, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a leaf blower or weed whacker within a residential zone or within one hundred feet of a residential zone in the State, except between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on any day except Sunday or a state or federal holiday, and between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday or any state or federal holiday; provided that government entities, and agents acting on behalf of government entities, may use weed whackers during the prohibited hours in the case of an emergency as defined in section 127A-2."

ROH § 41-8.3(a): "Sound levels for events at the Shell, whether amplified or not, shall not exceed 68 dBA for more than 10 percent of the time within any 20-minute period as measured at or near the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel at the makai side of Kalakaua Avenue in areas zoned apartment/hotel/business and shall apply from ground level to a perpendicular plane projected above the height of the high-rise buildings."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (State of Hawaii, Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 11 (Department of Health), Chapter 46 "Community Noise Control" (effective September 23, 1996; replaced Chapter 11-43, Community Noise Control for Oahu): 11-46-1 purpose, 11-46-2 definitions, 11-46-3 classification of zoning districts, 11-46-4 maximum permissible sound levels (Table 1), 11-46-5 exemptions, 11-46-6 noise prohibited, 11-46-7 permits (construction hours, 11-46-7(j)), 11-46-8 variances, 11-46-9 measurement, 11-46-10 certification, 11-46-13 other ordinances and rules, 11-46-14 enforcement, 11-46-16 penalties; adopted under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 342F "Noise Pollution" (342F-4.5 projects exempt from noise permit requirements, L 1999, c 57; 342F-18 enforcement by state and county authorities; 342F-20; 342F-30 prohibition; 342F-30.8 leaf blowers and weed whackers, L 2010, c 206, am L 2024, c 179); HRS 711-1101 disorderly conduct (unreasonable noise, subsections (1)(b) and (2); section last amended L 2003, c 48). City and County of Honolulu, Revised Ordinances of Honolulu 2021 (in effect November 18, 2022; Supplement 11, through Ord. No. 26-18, June 30, 2026): Chapter 41, Article 6 "Noise Control," §§ 41-6.1 to 41-6.5 (Ord. 90-26; formerly ROH 1990 §§ 41-31.1 to 41-31.5), Article 7 "Noises in Vicinity of Hospitals," §§ 41-7.1 to 41-7.2, Article 8 "Sound Levels for the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell," §§ 41-8.1 to 41-8.6 (Ord. 91-88; Ord. 96-58), Article 9 "Use of Sound Amplifying Device in Public Buildings," § 41-9.1 et seq.; Chapter 12, Article 2, animal nuisance, §§ 12-2.2 to 12-2.4 (Ord. 90-55, as amended); § 21-4.80 Land Use Ordinance noise regulations (Ord. 99-12; Ord. 25-2). Text read on health.hawaii.gov (HAR 11-46, the Department of Health's searchable PDF), data.capitol.hawaii.gov (HRS, the Legislature's statute host) and American Legal Publishing (the ROH host linked by the City's Office of Council Services) on 2026-10-01.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-01. Ordinances get amended — before acting on a specific provision, check the linked official code. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

How to file a noise complaint in Honolulu

Machinery and construction go to the State: per health.hawaii.gov, Indoor and Radiological Health Branch, "Noise Section" page, the section responds to regulated excessive-noise complaints (construction, industrial and agricultural activities and stationary mechanical equipment); contact the Noise Section at 99-945 Halawa Valley Street, 'Aiea, HI 96701, phone (808) 586-4700, fax (808) 586-5838, email doh.irhb@doh.hawaii.gov. Its "Noise – Forms and Links" FAQ page says that noise "resulting directly from people, such as loud gatherings next-door, verbal disputes, nuisance noises from animals, emergency sirens, and noises from vehicles" not used for construction, industrial or agricultural work is outside its jurisdiction, and sends animal nuisance noise, radios and other sound-reproducing devices, noise near hospitals and amplifiers in public buildings to the Honolulu Police Department. Per honolulupd.org (HPD's FAQ and Contact Us pages): to file an animal nuisance complaint, "Call 911 and have an officer respond," and "Situations requiring immediate attention should be reported by telephone. Call 9-1-1"; callers outside O'ahu reporting an emergency dial (808) 529-3111 and press "0" for a police operator. HPD's animal-nuisance policy makes HPD the lead agency under ROH Chapter 12, encourages a warning for a first offense, and says the Hawaiian Humane Society is also authorized to investigate and enforce; ROH 12-2.13 and 12-2.14 (added by Ord. 26-9) also require the City's animal control contractor to enforce the article and let its authorized officers issue civil notices of violation ($250, then $500, then $1,000 for repeat violations within two years), so the Health Department and HPD pages, which send animal noise to HPD, do not describe the whole channel. The split is not exclusive in law: under HRS 342F-18 "All state and county health authorities and police officers shall enforce this chapter and the rules and orders of the department." A permit to use a sound device on public property is issued by the director of budget and fiscal services on five days' notice with a $5 fee (ROH 41-6.4); the Health Department's FAQ instead links to a City parks "park use permits" page for using such devices on public property. Penalties: ROH 41-6.3, $100 for a first offense, $500 for a second within six months, and $1,000, forfeiture of the sound system (up to $1,000 in value) or a combination totaling $1,000 for a third within one year of the first; ROH 41-7.2 (hospital zones), up to $100, up to 60 days, or both; ROH 12-2.10 (animal nuisance), $250, then $500, then $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both, for offenses within two years of earlier ones; HAR 11-46-16, up to $10,000 per offense, each day separate; HRS 711-1101, a violation, or a petty misdemeanor when the person persists after a reasonable warning or request to desist or intends substantial harm or serious inconvenience; HRS 342F-30.8, $50, $100, $200, then $500.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Honolulu. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

(1) Two governments, split by what makes the noise: the State Department of Health regulates machinery (air conditioners, pumps, generators, exhaust systems) and construction, industrial and agricultural equipment with a decibel table, while the Health Department's FAQ says loud gatherings next door are not within its jurisdiction and sends stereos and other sound devices, animal noise and noise near hospitals to the Honolulu Police Department, which enforces the city ordinances and the state penal code (for animals the City's animal control contractor also enforces, ROH 12-2.13). The split is administrative rather than exclusive: HRS 342F-18 directs police officers as well as state and county health authorities to enforce the state noise chapter and the Department's rules. The state rules apply statewide and in 1996 replaced an Oahu-only chapter (11-43). (2) Where county and state noise law conflict, HAR 11-46-13 says "the law which affords the most protection to the public shall apply," and HRS 342F-20 points conflicts to HRS 46-17. (3) The 30-foot rule covers only devices on public property or in a motor vehicle on a public street, highway or public space; possessing the device is prima facie evidence of operating it, and city, state and federal activities and permitted activities are exempt (41-6.1(b), 41-6.5). (4) Old citations are stale: the ROH 2021 recodification moved the 30-foot rule from ROH 1990 § 41-31.1 to § 41-6.1 and animal nuisances from Chapter 7 to Chapter 12, and HRS case notes still cite § 41-31.1 (holding that neither HRS 342F nor the state vehicular-noise rules reach car-stereo sound regulated by that ordinance). (5) The state limits are not instantaneous caps: noise may exceed them for up to 10 percent of any 20-minute period, impulsive noise gets 10 dBA more, and readings are normally not used for enforcement unless the noise is more than 3 dB above the ambient. (6) Construction hours are conditions on Health Department permits rather than a city curfew; small projects (a dwelling, or under $250,000) can file a notification instead of a permit but are held to 78 decibels and the same hours, and projects using hoe-rams or pile drivers do not qualify for that exemption (HRS 342F-4.5). (7) Under HRS 711-1101 the renter, resident or owner-occupant who knowingly or negligently consents to unreasonable noise on the premises is guilty of a "noise violation," ignoring a police officer's warning is enough to make noise unreasonable, and persisting after a reasonable warning or request to desist (or acting with intent to cause substantial harm or serious inconvenience) raises disorderly conduct from a violation to a petty misdemeanor. (8) Barking or crowing is a nuisance after 10 minutes continuous or half an hour intermittent, day or night, or sooner if it is "unreasonable noise" under 12-2.4(c) (judged by the location and time of day, or shown by ignoring an officer's admonition), unless the animal was provoked or someone was trespassing (12-2.2, 12-2.3, 12-2.4); HPD's FAQ says to call 911, and an officer may send a dog owner a warning letter instead of a citation for a first offense (12-2.10). (9) No loud noises, firearms or explosives within 500 feet of a main hospital building with capacity for at least 36 patients (41-7.1). (10) The Waikiki Shell has its own 68 dBA limit, measured toward the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, a hard 10:00 p.m. end, a fine of not less than 1 percent of gross receipts or $500, whichever is greater, and exemptions for occasional cultural events and one-time tourism events (41-8.3 to 41-8.6). (11) The leaf-blower and weed-whacker hours are state law with fines of $50 to $500; government entities are exempt for leaf blowers, and counties may adopt stricter limits (HRS 342F-30.8). (12) Outside speakers on commercial or industrial lots next to country, residential, apartment, apartment mixed-use or resort zones are barred by the zoning code, apart from drive-thru systems (ROH 21-4.80).

Document it before you report it

Honolulu's limits are measured numbers, so a reading is direct evidence of how loud it really is. Take a quick reading with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser and records nothing — and check how loud your block is on the Honolulu noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.