Index
Hawaii Gun Laws (Permit to Acquire)
Summary
Hawaii has some of the lowest gun violence rates in the U.S., largely due to having some of the strictest gun control laws, requiring a police-issued permit for every single firearm purchase.
Rights & Rules
- 01.Before you can buy ANY firearm (handgun or long gun), you must apply for a 'Permit to Acquire' from your local county police chief.
- 02.To get the permit, you must undergo a federal background check, a mental health check, sign a medical waiver, and be fingerprinted.
- 03.You must complete a state-approved firearms safety training course before you can apply for a handgun permit.
- 04.There is a mandatory 14-day waiting period from the time you apply for the permit to the time you can pick it up and buy the gun.
- 05.All firearms brought into the state must be registered with the police within 5 days of arrival.
Penalties
- 01.Possessing an unregistered firearm in Hawaii, or bringing a gun into the state without registering it, is a felony.
Verified Citations
Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 134-2
Source"No person shall acquire the ownership of a firearm, whether usable or unusable, whereable or unwearable, modern or antique, registered under prior law or by a prior owner or unregistered, either by purchase, gift, inheritance, bequest, or in any other manner... until the person has first procured from the chief of police of the county of the person's place of business... a permit to acquire the ownership of a firearm..."