Honolulu, Hawaii · city zoning districts · 16 districts
Honolulu, HI zoning map & districts
Honolulu's Land Use Ordinance (LUO), codified as Chapter 21 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, is administered by the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) and governs the entire island of Oahu — the City and County of Honolulu has no separate incorporated municipalities. Residential districts (R-3.5 through R-20) are distinguished by minimum lot size rather than by use, apartment districts (A-1, A-2) permit multi-unit buildings at increasing density, and business districts (B-1, B-2) and mixed-use districts (BMX) carry the commercial corridors. Preservation districts (P-1, P-2) track the State Land Use Conservation District and cover most of Oahu's mountain ranges and shoreline buffers.
The code Land Use Ordinance (Chapter 21, Revised Ordinances of Honolulu)
Honolulu zoning map
The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) publishes the official LUO zoning maps and Chapter 21 text; parcel-level zoning is looked up by TMK (Tax Map Key) through DPP's zoning and permitting counters and online GIS map.
There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Honolulu planning or zoning department.
A published summary is never the authority. The adopted ordinance and the city's official zoning map govern, and both change — verify the district and every standard on your parcel before you rely on it.
How zoning works in Honolulu
DPP administers a citywide ADU program ("ohana" and detached ADUs) permitted by right on qualifying residential and agricultural lots, and Honolulu Rail Transit has driven a series of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) neighborhood plans and special design districts around stations from Kapolei to Downtown, which layer increased height and density allowances and reduced parking minimums onto the underlying LUO zoning. Waikiki and several other areas carry their own Special District overlays with distinct design and use controls on top of base LUO zoning.
Honolulu zoning districts by family
The 16 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Honolulu, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.
| Code | District | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Residential 7 districts | ||
| R-3.5 | One-Family Residential | 3,500 sq ft minimum lot; the smallest-lot single-family district, common in older urban Honolulu neighborhoods. |
| R-5 | One-Family Residential | 5,000 sq ft minimum lot; typical suburban single-family zoning across much of urban Oahu. |
| R-7.5 | One-Family Residential | 7,500 sq ft minimum lot; lower-density single-family district. |
| R-10 | One-Family Residential | 10,000 sq ft minimum lot; larger-lot single-family suburban zoning. |
| R-20 | One-Family Residential | 20,000 sq ft minimum lot; the lowest-density residential district, used in rural-suburban areas. |
| A-1 | Low-Density Apartment | Walk-up apartment and townhome-scale multifamily development. |
| A-2 | Medium-Density Apartment | Mid-rise apartment buildings at higher density than A-1. |
| Mixed-use 1 district | ||
| BMX-3 | Business Mixed Use | Mid-rise mixed-use district permitting hotel, residential, and commercial uses together; used along transit and resort-adjacent corridors. |
| Commercial 2 districts | ||
| B-1 | Neighborhood Business | Small-scale local retail and personal services serving surrounding residential areas. |
| B-2 | Community Business | Larger-format retail and commercial uses along major corridors. |
| Industrial 2 districts | ||
| I-1 | Limited Industrial | Light industrial, warehouse, and distribution uses. |
| I-2 | Intensive Industrial | Heavy industrial uses with fewer buffering requirements. |
| Special purpose 4 districts | ||
| AG-1 | Restricted Agricultural | Most restrictive farm-use district; limits non-farm structures on productive agricultural land. |
| AG-2 | General Agricultural | Agricultural district with more flexibility for farm dwellings and accessory ag uses. |
| P-1 | Restricted Preservation | Applied to State-designated Conservation District lands; minimal development allowed. |
| P-2 | General Preservation | Open space, recreation, and visual-relief lands within the State Urban district. |
Honolulu zoning — common questions
- What does R-5 zoning mean in Honolulu?
- R-5 is a one-family residential district requiring a minimum 5,000 sq ft lot per dwelling. It's one of five R-districts (R-3.5 through R-20) distinguished purely by minimum lot size, not by a different set of allowed uses.
- How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Honolulu?
- Look up the parcel's TMK (Tax Map Key) number and check it against DPP's zoning GIS map or contact DPP's zoning counter directly. Zoning is set citywide under the LUO — Honolulu has no separate town-level zoning.
- Can I build an ADU or ohana unit on residential land in Honolulu?
- Yes. Honolulu permits detached ADUs and ohana dwelling units by right on most residential and agricultural lots that meet minimum lot size and parking requirements, subject to DPP permitting.
Keep reading
← Hawaii zoning — who holds the zoning power in Hawaii, under which enabling statute, and the reforms that override local rules.
Other Hawaii cities
- Hilo 12 districts
- Kahului 8 districts
- Kailua-Kona 10 districts
- Kaneohe 11 districts
- Kihei 7 districts
- Lihue 10 districts
The zoning reference → — every state, plus city-level district guides like this one.
Honolulu zoning summaries on this page are provided for information, not legal advice. Confirm every project against the current adopted code for the jurisdiction.