Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 143 — Animals: Licenses and Regulations

Division 1. Government — Title 11. Agriculture and Animals

Hawaii Revised Statutes as published by the Hawaii State Legislature (files updated 1/5/2026 7:14 PM).

Division 1 Government

Title 11 Agriculture and Animals

Chapter 143 Animals: Licenses and Regulations

§143-1 Definitions

Whenever used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Microchip" or "microchip identification" means a device that is implanted under the skin of an animal and that contains contact information for the owner of the animal.

"Officer" means any sheriff, deputy, any member of a police force in counties with a population of less than 100,000 and animal control officers of the several counties of the State.

"Owner" includes every person owning, harboring, or keeping a dog; provided that if the owner is a minor under the age of eighteen years, the parent, guardian, or other person having the care, custody, or control of the minor shall be irrebuttably presumed to be the owner.

"Unlicensed dog" means any dog for which the license for the current year has not been paid or to which the tag provided for in this chapter is not attached.

[L 1941, c 268, §1; RL 1945, §7151; RL 1955, §156-1; am L 1963, c 85, §3; HRS §143-1; am L 1983, c 227, §2; am L 1989, c 211, §10; am L 1990, c 281, §11; am L Sp 2021, c 5, §3]

§143-2 License or microchip required

It shall be unlawful for any person to own or harbor a:

(1) Dog unless the dog is licensed and has been implanted with a microchip identification as provided by this chapter; provided that the counties may, by ordinance, dispense with or modify the licensing requirements of this chapter; provided further that this chapter shall not apply to dogs under the age of three months or dogs brought into the State exclusively for the purpose of entering them in a dog show or exhibition and not allowed to run at large; or

(2) Cat unless the cat has been implanted with a microchip identification as provided by this chapter; provided that this chapter shall not apply to cats under the age of three months or cats brought into the State exclusively for the purpose of entering them in a cat show or exhibition and not allowed to run at large.

[L 1941, c 268, §2; RL 1945, §7152; RL 1955, §156-2; HRS §143-2; am L 1973, c 146, §1; am L Sp 2021, c 5, §4]

§143-2.2 Microchip identification

(a) An owner shall have a microchip implanted in the owner's dog or cat, and the owner shall register the microchip number and the owner's contact information with a microchip registration company.

(b) When the contact information of the owner of a dog or cat changes, the owner shall provide the new contact information to the applicable microchip registration company no later than thirty days after the change in contact information occurs.

(c) When the owner of a dog or cat transfers ownership to another owner:

(1) The former owner shall inform the new owner of the microchip registration company with which the dog's or cat's microchip is registered; and

(2) The new owner shall provide the microchip registration company with the new owner's contact information no later than thirty days after the transfer of ownership occurs.

(d) Each animal control contractor or nonprofit animal rescue organization shall implant a microchip in all stray dogs and cats in its custody that do not have a microchip.

(e) All animal control contractors shall activate the microchip registration company's found pet alerts to notify owners whose pets' microchips are registered with that company if the pet is found and the owner is not present.

(f) Veterinary clinics, animal shelters, and other animal rescue organizations that scan found pets for microchips shall release only the chip identification number to the finder upon request.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to animals being cared for as part of a designated population management program.

(h) As used in this section, "owner" means any person owning, harboring, or keeping a dog or cat; providing care or sustenance for a dog or cat; or having custody of a dog or cat, whether temporarily or permanently. "Owner" does not include the animal quarantine branch or plant quarantine branch of the department of agriculture and biosecurity.

[L Sp 2021, c 5, §2; am L 2025, c 236, §17]

§143-2.5 Regulation of other animals

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as a limitation on the authority of the counties to regulate, including by licensure, animals other than dogs.

[L 1988, c 270, §2]

§143-2.6 Animal desertion

[§143-2.6] Animal desertion. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal or any person in possession of an animal that belongs to another person to leave the animal without the intention of returning to it.

Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

[L 1992, c 223, §1]

§143-3 License fee controlled by ordinance

Except where licenses are dispensed with pursuant to section 143-2, each county council shall have the power to fix the license fee for dogs on a biennial basis. Until and unless otherwise provided by ordinance the biennial license fee for each dog shall be $4. Any person owning or having the custody or control of any dog shall pay the license fee to the director of finance of the county in which the dog is owned, kept, or controlled. The license fee shall be due and payable on January 2 of every second year and shall be paid before March 11 of every second year, or within thirty days after the exemption ceases in the case of dogs becoming subject to this chapter.

The full amount of the fee shall be paid for any fraction of the license period for which a license is issued.

All moneys received by the director of finance under this chapter shall be paid into the general fund of such county.

[L 1941, c 268, §3; RL 1945, §7153; RL 1955, §156-3; am L 1959, c 120, §1; HRS §143-3; am L 1973, c 146, §2; am L 1980, c 148, §1]

§143-4 Issuance of license and tags

Upon the receipt of the license fee, the director of finance shall issue to the person paying the fee a license stating the following:

(1) The name and address of the person to whom the license is issued;

(2) The year for which the license is paid;

(3) The date of payment;

(4) A description of the dog for which the license is issued; and

(5) The number of the metal tag issued for the dog.

The director of finance shall at the same time issue and deliver to the person a metal tag in the form and design as the director of finance may designate with a serial number and the year for which it is issued plainly inscribed thereon. The tag shall be attached to a collar around the neck of the dog for which the license has been issued. The fee for the tag shall be set by each county council; provided that, until and unless provided by ordinance, the fee shall be 10 cents.

[L 1941, c 268, §4; RL 1945, §7154; RL 1955, §156-4; HRS §143-4; am L 1983, c 227, §3; gen ch 1985; am L 1991, c 178, §4; am L 2011, c 175, §4]

§143-5 Removal and imitation of dog tags

It shall be unlawful for any person to remove any tag from any dog not owned by the person or under the person's control, or to place on any dog any license tag not issued as herein provided, or to make or have in possession or to place on a dog any counterfeit or imitation of any license tag provided for in this chapter.

[L 1941, c 268, §5; RL 1945, §7155; RL 1955, §156-5; HRS §143-5; gen ch 1985]

§143-6 Lost dog tags

If any license tag is lost or stolen, the person to whom the tag was issued shall be entitled to receive a duplicate thereof by presenting to the director of finance who issued the license the original license and satisfactory proof that the tag was lost or stolen.

[L 1941, c 268, §6; RL 1945, §7156; RL 1955, §156-6; HRS §143-6; am L 1987, c 201, §1]

§143-7 Pounds and animal control officers

The council of each county may establish and maintain pounds for the impounding of dogs under this chapter, and may provide for the appointment and compensation of animal control officers who shall have all the powers of a sheriff or police officer in carrying out this chapter.

[L 1941, c 268, §13; RL 1945, §7164; RL 1955, §156-7; am L 1963, c 85, §3; HRS §143-7; am L 1983, c 227, §4; am L 1989, c 211, §10; am L 1990, c 281, §11]

§143-8 Seizure and redemption of unlicensed dogs

Except where licensing requirements are dispensed with, every officer shall seize any unlicensed dog found running at large or found upon any public highway, street, alley, court, place, square, or grounds, or upon any unfenced lot, or not within a sufficient enclosure, whether in the immediate presence of the owner or otherwise, and confine it in a pound or any suitable enclosure for a period of forty-eight hours, during which time it shall be subject to redemption by its owner by payment of the license due, if any, and a penalty to be set by each county council; provided that until and unless provided by ordinance the penalty shall be $2.50. If not so redeemed, the dog shall be sold by the officer for the amount of the license and penalty due, or as much more as can be obtained therefor; provided that the officer may neuter or require the neutering of the dog prior to sale, and if not so sold it shall be humanely destroyed. The owner of any unlicensed dog impounded and not claimed within forty-eight hours as provided in this section, may redeem the dog at any time before sale or destruction of the dog by paying to the officer, in addition to the amount of the license and penalty, an impoundment fee per day for the number of days over two days the dog was impounded. Each county council shall have the power to fix the impoundment fee for dogs; provided that until and unless otherwise provided by ordinance the impoundment fee shall be $2.50 a day. Of the money so received the amount of the license fee shall be paid to the director of finance and the balance shall be retained by the officer to defray the expenses of collecting, keeping, and feeding the dog.

[L 1941, c 268, §7; RL 1945, §7157; RL 1955, §156-8; HRS §143-8; am L 1973, c 146, §3; am L 1983, c 227, §5]

§143-9 Redemption of dog after sale

The owner of any dog which has been seized and sold as provided in this chapter, at any time within thirty days after the sale, may redeem the dog from the purchaser by paying to the purchaser the amount of the purchase price paid by the purchaser and an impoundment fee per day as provided in section 143-8, for the number of days from the date of sale to and including the date of the redemption. If the dog has been neutered in the manner provided in section 143-8, the owner shall pay to the purchaser the amount of the neutering charge.

[L 1941, c 268, §8; RL 1945, §7158; RL 1955, §156-9; HRS §143-9; am L 1983, c 227, §6; gen ch 1985]

§143-10 Stray dogs

Every person who takes into the person's possession any stray dog shall immediately notify the animal control officer and release the dog to the animal control officer upon demand. If there is attached to the dog a license tag for the then current year, the animal control officer shall notify in writing the person to whom the license was issued, at the address given in the license certificate, and, upon demand made within twenty-four hours thereafter and without charge, shall release the dog to the person. If no person lawfully entitled to the dog, within nine days after the date of giving the notice, shall claim the dog, the dog may be sold or destroyed by the animal control officer in the manner provided in section 143-8 for unlicensed dogs.

[L 1941, c 268, §9; RL 1945, §7159; RL 1955, §156-10; HRS §143-10; am L 1983, c 227, §7; gen ch 1985]

§143-11 Redemption of stray licensed dogs

The owner of any licensed dog impounded and not claimed within twenty-four hours as provided in section 143-10, may redeem the dog at any time before the sale or destruction of the dog by paying to the animal control officer an impoundment fee per day as provided in section 143-8, for the number of days the dog was impounded.

[L 1941, c 268, §10; RL 1945, §7160; RL 1955, §156-11; HRS §143-11; am L 1983, c 227, §8]

§143-12 Seizure and disposal of diseased dogs; penalty

Any police officer or animal control officer may seize and, after notice to the owner if the owner can be found, may kill any dog running at large which is so obviously diseased as to be a menace to the health of persons or animals.

Any owner of any dog so diseased, who recovers the dog from the police officer or animal control officer, after notice as aforesaid, and does not furnish forthwith suitable medical treatment and care for, or destroy, the diseased dog, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

[L 1937, c 217, §§1, 2; RL 1945, §7161; RL 1955, §156-12; HRS §143-12; am L 1983, c 227, §9; gen ch 1985]

§143-13 Destruction of diseased or unfit dogs

All dogs taken into the custody of the animal control officer which by reason of age, disease, or other causes, are unfit for further use or are dangerous to keep impounded, may be forthwith humanely destroyed by the animal control officer.

[L 1941, c 268, §11; RL 1945, §7162; RL 1955, §156-13; HRS §143-13; am L 1983, c 227, §10]

§143-14 Female dogs

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any female dog, licensed or unlicensed, to permit it to run at large while the dog is in the copulating season.

[L 1941, c 268, §12; RL 1945, §7163; RL 1955, §156-14; HRS §143-14]

§143-15 Contracts for seizing and impounding dogs

Any county may contract with any society or organization formed for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or similar dog protective organization, for the seizure and impounding of all unlicensed dogs, and for the maintenance of a shelter or pound for unlicensed dogs, and for lost, strayed, and homeless dogs, and for the destruction or other disposition of seized dogs not redeemed as provided in this chapter. The county may prescribe in the contract the manner in which the work is to be done by the society or organization and it may also direct the disposition to be made of all dogs seized pursuant to this chapter.

[L 1941, c 268, §14; RL 1945, §7165; RL 1955, §156-15; HRS §143-15]

§143-16 Repealed

[Repealed]

[L 2021, c 4, §2]

§143-17 Wrongful interference with officers

It shall be unlawful for any person to resist or obstruct any officer in the exercise of the officer's duties as provided in this chapter.

[L 1941, c 268, §15; RL 1945, §7166; RL 1955, §156-17; HRS §143-17; gen ch 1985]

§143-18 Unlawful disposition of impounded dogs

It shall be unlawful for any officer to knowingly sell or give any impounded dog to any person, firm, corporation, association, medical college, or university for the purpose of animal experimentation.

[L 1941, c 268, §16; RL 1945, §7167; RL 1955, §156-18; HRS §143-18]

§143-19 Penalty

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter for which no special penalty is provided shall be fined not more than $50.

[L 1941, c 268, §18; RL 1945, §7168; RL 1955, §156-19; HRS §143-19]

§143-20 Reporting of dog or cat captured or killed in snare or trap

Any dog or cat captured or killed in any steel-jawed leg-hold trap, snare, conibear trap, or foot- or leg-hold trap, as those terms are defined in section 711-1109.37, in an area zoned as residential shall immediately be checked for identification and reported to a county animal control officer and, upon request, shall be turned over to the animal control officer.

[L 2013, c 208, §2]