Are firearms legal in Hawaii?

Q: Are firearms legal in Hawaii?

Firearms in Hawaii are restricted. A Hawaii License to Carry is required to carry a handgun in public. There is no permitless carry. To qualify for a concealed license you must be 21 or older, a Hawaii resident, and a U.S. citizen, national or lawful permanent resident, and you must pass training and a background check. The county police chief must grant the license to qualified applicants. Non-residents do not qualify for a concealed license.

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HAWAII · FIREARMS

Firearms

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Restricted: A Hawaii License to Carry is required to carry a handgun in public.

Restricted

Summary

A Hawaii License to Carry is required to carry a handgun in public. There is no permitless carry. To qualify for a concealed license you must be 21 or older, a Hawaii resident, and a U.S. citizen, national or lawful permanent resident, and you must pass training and a background check. The county police chief must grant the license to qualified applicants. Non-residents do not qualify for a concealed license.

Source: honolulupd.org → · Updated October 12, 2026

Hawaii Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Hawaii →Restricted
A Hawaii License to Carry is required to carry a handgun in public.
Open Carry in Hawaii →Restricted
Open carry is effectively unavailable. An unconcealed License to Carry may be granted only at the police chief's discretion, to someone who shows urgency or need and is engaged in protecting life and property, and it is valid only in the county that issued it.
Magazine Capacity in Hawaii →Restricted
In Hawaii it is illegal to manufacture, possess, sell, or transfer a pistol magazine that holds more than 10 rounds.
Gun Possession in Hawaii →Restricted
Hawaii has had a Gun Violence Protective Order (red-flag) law since 2019 (Act 150), prohibits assault pistols, and requires firearms to be registered.
Transporting Firearms in Hawaii →Restricted
Never have a loaded firearm in a vehicle on a public road unless you hold a Hawaii License to Carry for that pistol or revolver; otherwise it is a class B felony.
Duty to Inform Police in Hawaii →Conditional
Hawaii has a proactive duty to inform, new under Act 52 of 2023: HRS § 134-9.2(b) requires any person carrying a firearm — including a driver or passenger in a stopped vehicle — to immediately disclose to the officer that they are carrying, and, on request, to identify its exact location and present the § 134-9 license.
Suppressors & Silencers in Hawaii →Restricted
Silencers are banned in Hawaii: HRS 134-8 bans manufacturing, possessing, selling, transferring or acquiring one, and a violation is a class C felony (five years without probation), regardless of registration under the federal National Firearms Act (NFA).
Reciprocity — where is my Hawaii permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Hawaii concealed-carry permit.

Other Hawaii laws

Browse all state laws →

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