HRS Chapter 205A / Special Management Area (SMA)
The Special Management Area (SMA) is the coastal strip, established under Hawaiʻi's Coastal Zone Management law (HRS Chapter 205A), where development is subject to heightened county review. A project inside the SMA generally needs a county SMA Use Permit.
Each county administers its own SMA boundary and permit. Whether a proposed project needs a full SMA Use Permit, a minor permit, or an exemption depends on the scale and valuation of the work — so the same parcel can carry very different SMA friction depending on what's built.
The SMA permit is a discretionary approval, which means it can also carry conditions and, where applicable, additional analysis such as a cultural-impact review. It is one of the pathways a Ka Paʻakai obligation can attach to.
If a parcel sits inside the SMA, the coastal permit is a step to plan for — its tier turns on your project's scope, so it's worth understanding early. It's a market/regulatory feasibility question a screen can surface from the mapped boundary.
Development within the mapped Special Management Area. Whether it needs a full or minor SMA Use Permit, or qualifies for an exemption, depends on the project's scale and valuation under the county's rules and HRS 205A.
This is a plain-language reference, not legal advice. KILO is a pre-development screening tool, not a system of record — confirm any determination with the agency of jurisdiction.