Local authority · Hawaii
City and County of Honolulu — energy & appliance code adoption
Yes — effectively. Honolulu mirrors the Hawaii State Electrical Code (NEC 2020) with limited local amendments; Bill 25 (Ord. 20-1, 2020) added solar-ready and EV-ready requirements. Honolulu lags state code adoption by up to two years, so the locally enforced electrical edition can trail the state edition. Below: how City and County of Honolulu differs from Hawaii on appliance listing, NEC, fire code, and energy storage, with sources.
Is UL 858 required in City and County of Honolulu?
Yes — effectively. City and County of Honolulu requires fixed household appliances to be listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), and UL 858 is the de-facto listing standard a household electric range must meet. Per NEC 110.3 as adopted by the state and Honolulu, electric ranges must be listed by an NRTL; UL858 is the standard used for household electric ranges.
Are NRTL-listed (UL / ETL / CSA) appliances required in City and County of Honolulu?
Yes. City and County of Honolulu's adopted code requires fixed electrical appliances to be listed by an NRTL (UL, ETL/Intertek, CSA, etc.) — NEC 110.2 & 110.3 (as adopted via ROH Ch. 16, Art. 1). DPP requires equipment to be listed/labeled by an approved NRTL; enforced through permit plan review and inspection.
Which edition of the NEC does City and County of Honolulu use?
City and County of Honolulu has adopted the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC), effective 2022-03-15. Hawaii State Building Code Council adopted NEC 2020 effective 2022-03-15. Honolulu, as the AHJ for Oahu via DPP, enforces via ROH Ch. 16. State has since adopted NEC 2023 (effective 2024-09-01); Honolulu has up to 2 years to adopt with local amendments and as of 2026-04 has not completed local adoption of NEC 2023.
Is UL 9540 required for residential energy storage in City and County of Honolulu?
Yes. City and County of Honolulu's adopted code requires UL 9540 listing for stationary energy storage systems (ESS) in dwellings. Honolulu HFD enforces NFPA 1 Ch. 52 (equivalent scope to IFC §1207). 20 kWh dwelling cap; 9540A required to exceed. High solar+ESS adoption on Oahu drives volume; HFD permit + plan review required.
Is UL 9540A fire-propagation testing required in City and County of Honolulu?
Yes — effectively. City and County of Honolulu requires NRTL listing for energy storage systems, and UL 9540A is the controlling standard.
What is the residential energy-storage capacity limit in City and County of Honolulu?
City and County of Honolulu limits residential energy storage to 20 kWh per dwelling unit.
Which fire code does City and County of Honolulu enforce?
City and County of Honolulu enforces NFPA-1 2018. Hawaii State Fire Code 2021 based on NFPA 1, 2018. Hawaii uses NFPA 1 (not IFC); Honolulu Fire Department enforces with state amendments effective 2021-01-19.
Code adoption summary
| NEC edition | 2020 NEC |
|---|---|
| Appliance listing (UL 858) | Effectively required |
| NRTL listing requirement | Required |
| Fire code | NFPA-1 2018 |
| IRC edition | 2018 IRC |
| UL 9540 (residential ESS) | Required |
| UL 9540A propagation test | Effectively required |
| Residential ESS cap | 20 kWh / dwelling |
| NFPA 855 edition | 2023 |
Sources
- Honolulu ROH Article 1: Electrical Code
- Hawaii State Electrical Code (2022 PDF)
- Honolulu Ordinance 20-1 (Bill 25)
- Hawaii State Building Code Council
- Honolulu Fire Department — Fire Prevention Bureau