ParcelSheet

TMK guide · Land rules

Special Management Area (SMA)

The coastal zone where most building needs a County SMA permit first.

The Special Management Area is a band of land along the coast that the Counties draw under the State coastal zone law, HRS chapter 205A. Inside it, most development needs an SMA permit, or a written finding that the work is exempt, before a building permit is issued.

The line follows the coast but not at a fixed distance. In some places it reaches well inland, across roads and up valleys. A lot can be partly inside.

An SMA review looks at shoreline access, views, coastal hazards, water quality and cultural sites. Small projects often get a minor permit; larger ones go to the Planning Commission with a public hearing, which takes longer.

What the law says, and who keeps it

What the ParcelSheet card shows

Whether any part of the lot falls inside the mapped SMA boundary, and roughly how much, from the State GIS copy of the County maps. The mapped line is approximate; the County decides where its line is.

Who to ask

The County Planning Department for the island. Each County runs its own SMA permits and decides whether a project is exempt, minor or needs a full permit.

See it on a real lot

Checked 2026-10-17. This page explains a term in plain words. It is not legal advice; the County or State office named above decides.

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