Is Jaywalking Illegal in Hawaii? Crossing Rules and $100 Fine (2026)

Yes. Hawaii's jaywalking rules are in HRS 291C-73: a pedestrian crossing outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles, may not cross between two adjacent intersections with working traffic signals except in a marked crosswalk, and may not cross an intersection diagonally unless traffic-control devices allow it. Counties may also prohibit crossing in a business district or on a designated highway except in a crosswalk (HRS 291C-163(a)(18)). HRS 291C-73(e) sets a $100 fine for a violation. A 2026 bill to cap pedestrian fines at $25 did not change that text. For how other states handle the same question, see our guide to jaywalking laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-10. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Hawaii state law in the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS): the crossing rules and fine in 291C-73, the signal rules in 291C-71, 291C-32 and 291C-33, the walking-along-the-road rule in 291C-76, the crosswalk rules and penalties in 291C-72, driver due care in 291C-74, county powers in 291C-163, the crosswalk definition in 291C-1, the general penalty in 291C-161, and the traffic-infraction rules in 291D-2, 291D-3 and 291D-9, and two recent bills, HB1524 (2026) and HB941 (2025). Statute text reflects the HRS as published by the Hawaii State Legislature on 2026-10-10. It does not cover the text of any county ordinance, court fees added to a fine, driver license points, injury claims after a crash, or the law of other states.

Is jaywalking illegal in Hawaii?

Some of it is. HRS 291C-73 sets four rules that work differently. Crossing outside a crosswalk is a duty to yield: it is allowed if the pedestrian lets traffic go first. Crossing where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing is provided is also a duty to yield. Crossing mid-block between two signalized intersections outside a marked crosswalk, and crossing an intersection diagonally without authorization, are flat prohibitions that apply even when no car is coming.

Crossing outside a crosswalk

HRS 291C-73 provides:

"(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. (b) Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. (c) Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk. (d) No pedestrian shall cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official traffic-control devices"

Subsection (a) is a duty to yield, not a ban. A pedestrian who crosses outside a crosswalk and lets every vehicle pass first complies with it. Subsection (a) also names two kinds of crosswalk, marked and unmarked at an intersection, so a pedestrian crossing at an intersection within an unmarked crosswalk is not covered by the yield rule. Subsection (c) is narrower: on a block bounded by two adjacent signalized intersections, only a marked crosswalk will do.

HRS 291C-1 defines a crosswalk as either the part of a roadway at an intersection within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway, measured from the curbs or, without curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway, or any portion of a roadway, at an intersection or elsewhere, distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface. An intersection can therefore have a crosswalk with no paint on the road.

HRS 291C-72(b) adds a rule that applies even at a crosswalk: "No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield."

County rules

Counties can tighten the state rules. HRS 291C-163(a) provides that chapter 291C "shall not be deemed to prevent counties with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction from" "(18) Prohibiting pedestrians from crossing a roadway in a business district or any designated highway except in a crosswalk" and "(19) Restricting pedestrian crossing at unmarked crosswalks." Where a county has adopted such a rule, crossing mid-block there can be cited even if the pedestrian yields. Check county rules and posted signs before crossing outside a crosswalk.

Walk signals and countdown timers

Pedestrians in Hawaii must follow devices and signals. HRS 291C-71 provides:

"(a) A pedestrian shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device specifically applicable to the pedestrian, unless otherwise directed by a police officer. (b) Pedestrians shall be subject to traffic and pedestrian-control signals as provided in sections 291C-32 and 291C-33."

Section 291C-33 sets the pedestrian signal rules, including Hawaii's countdown timer rule:

"(2) Don't Walk or Upraised Palm. No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal, whether flashing or steady, but any pedestrian who has partially completed the pedestrian's crossing on the Walk or Walking Person signal shall complete the crossing to a sidewalk or safety island while the Don't Walk or Upraised Palm signal is showing; and (3) Countdown timer. If the pedestrian-control signal is equipped with a countdown timer, no pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal once the countdown begins"

The countdown rule means a pedestrian may not step off the curb once the numbers start, even if the timer still shows plenty of seconds. Someone already partway across on Walk finishes the crossing. On Walk or Walking Person, pedestrians "may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles" (291C-33(1)).

Under 291C-71(b), pedestrians are also subject to the traffic-control signal rules in section 291C-32, which govern at intersections with no pedestrian signal. Unless a pedestrian-control signal directs otherwise, pedestrians facing any green signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, "may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk." Facing a steady yellow, "no pedestrian shall then start to cross the roadway," and facing a steady red signal alone, pedestrians "shall not enter the roadway" (291C-32(a)). Neither 291C-32 nor 291C-33 states its own penalty, and neither is on the 291C-161(c) list, so the general fine in 291C-161(b) applies to them: up to $250 for a first violation.

Walking along the road

HRS 291C-76 provides:

"(a) Where sidewalks are provided it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and upon an adjacent roadway, bicycle lane, or bicycle path. (b) Where sidewalks are not provided any pedestrian walking along and upon a highway shall, when practicable, walk only on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic which may approach from the opposite direction."

Hawaii's rule reaches bicycle lanes and bicycle paths as well as the roadway: where a sidewalk is provided, walking along any of them is unlawful.

Jaywalking fine in Hawaii

HRS 291C-73(e) sets the amount directly: "Every person who violates this section shall be fined $100." A 291C-73 violation is a traffic infraction: HRS 291D-2 defines traffic infractions to include "pedestrian offenses, for which the prescribed penalties do not include imprisonment." Under HRS 291D-9, the monetary assessment may not exceed the maximum fine in the law defining the infraction, follows the district court's schedule, may be paid over an extended period or replaced with community service at the request of a person claiming inability to pay, and can carry additional assessments for failure to pay by the scheduled date.

Section 291C-73 is carved out of Hawaii's general traffic-code penalty. HRS 291C-161(c) provides that every person "convicted under or found in violation of" a list of sections, including 291C-72 and 291C-73, "shall be sentenced or fined in accordance with those sections." For chapter 291C provisions without their own penalty, 291C-161(b) sets the general fine:

"(b) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d), every person who is determined to have violated any provision of this chapter for which another penalty is not provided shall be fined not more than: (1) $250 for a first violation thereof; (2) $300 for a second violation committed within one year after the date of the first violation; and (3) $500 for a third or subsequent violation committed within one year after the date of the first violation."

Section 291C-76, the walking-along-the-road rule, contains no penalty subsection of its own and is not on the 291C-161(c) list, so the general fine in 291C-161(b) is the one that would apply to it, subject to the exceptions in subsections (c) and (d). Sections 291C-72(e) and 291C-73(e) provide only fines and, in 291C-72(e), license revocation, with no jail term. Hawaii's traffic-infraction statute, HRS 291D-3(a), also provides: "No penal sanction that includes imprisonment shall apply to a violation of a state statute or rule, or county ordinance or rule, that would constitute a traffic infraction ... No traffic infraction ... shall be classified as a criminal offense." Any court fees are outside the sections covered here; the citation or the court handling it shows the total due.

The 2026 bill to lower the jaywalking fine

House Bill 1524 (2026) would have limited the amount. Its status page describes it this way: "Establishes that fines for pedestrian violations under chapter 291C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall not exceed $25." The House disagreed with the Senate's amendments on April 16, 2026, and the last action listed is the appointment of House conferees on April 20, 2026. The current text of HRS 291C-73(e) still reads $100.

An earlier bill, House Bill 941 (2025), was described as authorizing "pedestrians to cross roadways in a manner contrary to the statewide traffic code under certain circumstances." A House committee (TRN) recommended that the measure be deferred on February 13, 2025, and it was carried over to the 2026 Regular Session on December 8, 2025. It has not changed 291C-73, whose current text is quoted above. The pedestrian sections of chapter 291C (291C-71 through 291C-79) contain no provision exempting pedestrians from 291C-73 or limiting police stops for it.

What drivers owe pedestrians

Under HRS 291C-72(a), the driver of a vehicle "shall stop for a pedestrian who is crossing the roadway within a crosswalk" when the pedestrian is on the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling, or approaching so closely from the opposite half as to be in danger, "and shall not proceed until the pedestrian has passed the vehicle and the driver can safely proceed." A pedestrian is crossing within a crosswalk once "any part or extension of the pedestrian, including any part of the pedestrian's body, wheelchair, cane, crutch, or bicycle, is beyond the curb or edges of the traversable roadway." The stop duty does not apply where a pedestrian crosses at a point with a tunnel or overhead crossing (291C-72(c)).

Other driver duties:

• When a vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection for a pedestrian, a driver approaching from the rear "shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle" (291C-72(d)).
• Pedestrians on Walk or Walking Person "shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles" (291C-33(1)).
• At a green signal, vehicles turning right or left yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk (291C-32(a)).
• Notwithstanding other provisions of the chapter, every driver "shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian upon any roadway," must sound the horn when necessary, and must exercise proper precaution upon observing any child or any obviously confused or incapacitated person (291C-74).

HRS 291C-72(e) provides that every person who violates 291C-72, whether a driver who fails to stop or a pedestrian who darts into traffic under 291C-72(b), is subject to:

A pedestrian's duty to yield outside a crosswalk under 291C-73(a) does not change these penalties for a driver who violates the crosswalk rules.

If a pedestrian is hit by a car

Whether a pedestrian was crossing legally can come up after a collision. For how Hawaii's no-fault system, fault and filing deadlines work after a crash, see Hawaii car accident laws. Electric scooter riders follow a separate set of rules, covered in Hawaii e-scooter laws.

Related pages

• Jaywalking laws by state
• Hawaii car accident laws
• Hawaii e-scooter laws

This article provides general legal information about Hawaii law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Hawaii.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jaywalking illegal in Hawaii?

Under state law, crossing outside a crosswalk is allowed only if you yield the right-of-way to all vehicles (HRS 291C-73(a)), and a county may prohibit crossing in a business district or on a designated highway except in a crosswalk (291C-163(a)(18)). Between adjacent intersections with working traffic signals you may cross only in a marked crosswalk (291C-73(c)), and diagonal crossing at an intersection is barred unless authorized (291C-73(d)).

What is the fine for jaywalking in Hawaii?

HRS 291C-73(e) says every person who violates the section shall be fined $100. Darting from a curb into the path of a vehicle falls under 291C-72 instead, with a $150 fine for a first infraction (291C-72(e)). Court fees, if any, are set separately; the citation shows the total.

Did Hawaii lower the jaywalking fine to $25?

No. HB1524 (2026) would have capped fines for pedestrian violations under chapter 291C at $25, but its last listed action is the appointment of House conferees on April 20, 2026, and HRS 291C-73(e) still sets the fine at $100.

Can I start crossing when the countdown timer is running in Hawaii?

No. HRS 291C-33(3) says that if a pedestrian signal has a countdown timer, no pedestrian shall start to cross in the direction of the signal once the countdown begins. A pedestrian already partway across on Walk completes the crossing (291C-33(2)).

Can I cross in the middle of the block in Hawaii?

Under state law, yes, if you yield the right-of-way to all vehicles (HRS 291C-73(a)), but not between two adjacent intersections where traffic-control signals are operating unless you use a marked crosswalk (291C-73(c)). A county may also prohibit crossing in a business district or on a designated highway except in a crosswalk (HRS 291C-163(a)(18)), so check county rules and posted signs.

Can I walk in the bike lane in Hawaii?

Not where sidewalks are provided. HRS 291C-76(a) makes it unlawful to walk along and upon an adjacent roadway, bicycle lane or bicycle path where sidewalks are provided.

Do drivers have to stop for pedestrians in Hawaii?

Yes. Under HRS 291C-72(a), a driver must stop for a pedestrian crossing within a crosswalk on the driver's half of the roadway, or approaching so closely from the opposite half as to be in danger, and may not proceed until the pedestrian has passed. Drivers may not pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk (291C-72(d)) and must exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian upon any roadway (291C-74).

Can you go to jail for jaywalking in Hawaii?

HRS 291C-73(e) provides only a $100 fine. HRS 291D-2 defines traffic infractions to include pedestrian offenses whose penalties do not include imprisonment, and under HRS 291D-3(a), no penalty that includes imprisonment applies to a violation that would constitute a traffic infraction, and no traffic infraction is classified as a criminal offense.