Hawaii Dog Bite Law decides who pays when a dog injures someone — and the answer changes a great deal from one state to the next. This guide explains whether Hawaii uses strict liability or the one-bite rule, how long you have to file, how leash and dangerous dog rules work, and exactly how a homeowners policy responds. Whether you own a dog in Hawaii or you were bitten by one, Hawaii Dog Bite Law is what determines the outcome.
Hawaii Dog Bite Law is summarized here in plain English. Everything in this guide was verified against Hawaii statutes, the state courts, and Insurance Information Institute claim data as of August 2026.
In This Hawaii Dog Bite Law Guide:
Hawaii Dog Bite Law: Strict Liability or One-Bite Rule?
Hawaii applies a mixed standard. Some dog bite claims fall under strict liability and others must be proven through negligence, depending on the circumstances of the attack and where it happened.
The governing statute is Haw. Rev. Stat. 663-9. Statutes are amended, so confirm the current text before relying on it in a claim.
HRS 663-9 says an animal’s owner or harborer is liable for personal or property damage the animal proximately causes “regardless of the animal owner’s or harborer’s lack of scienter” — meaning a bite victim does not have to prove the owner knew the dog was vicious.
Hawaii’s appellate courts (Hubbell v. Iseke, 6 Haw. App. 485, 727 P.2d 1131 (1986)) read this as removing the old one-bite scienter element from a negligence claim, not as creating true strict liability, so a victim must still show the owner acted unreasonably.
The second sentence of 663-9 does impose absolute liability for animals “known by [their] species or nature to be dangerous, wild, or vicious,” which is why Hawaii is classified as a mixed state rather than pure strict liability or pure one-bite.
The Hawaii rule is broad — it covers not just bites but other injuries a dog causes, such as knocking a person down.
Filing Deadline Under Hawaii Dog Bite Law
A dog bite lawsuit in Hawaii must be filed within 2 years of the date of the injury (Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-7). Miss that deadline and the claim is normally barred no matter how strong it is.
The deadline for notifying an insurance company is much shorter than the deadline for filing suit. Most homeowners policies require prompt notice, so report the incident to the insurer right away even if you have not decided whether to sue.
How Hawaii Dog Bite Law Treats Leash Laws and Dangerous Dogs
Hawaii has no general statewide leash statute for dogs; leash, confinement, and running-at-large rules are set by county ordinance (Honolulu ROH ch. 7, Hawaii County Code ch. 4, Maui County Code, Kauai County Code). State law does layer on top with statewide dog licensing under HRS chapter 143 and, since Act 224 (2024), mandatory leash and confinement conditions for any dog formally declared dangerous.
Act 224, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024 (H.B. 2058), added a new dangerous-dog part to HRS chapter 711, effective July 1, 2024 with additional sections effective July 1, 2025.
It lets an officer declare a dog dangerous on probable cause after an unprovoked bite or injury, expressly bars considering breed in that determination, and requires the owner to license and microchip the dog, register the chip with animal control, keep it in an escape-proof locked kennel or fenced area when outdoors and unattended, and leash it under the control of someone at least 18 when outdoors;
Negligent failure to control a dangerous dog is a petty misdemeanor for a first offense and a misdemeanor for a repeat, with fines, up to 30 days (or 6 months on repeat), and restitution.
Leash rules matter far beyond the ticket. In a mixed-rule state, breaking a leash ordinance is powerful evidence of negligence, and it can defeat an owner’s defense outright.
Hawaii Dog Bite Law and Homeowners Insurance
Dog bites are normally paid under the personal liability section of a standard homeowners policy — Coverage E — not under the part that repairs your house. Renters policies carry the same liability coverage.
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Two other pieces of the policy come into play. Medical payments coverage (Coverage F) pays a modest amount of the injured person’s medical bills with no finding of fault, which often settles a minor bite quietly. And an umbrella policy sits above your liability limit — the single most useful thing a dog owner in Hawaii can buy.
Coverage is not automatic. Most policies exclude injuries to people who live in your household, deliberate acts, and business-related animals. Some exclude a dog with a prior bite on record. Read the exclusions before you need them, not after.
Unique to Hawaii: Act 224 (2024) created a statewide dangerous-dog declaration and registry framework administered by county animal control, including mandatory microchipping with registration to the animal control authority, a defined process for rescinding a dangerous-dog declaration, and authority for law enforcement to inspect the home of a declared dangerous dog on probable cause of an imminent threat. The Act expressly excludes breed from the dangerousness determination. Hawaii also uniquely regulates dogs at the border through its rabies-quarantine program under HRS chapter 142. There is no state dog bite compensation fund.
Dog Bite Claim Costs in Hawaii
Hawaii Dog Bite Law decides who is liable. The claim figures below show what that liability actually costs when it lands.
State-level claim counts for Hawaii were not available from the Insurance Information Institute at the time of writing. Nationally, dog bite and dog-related injury claims are among the costliest homeowners liability claims, and the average payout has risen every year for over a decade.
| Typical liability limit | $300,000 |
Hawaii Dog Bite Law, Breed Restrictions and Insurance Exclusions
Hawaii permits local breed-specific ordinances. Some cities and counties restrict or ban particular breeds, and violating a local ban can also be used against you in a civil claim.
Insurers in Hawaii are generally free to refuse or surcharge coverage based on breed. This is a real risk — a policy can be non-renewed after an insurer learns which dog lives at the address.
Breeds most often excluded or surcharged by insurers:
- pit bull
- rottweiler
- doberman pinscher
- german shepherd
- chow chow
- akita
- presa canario
- wolf hybrid
Landlord and Property Owner Liability
Hawaii has no dog-specific landlord statute; liability runs through ordinary premises-liability negligence, so a landlord who retains control of common areas must keep them reasonably safe. In practice a plaintiff must show the landlord knew a dangerous dog was on the rental property and had the ability to remove or restrict it but failed to act.
Under Hawaii Dog Bite Law the tenant who owns the dog is the first target of a claim, but a landlord with knowledge of a dangerous animal can be pulled in alongside them.
If you rent out property in Hawaii, this is worth taking seriously — see our guide to liability coverage and what happens when someone is hurt on your property.
Defenses Available Under Hawaii Dog Bite Law
Defenses recognized in Hawaii:
- Trespassing
- Provocation
- Comparative fault
- Assumption of risk
These defenses rarely erase a claim by themselves. They more often reduce what an owner pays, which under comparative fault rules can still be a substantial difference.
How to Lower Your Liability Risk
Hawaii Dog Bite Law sets the standard you will be judged against. These are the steps that reduce both the chance of a bite and the size of the bill if one happens:
- Raise your liability limit. Going from $100,000 to $300,000 usually costs very little per year.
- Add an umbrella policy. $1 million of extra liability typically runs $150-$300 a year.
- Tell your insurer about the dog. A non-disclosed dog is a reason to deny the claim later.
- Check your local leash ordinance. A violation is evidence against you in a civil case.
- Secure the yard and post a sign. Fencing and gate latches prevent the bite in the first place.
- Document training and vet visits. A record of responsible ownership supports the defense that you had no notice the dog was dangerous.
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Official Sources & Resources
- Insurance Information Institute — dog bite liability: iii.org
- CDC — dog bite prevention: cdc.gov
- American Veterinary Medical Association: avma.org
- Hawaii Insurance Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: https://cca.hawaii.gov/ins/
- NAIC: naic.org
This is a plain-English summary of Hawaii Dog Bite Law, not legal advice. Statutes change and every bite turns on its own facts — talk to a licensed Hawaii attorney about a specific claim. Last verified August 2026. If something here looks out of date, please contact us.