Non-Resident permit · MA → HI
Is a Massachusetts Non-Resident Permit Valid in Hawaii?
The answer is no. Hawaii's reciprocity policy excludes Massachusetts non-resident permits, and its law requires a permit to carry concealed. Visitors without a Hawaii-recognized permit cannot legally carry.
Why
- Hawaii does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
No provision of HRS chapter 134 recognizes any out-of-state carry permit; only a license issued by a Hawaii county chief of police authorizes carry, and county licensing pages describe no reciprocity path. Post-Bruen (Act 52, 2023) concealed licenses are issued on objective shall-issue criteria; unconcealed licenses still require showing 'urgency or need' (HRS 134-9(b)).
The permit (Massachusetts)
- Permit
- License to Carry Firearms (LTC)
- Issued by
- Local police department licensing authority (residents); Firearms Records Bureau as designee of the Colonel of the State Police (non-residents)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-Resident Temporary LTC issued by the Firearms Records Bureau; valid 1 year, renewed annually by mail with in-person appearance required once every six years; MA Basic Firearms Safety Course certificate required.
The destination (Hawaii)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- Yes — proactive
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in Hawaii
Hawaii's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.
- Hawaii imposes a duty to inform: you must tell an officer you are carrying. HRS 134-9.2 (enacted by Act 52, 2023) requires a person carrying a firearm who is stopped by law enforcement (including as driver or passenger) to immediately disclose that they are carrying; licensees must also keep the license card in immediate possession and produce it on request (county rules). Violation is a petty misdemeanor.
- Hawaii limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Hawaii is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Hawaii recognizes.
- Without a Hawaii license there is no lawful loaded vehicle carry; firearms may only be transported unloaded and enclosed between narrowly permitted places, and Act 52 restricts leaving firearms in unattended vehicles even for licensees.
Off-limits places in Hawaii
Hawaii bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Schools, preschools, summer camps and child care facilities
- Government buildings and courthouses
Massachusetts vs Hawaii: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Massachusetts into Hawaii changes 2 rules: duty to inform police (No → Yes); open carry (With a permit → Restricted).
| Rule | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | Yes |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | None |
| Open carry | With a permit | Restricted |
Going the other way, a Hawaii non-resident permit in Massachusetts: no such permit issued.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Hawaii honor a Massachusetts resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Hawaii non-resident permit holder carry in Massachusetts?
- Hawaii does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Massachusetts.
Official sources
- Honolulu Police Department - Firearms (license to carry, Act 52 references) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Maui Police Department - License to Carry a Concealed or Unconcealed Firearm — accessed 2026-08-08
- Hawaii Police Department (County of Hawaii) - Rule 1 Firearms Permits and Licenses (2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Hawaii Police Department - PM 12.3 License to Carry Application Processing — accessed 2026-08-08
- Hawaii Session Laws 2023, Act 52 (SB 1230) - amendments to HRS 134-9 — accessed 2026-09-27
- Honolulu Police Department - Checklist for License to Carry Firearm (Civilian) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Mass.gov — Firearms License and Transaction FAQs (no reciprocity; large-capacity feeding devices; issuing authorities) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MGL c.140 §131G — repealed by Ch. 135 of 2024, Sec. 64 (Mass. Legislature) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Acts of 2024, Chapter 135 (An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws) — Sec. 124 prohibited areas — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mass.gov — Apply for or renew a firearms license (fees, where to apply) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131 — License to carry firearms (age, term) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131P — Basic firearms safety certificate (live firearms training) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.269 §10 — Carrying a firearm without a license — accessed 2026-09-27