State profile · HI
Hawaii Concealed Carry Laws & Reciprocity
A Hawaii resident permit (Hawaii License to Carry Concealed Firearm) is honored in 27 of the other 50 US jurisdictions, and 7 more allow permitless carry even though they do not recognize the permit itself. In the other direction, Hawaii recognizes no out-of-state carry permits. Hawaii is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Hawaii recognizes.
Hawaii concealed carry reciprocity map
Where a Hawaii resident permit is valid. Each state links to the rules for that trip.
- Permit honored
- Honored + permitless carry
- Permitless carry only
- Not honored
- Confirm case-by-case
- Hawaii
Which states honor a Hawaii carry permit? (27)
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin
Where a Hawaii permit is not honored (23)
Permitless carry still applies (7): Louisiana, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming
No lawful carry on this permit (16): California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington
Where a Hawaii permit is honored, state by state
Click any destination for the full rules — duty to inform, magazine limits, off-limits places, and official sources.
* a load-bearing fact could not be fully verified — confirm with the official source before carrying.
Whose permits Hawaii honors
Hawaii does not recognize any out-of-state concealed-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)).
Hawaii at a glance
- Permit
- Hawaii License to Carry Concealed Firearm · Hawaii License to Carry Unconcealed Firearm
- Issued by
- Chief of police of each county (Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, Kauai police departments)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Resident minimum age
- 21
- Non-resident permits
- Not issued
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- Yes
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Can you carry in Hawaii without a permit?
Hawaii is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Hawaii recognizes.
No permitless carry. Carrying a loaded firearm in public without a Hawaii county-issued license is a felony under HRS chapter 134; all firearms brought into the state must be registered within 72 hours (HRS 134-3).
Is Hawaii an open carry state?
Only in limited circumstances. Hawaii restricts open carry of a handgun; the details are below.
Carrying a handgun openly requires a separate county "unconcealed" license, and the applicant must show an urgent need to carry and be engaged in protecting life and property. In practice most people cannot carry openly in Hawaii.
How to get a Hawaii concealed carry permit
- Minimum age
- 21
- Fee
- $150 application (new) · $50 renewal
- Training
- A police-approved course with in-person instruction on firearm safety, handling, shooting technique, storage, transport, prohibited places, use of force and mental health; a written exam (70% to pass); and live-fire shooting proficiency with each firearm to be carried. Maui PD specifies at least 2 hours of range training and at least 4 hours of classroom instruction.
- Valid for
- 4 years
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue (must be granted if you qualify)
Hawaii licenses are issued only to Hawaii residents, and each county police department runs its own application; visitors cannot get a Hawaii carry license.
Does Hawaii issue non-resident permits?
No. Hawaii does not issue carry permits to non-residents. 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.
Do you have to tell police you are carrying in Hawaii?
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.
Carrying in a vehicle in Hawaii
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.
Where you can't carry in Hawaii
- Schools, preschools, summer camps and child care facilities
- Government buildings and courthouses
- Bars and restaurants serving alcohol
- Hospitals and medical facilities
- Beaches, parks and playgrounds
- Public transit and polling places
Editor's verification notes
no official reciprocity page is linked because Hawaii publishes no reciprocity page (it honors no out-of-state permits). capitol.hawaii.gov and ag.hawaii.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches, so the exact texts of HRS 134-8(c) (pistol magazines over 10 rounds prohibited; felony when inserted in a pistol), HRS 134-9.1 (sensitive places) and HRS 134-9.2 (duty to disclose) were verified via official county police documents that cite those sections plus cross-checks of the statute text; values were only asserted where corroboration was strong. The sensitive-places list (Act 52) is under active litigation (Wolford v. Lopez; US Supreme Court review as of 2026) - some categories may be enjoined, so treat the list as the statutory baseline. License duration and mechanics: license expires per HRS 134-9 period; Hawaii County licenses are firearm-specific (license card lists the firearm's serial number).
Frequently asked questions
- Which states honor a Hawaii carry permit?
- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin. The table on this page links to the detailed rules for each destination.
- Does Hawaii recognize out-of-state carry permits?
- 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)).
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