Septic System Regulations in Hawaii

In Hawaii, onsite wastewater (septic) systems are regulated by Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), Wastewater Branch, which issues onsite wastewater permits directly. Installing, replacing or repairing a septic system here means, in sequence: a site and soil evaluation, a design, a permit application, an inspection while the system is open, and a final as-built record once it is approved.

counties

with records we hold

records held statewide

Who regulates septic systems in Hawaii

The state-level regulator is Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), Wastewater Branch (official program page). The DOH Wastewater Branch directly reviews and permits Individual Wastewater Systems (IWS) statewide (including enforcement of the state's cesspool ban); there is no county health department permitting layer for onsite wastewater systems.

The statewide onsite-wastewater code is cited as Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 11, Chapter 62, Subchapter 3 (Individual Wastewater Systems). We link the agency's own page above rather than restating specific numeric requirements from it, since those change by rule revision and by local amendment.

The permit sequence

The order of operations is broadly consistent across the country, even though the specific numbers in each step vary by state and often by county. None of the figures below are specific to Hawaii; treat this as the shape of the process, and get the actual numbers from the agency linked above or from the county office.

Site and soil evaluation. A qualified evaluator (see licensing below) digs test pits or runs a percolation test, and records the soil profile, depth to seasonal water table, depth to any restrictive layer, and slope. This determines whether the lot can support a conventional system or needs an alternative design.
Design. Under most state codes, daily design flow is set from bedroom count, not square footage. That flow drives tank capacity, and the soil evaluation sets the drainfield application rate and therefore its size. The designer also lays out setbacks to wells, property lines, surface water, foundations and a reserve/replacement area.
Permit application. Submitted to whichever office issues permits here (state agency or county/district health office, per the delegation model above), along with the design and soil work.
Installation and open inspection. The installer builds the system, and it is inspected before backfill while it is still open to view.
As-built and approval. A final drawing of what was actually built is filed once the system is approved. That as-built is the document a future owner, pumper or inspector needs, and it is what ends up in the county record.

Who can design and install a septic system

Design	Construction plans for an individual wastewater system must be prepared by a Hawaii-licensed professional engineer and submitted to the Wastewater Branch for review/approval.
Installation	A licensed contractor holding an A, C-9, C-37, C-37a, or C-43 classification (Hawaii Contractors License Board, Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) installs the system per the engineer's approved plans.

Getting septic records in Hawaii

Septic records in Hawaii are generally held by the county or local health jurisdiction that issued the permit, not by the state agency, and are released under the state's public records law. We have not logged the specific statute name and response deadline for Hawaii yet; check with the county office listed on its records page below, or with Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), Wastewater Branch.

Counties in Hawaii we hold records for

We hold 12 septic records across 1 of 5 Hawaii counties. Each county page below shows exactly where its records are kept and how many we hold.

County	Records held
Kalawao	12

Full Hawaii county-by-county index · Open the parcel map

Common questions

Who regulates septic systems in Hawaii?

Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), Wastewater Branch. The DOH Wastewater Branch directly reviews and permits Individual Wastewater Systems (IWS) statewide (including enforcement of the state's cesspool ban); there is no county health department permitting layer for onsite wastewater systems.

What is the septic permit process in Hawaii?

The sequence is a site and soil evaluation, a design sized from the evaluation and (under most state codes) bedroom count, a permit application, an inspection before backfill, and a final as-built filed once the system is approved. Exact numeric requirements are set by the agency's own code, not restated here.

Who can install a septic system in Hawaii?

A licensed contractor holding an A, C-9, C-37, C-37a, or C-43 classification (Hawaii Contractors License Board, Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) installs the system per the engineer's approved plans.

How do I get septic records for a property in Hawaii?

Septic records are generally held by the county or district health office that issued the permit. See our county-by-county Hawaii index for the specific office and portal in each county.

Sources

Regulatory information on this page was researched against official state agency sources and last verified 2026-08-31. It is informational only: the agency linked above is authoritative, and requirements can change. We are not lawyers, not a government body, and not affiliated with, licensed or certified by any agency named on this page.