Tree Removal Permits in Kahului, HI

Verified against Kahului city sources · last checked 2026-08-06

Do you need a permit?

It depends on the tree

Kahului is an unincorporated community in Maui County, so the county's rules govern. If your tree is on the county's list of designated exceptional trees, pruning it, removing it, or changing its surroundings to its detriment requires a permit from the Director of Parks and Recreation, with review and concurrence by the Maui County Arborist Committee — and removal is approved only rarely, generally when the tree is dead, diseased, irretrievably damaged, or a hazard. For an ordinary, undesignated tree in your own yard, we could not find a Maui County source stating a permit requirement, so confirm with Parks and Recreation before you cut.

What's protected in Kahului

Trees designated as exceptional trees of the County of Maui and adopted onto the county list by County Council ordinance (Maui County Code Chapter 12.24A)
Street trees in county rights-of-way, which are overseen by the Director of Parks and Recreation

How to apply in Kahului

1
Confirm with the Department of Parks and Recreation whether your tree is on the county's exceptional tree list. Designations are recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances, so they also show up against the property.
2
If it is designated, consult the Director of Parks and Recreation before any work.
3
Give the Director the location of the tree, the action to be taken, and the reason for that action.
4
The Director asks the Maui County Arborist Committee to make an on-site evaluation and recommend a course of action.
5
Approval is granted subject to Arborist Committee concurrence, and the Committee may recommend that you plant a replacement or relocate the tree.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Ordinance: Maui County Code Chapter 12.24A — Exceptional Trees (adopted by Ordinance 2041 (1991) and amended by Ordinance 3737 (2010), Ordinance 4259 (2015), and Ordinance 4908); Maui County Planting Plan Chapter 5, Exceptional Tree Program

Worth knowing

Maui's own program language is explicit that approval is hard to get: "Only in very rare occasions will the owner of an Exceptional Tree(s) be granted approval to remove said tree(s) unless the tree(s) is dead, diseased, irretrievably damaged, or is a hazard to public safety or welfare."
The Arborist Committee examines the designated trees at least once a year, and if a listed tree is found dangerous or diseased beyond repair the County Council can take it off the list.
Planting a street tree in a county right-of-way is also controlled: an abutting landowner may do it only with the Arborist Committee's recommendation and the approval of the directors of Public Works and Waste Management and Parks and Recreation (Maui County Code § 12.24A.070).
When exceptional trees are involved in a development or parking lot project, the Arborist Committee reviews the plans — recent Maui agendas cite Maui County Code Chapter 12.24A alongside the zoning landscaping section.
Hawaiʻi state law (HRS § 235-19) allows an income tax deduction of up to $3,000 per exceptional tree for maintenance spending, once in every three consecutive tax years.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether a permit is required to remove an ordinary, non-designated tree on private property in Kahului. Maui County publishes no general private-property tree rule and no diameter threshold that we could find.
— The permit fee, if any, for an exceptional tree permit.
— Penalties for removing an exceptional tree without approval. The county's published material describes the permit process but not the fine.
— Whether any specific tree in Kahului is on the county list. The list is amended by ordinance every so often; ask Parks and Recreation about your address.

Sources

Who to contact in Kahului

Department of Parks and Recreation, County of Maui (the Director issues exceptional tree permits; the Maui County Arborist Committee reviews them)

(808) 270-7230 Official page

200 S. High St., Kalana O Maui Building, Wailuku, HI 96793

Cost Calculators

Find Tree Services

Browse tree trimming and removal companies in Kahului.

View tree services

Related Permits

Get weekly cost & permit updates

Join homeowners who get free insights on project costs, permit changes, and money-saving tips. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.

Free forever. No credit card. Unsubscribe in one click.

How to apply in Kahului

1
Confirm with the Department of Parks and Recreation whether your tree is on the county's exceptional tree list. Designations are recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances, so they also show up against the property.
2
If it is designated, consult the Director of Parks and Recreation before any work.
3
Give the Director the location of the tree, the action to be taken, and the reason for that action.
4
The Director asks the Maui County Arborist Committee to make an on-site evaluation and recommend a course of action.
5
Approval is granted subject to Arborist Committee concurrence, and the Committee may recommend that you plant a replacement or relocate the tree.

Worth knowing

Maui's own program language is explicit that approval is hard to get: "Only in very rare occasions will the owner of an Exceptional Tree(s) be granted approval to remove said tree(s) unless the tree(s) is dead, diseased, irretrievably damaged, or is a hazard to public safety or welfare."
The Arborist Committee examines the designated trees at least once a year, and if a listed tree is found dangerous or diseased beyond repair the County Council can take it off the list.
Planting a street tree in a county right-of-way is also controlled: an abutting landowner may do it only with the Arborist Committee's recommendation and the approval of the directors of Public Works and Waste Management and Parks and Recreation (Maui County Code § 12.24A.070).
When exceptional trees are involved in a development or parking lot project, the Arborist Committee reviews the plans — recent Maui agendas cite Maui County Code Chapter 12.24A alongside the zoning landscaping section.
Hawaiʻi state law (HRS § 235-19) allows an income tax deduction of up to $3,000 per exceptional tree for maintenance spending, once in every three consecutive tax years.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— Whether a permit is required to remove an ordinary, non-designated tree on private property in Kahului. Maui County publishes no general private-property tree rule and no diameter threshold that we could find.
— The permit fee, if any, for an exceptional tree permit.
— Penalties for removing an exceptional tree without approval. The county's published material describes the permit process but not the fine.
— Whether any specific tree in Kahului is on the county list. The list is amended by ordinance every so often; ask Parks and Recreation about your address.