State Gun Laws

As of August 2025, to legally have or buy a gun in Hawai‘i, a person must get a permit issued by the county’s chief of police. However, this law has recently been challenged in the courts, and may be found unconstitutional.¹ Please check with your county to find out whether or not this law is still in effect.

A person may qualify for a gun permit if s/he meets a few criteria. First, s/he must not fit into any of the categories that make gun possession illegal. Second, s/he must be:

• a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident who is at least 21 years old;
• an official representative of a foreign nation; or
• an immigrant (“alien”) who is:
  • currently employed as a law enforcement officer;
  • age 18 or older and s/he has a hunting license; Note: this permit only allows the person to use a rifle and shotgun, and only for up to 60 days; or
  • age 21 or older and s/he is training for a specific organized sport-shooting contest; Note: this permit lasts for a maximum of six months and the contest must take place within those six months.²

However, even if someone meets the requirements listed above, the police don’t have to issue him/her a gun permit. The police can deny someone a permit if they believe that:

1. allowing this person to have a gun is not in the interest of public health, safety, or welfare; and
2. the person “lacks the essential character or temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm.”³

The police must consider whether or not the person poses a danger of injuring themselves or someone else. They can use any of the following things to help them decide:

• information from a health care provider showing that the person has had suicidal or homicidal thoughts or tendencies within the past five years;
• statements or actions by the person indicating a dangerous or violent hatred (“animus”) toward one or more individuals or groups. The hatred could be because of any characteristic, including groups based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religion. It must be severe enough that an objective observer would believe it would not be in the interest of the public health, safety, or welfare for the person to have a firearm or ammunition;
• information that the person intends to - or is likely to - use a firearm in an unlawful way; or
• other information that would lead a reasonable, objective observer to conclude that this person having a firearm presents a danger to the community.³

¹ Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-2(a); see Yukutake v. Lopez, 130 F.4th 1077 (9th Cir. 2025)
² Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-2(d)
³ Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-2(e)