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HRS §6E-72

Damaging a burial site is a crime

This law makes it a crime to knowingly dig up, damage, take, or change a burial site or its contents on any land in Hawaii, unless the state agency allows it or you have the required approval during development. Each day the violation continues is a separate crime.

everyone

The statute, as written — Taking, appropriation, excavation, injury, destruction, or alteration of a burial site; penalty

(a) A person commits the offense of taking, appropriation, excavation, injury, destruction, or alteration of a burial site if the person knowingly: (1) Takes, appropriates, excavates, injures, destroys, or alters any burial site or the contents thereof, located on private land or land owned or controlled by the State or any of its political subdivisions, except as permitted by the department; or (2) Takes, appropriates, excavates, injures, destroys, or alters any burial site or the contents thereof during the course of land development or land alteration activities to which section 6E-42 applies, without obtaining the required approval. (b) Taking, appropriation, excavation, injury, destruction, or alteration of a burial site is a misdemeanor for which a fine not to exceed $25,000 may be imposed, in addition to any other penalty authorized by chapter 706 for a misdemeanor. (c) Each day of a continued violation of this section shall constitute a distinct and separate offense.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§6E-42 Review of proposed projects

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.