Hawaii Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide

Hawaii is not a permitless carry state. To carry a handgun in public, you need a License to Carry from the chief of police in your county. You must be at least 21 and a Hawaii resident to get a concealed carry license.

This guide covers Hawaii gun laws for carrying a handgun. You will learn how to apply, what the in-person training requires, where you can’t carry under Act 52, and what the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2026 ruling in Wolford v. Lopez changed.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Hawaii?

Yes. Under HRS § 134-25, a handgun must stay at your home, business or place you are staying, unless you hold a license under HRS § 134-9.

Without a license, you may only move an unloaded gun in an enclosed case between certain places, such as a range or repair shop. Carrying a loaded firearm on a public highway without a license is a class B felony (HRS § 134-26).

To get a concealed carry license under HRS § 134-9(a), you must:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Be a Hawaii resident and a U.S. citizen, national or lawful permanent resident
• Not be barred from owning firearms under HRS § 134-7
• Have the character and temperament the law requires
• Be the registered owner of each gun you want to carry
• Complete the required training and sign an affidavit about carry rules

Hawaii does not honor carry permits from any other state.

How To Get A Hawaii License To Carry

You apply in person to the police department in your county: Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui or Kauai. The steps below follow the statute and the Honolulu Police Department’s firearms page. Other counties may differ in details.

1. Register your handguns. The license lists the serial number of each gun it covers. You must bring proof that each gun is registered to you.
2. Complete the required training. Get a notarized affidavit from a verified instructor. The training is covered in the next section.
3. Fill out the forms. In Honolulu, this includes the concealed license application (HPD-150B), an affidavit of acknowledgment, and two mental health records waivers.
4. Apply in person. Bring a government photo ID, a passport-size photo and the fee. Honolulu takes walk-ins only and, as of its current page, cash only for the $150 fee.
5. Pass the background checks. Police run a federal NICS check and review mental health records.
6. Wait for a decision. The chief must decide within a reasonable time. If there is no decision in 120 days, you can treat it as a denial and appeal.

Cost: $150 to apply and $50 to renew. Both are nonrefundable, and both can be waived for financial hardship (HRS § 134-9(i), (p)).

Term: Four years. A concealed license is valid in every county.

Limits: You may carry only one firearm on your person at a time (HRS § 134-9(q)). You may only carry the guns listed on your license.

Do You Need A Class For A Hawaii Carry Permit?

Yes. HRS § 134-9(e) requires a course with in-person instruction.

It must cover firearm safety and handling, safe storage and transport, low-light shooting, conflict management, deadly force law and prohibited places. A mental health component is also required.

The course must also include:

• Live-fire exercises on a range, with a demonstration of safe handling and shooting proficiency for each gun you want to carry
• A written exam, passed with a score of at least 70%
• An instructor certified or verified by the county police chief, certified by an approved organization, or a certified military firearms instructor

The statute does not set a minimum number of hours. Honolulu’s license checklist asks for at least a four-hour lecture and a written exam within four years.

Your shooting proficiency test must be dated within 90 days of your application. Check with your county for its exact rules.

Because the law requires in-person instruction and live fire, an online-only course does not meet Hawaii’s requirement. Honolulu allows approved videos only for certain mental health and domestic violence topics.

A short online safety course can still be a useful primer before you sign up for the required in-person class. It does not replace that class, and it is not a license.

Can Non-Residents Get A Hawaii Carry Permit?

Not for concealed carry. A concealed license under HRS § 134-9(a) requires Hawaii residency.

The separate unconcealed (open carry) license under § 134-9(b) does not list a residency rule. But it is discretionary, requires a showing of urgency or need, and is valid only in the issuing county. Nonresidents should ask the county police department before applying.

Which States Honor The Hawaii License To Carry?

Hawaii honors no other state’s carry permit. Visitors cannot legally carry in Hawaii on a permit from home.

Some states do accept a Hawaii license. USCCA’s reciprocity map lists 10 states that honor it, including Indiana, New Hampshire and North Carolina.

It lists about 21 more with restrictions, such as age limits. Check each state’s rules before you travel.

Heading to the mainland? See our California gun laws, Oregon gun laws and Washington gun laws guides, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Hawaii?

Only with an unconcealed carry license, and these are hard to get. Under HRS § 134-9(b), the police chief “may” grant one. You must be at least 21, show sufficient urgency or need, and be engaged in protecting life and property.

An unconcealed license is valid only in the county that issued it. The concealed license, by contrast, is “shall issue” for qualified residents and is valid statewide.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Hawaii?

With a license, yes. HRS § 134-26 exempts licensed carriers from the ban on loaded firearms on public highways.

Without a license, the gun must be unloaded and in an enclosed container. You may only take it between the places the law lists, such as home, a range, a dealer or a repair shop (HRS § 134-25).

Leaving a gun in a parked car is strictly limited. Under HRS § 134-9.3, an unattended gun must be locked in a safe storage container that cannot be seen from outside. A locked trunk or glove box alone does not count.

• Parking lots at sensitive places: Most banned places in HRS § 134-9.1 include their parking areas. The law gives an affirmative defense for storing or retrieving a gun near your vehicle in a parking area. That is a defense in court, not a right to carry there.
• Employer parking lots: Hawaii has no law that protects employees who keep guns in their cars at work, according to USCCA. Get your employer’s permission first.
• School parking lots: School, preschool, child care and college grounds, including adjacent parking, are on the banned list.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Hawaii

Act 52 (2023) created a long list of banned places in HRS § 134-9.1(a). Most entries include adjacent parking areas. You may not carry at:

• State and county buildings, offices and their grounds
• Hospitals, clinics, medical offices and nursing homes
• Jails, prisons and detention facilities
• Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol on site
• Stadiums, movie theaters, concert halls and sporting events
• Public libraries
• Colleges and universities
• Schools, preschools, summer camps and child care facilities
• Beaches, playgrounds, parks and state or county recreation areas
• Shelters for homeless people, domestic violence victims or children
• Polling places and voter service centers
• Banks and financial institutions
• Buses, trains, transit stations and airports (bus stops on public sidewalks are excluded)
• Amusement parks, aquariums, fairs, museums, water parks and zoos
• Permitted public gatherings on public property, when signs are posted

You also may not carry while drinking alcohol, using drugs or impaired (HRS § 134-9.4). Federal facilities are off-limits under 18 U.S.C. § 930. Parts of the sensitive-places law have been challenged in federal court, so check with your county police for the current rules.

The Wolford v. Lopez ruling: Act 52 also created HRS § 134-9.5. It bans licensees from carrying on someone else’s private property unless the owner gives express permission. On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Wolford v. Lopez that this rule, as applied to private property open to the public, violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

The Court reversed the Ninth Circuit and sent the case back. The ruling did not decide the separate sensitive-places list above. Owners can still ban guns by posting signs or telling you.

Duty to inform: Yes. Under HRS § 134-9.2, if police stop you, or stop a vehicle you are in, you must immediately tell the officer you are carrying. On request, you must say where the gun is and show your license, photo ID and proof the gun is registered.

Hawaii Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Hawaii is not a stand your ground state. Under HRS § 703-304, you may use deadly force if you believe it is necessary to protect yourself against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, rape or forcible sodomy.

Deadly force is not justified if you know you can avoid it with complete safety by retreating. You do not have to retreat from your home or your place of work. Two exceptions apply: if you were the initial aggressor, or if you are attacked at work by someone who you know also works there.

A self-defense law does not stop police from arresting you or a prosecutor from filing charges. Even a clear case can lead to a costly legal defense.

Hawaii Gun Laws FAQ

Is Hawaii A Constitutional Carry State?

No. You need a License to Carry from your county police chief. Carrying a loaded gun in public without one is a felony.

Can Tourists Carry A Gun In Hawaii?

No. Hawaii honors no out-of-state permits, and nonresidents cannot get a concealed carry license. Visitors must follow Hawaii’s strict transport and storage rules.

Can You Carry A Gun On The Beach In Hawaii?

No. Beaches, parks, playgrounds and their parking areas are on the banned list in HRS § 134-9.1(a)(9).

How Long Does It Take To Get A License To Carry In Hawaii?

The law says a decision must come within a reasonable time. If 120 days pass without one, you may treat it as a denial and appeal within 30 days.

Can You Carry More Than One Gun In Hawaii?

No. A licensee may carry only one firearm on their person at a time (HRS § 134-9(q)).

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Hawaii?

Places of worship are not on Hawaii’s sensitive-places list. Before Wolford, you needed the church’s express permission under § 134-9.5. After the ruling, that default rule cannot be enforced for private property open to the public.

A church can still ban guns by sign or by telling you, and any school or child care on site is off-limits. Churches that use armed volunteers should look into legal protection for church security teams.

Sources

• HRS § 134-9: Licenses to Carry
• HRS § 134-9.1: Prohibited Locations
• HRS § 134-9.2: Duty to Carry License and Disclose
• HRS § 134-9.3: Unsecured Firearm in Vehicle
• HRS § 134-9.4: Unlawful Conduct While Carrying
• HRS § 134-9.5: Private Property Default Rule
• HRS § 134-25: Place to Keep Pistol or Revolver
• HRS § 134-26: Loaded Firearm on Public Highway
• HRS § 703-304: Use of Force in Self-Protection
• U.S. Supreme Court: Wolford v. Lopez, No. 24-1046 (June 25, 2026)
• Honolulu Police Department: Firearms
• Honolulu Police Department: License to Carry Checklist
• Honolulu Police Department: HPD-150E Instructor Verification Form
• USCCA: Hawaii Reciprocity Map (secondary source)