Resident permit · HI → NJ
Is a Hawaii Resident Permit Valid in New Jersey?
Your permit stops at the state line. New Jersey recognizes no Hawaii resident permit, and without a New Jersey-issued license there is no lawful way for a visitor to carry concealed.
Why
- New Jersey does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
NJSP FAQ (last reviewed 12/17/2025): 'No. New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state. You must obtain a New Jersey Concealed Carry Permit if you wish to carry a handgun in New Jersey.'
The permit (Hawaii)
- Permit
- Hawaii License to Carry Concealed Firearm
- Issued by
- Chief of police of each county (Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, Kauai police departments)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (New Jersey)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- Yes — proactive
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in New Jersey
Whatever your permit status, New Jersey law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.
- New Jersey imposes a duty to inform: you must tell an officer you are carrying. If stopped or detained while carrying in public or traveling with a handgun in a vehicle, the permit holder must immediately disclose that they are carrying (or that a handgun is stored in the vehicle) and display the permit; violating the disclosure duty is a fourth-degree crime (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.4(b)).
- New Jersey limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- New Jersey is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit New Jersey recognizes.
- The statutory ban on functional (loaded, readily accessible) handguns in vehicles for permit holders (N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6(b)(1)) is enjoined by federal court order and listed by NJSP as not enforceable as of 12/11/2025 — vehicle-carry rules remain in active litigation; the duty to disclose a handgun in the vehicle still applies.
Off-limits places in New Jersey
New Jersey bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Courthouses, courtrooms and government administration buildings (incl. police stations)
- Schools, colleges, universities, school buses and child care facilities
Hawaii vs New Jersey: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Hawaii into New Jersey changes one rule: open carry (Restricted → No).
| Rule | Hawaii | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | Yes | Yes |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | None |
| Open carry | Restricted | No |
Going the other way, a New Jersey resident permit in Hawaii: not recognized.
Driving on from New Jersey
How a Hawaii resident permit fares in the states bordering New Jersey:
- Delaware — Not recognized
- New York — Not recognized
- Pennsylvania — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does New Jersey honor a Hawaii non-resident permit?
- Hawaii does not issue non-resident carry permits (applicants must document that they currently live in Hawaii (HRS 134-9(a)(5), per Hawaii County PD 2025 rules); Maui PD requires being 'a resident of the state of Hawaii'; Hawaii County requires county residency. Citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident required), so the question does not arise.
- Can a New Jersey resident permit holder carry in Hawaii?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Hawaii's law, not New Jersey's.
- Where does New Jersey publish its official reciprocity list?
- New Jersey publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- New Jersey State Police — Concealed Carry Facts and FAQ's (reciprocity, duty to disclose, magazine limit, sensitive places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJSP — N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4.6 Places where carrying a firearm is prohibited (current as of 12-11-25) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJSP — Concealed Carry Permit Instructions for Out-of-State Residents (03/03/2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJ OAG — N.J.A.C. Title 13 Chapter 54 (Firearms and Weapons; 13:54-2.3 carry-permit criteria; under-21 handgun disability) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJ Attorney General Directive 2022-07 — carrying of firearms in public after Bruen — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJSP — Concealed Carry Permits (how to apply, forms, CCARE) — accessed 2026-09-27
- NJSP — Concealed Carry Permit Instructions for N.J. Residents & Dual Residents (03/03/2026) — accessed 2026-09-27
- New Jersey P.L.2022, c.131 (permit to carry; $200 application fee) — accessed 2026-09-27
- 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