Open Carry in Hawaii
Whether open carry is legal in Hawaii, any permit or age rules, and where it is banned.
Short answer: Only with an unconcealed carry license, which the chief of police 'may' grant to an applicant at least 21 who sufficiently establishes the urgency or need to carry a firearm unconcealed and is engaged in the protection of life and property (discretionary). HRS §§ 134-9(b), 134-25
| Open carry | Only with an unconcealed carry license, which the chief of police 'may' grant to an applicant at least 21 who sufficiently establishes the urgency or need to carry a firearm unconcealed and is engaged in the protection of life and property (discretionary). Otherwise firearms must be kept at home, business or place of sojourn and transported unloaded in an enclosed container. Source: HRS §§ 134-9(b), 134-25 |
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| Guns in your car | Without a carry license, firearms may be carried only unloaded in an enclosed container (a rigidly constructed receptacle or commercially manufactured gun case that completely encloses the firearm) between the possessor's place of purchase, business, residence or sojourn, or to and from a place of repair, target range, licensed dealer, firearms show, hunter or firearm training, or police station. Licensees may carry in the immediate area around their vehicle in a parking area to store or retrieve the firearm. § 134-25 covers pistols and revolvers; the matching rule for rifles and shotguns (§ 134-27) was not read. Source: HRS §§ 134-25, 134-9.1(b)(7) |
| Where guns are banned | Licensees may not carry in: state or county buildings and grounds; hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, clinics and medical offices; jails and correctional facilities; bars and restaurants serving alcohol for on-site consumption; stadiums, movie theaters, concert halls and sports venues during events; public libraries; college and university campuses; schools, preschools, summer camps and child care facilities; beaches, playgrounds, parks, pools, golf courses, tennis courts and other public recreation areas (target ranges excepted); shelters for unhoused people, domestic violence victims or children; voter service centers and polling places; banks and financial institutions; public transit vehicles and facilities including airports (unloaded firearms in locked hard-sided cases excepted); amusement parks, aquariums, fairs, museums, water parks and zoos; and posted permitted public gatherings such as rallies. Most items include adjacent parking areas. Private property rule: § 134-9.5 bars licensees from private property without the owner's express authorization, but on June 25, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court held in Wolford v. Lopez that Hawaii's law prohibiting licensees from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the owner's express authorization violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Supreme Court slip opinion: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1046_nmio.pdf. The Court reversed the Ninth Circuit and remanded; the remaining sensitive-place rules in § 134-9.1 were not at issue in that holding. |
More Hawaii gun laws
- Concealed Carry in Hawaii
- Buying a Gun in Hawaii
- Red Flag Law and Weapon Limits in Hawaii
- All Hawaii gun laws rules
FAQ
Is open carry legal in Hawaii?
Only with an unconcealed carry license, which the chief of police 'may' grant to an applicant at least 21 who sufficiently establishes the urgency or need to carry a firearm unconcealed and is engaged in the protection of life and property (discretionary). Otherwise firearms must be kept at home, business or place of sojourn and transported unloaded in an enclosed container.
Can you keep a gun in your car in Hawaii without a permit?
Without a carry license, firearms may be carried only unloaded in an enclosed container (a rigidly constructed receptacle or commercially manufactured gun case that completely encloses the firearm) between the possessor's place of purchase, business, residence or sojourn, or to and from a place of repair, target range, licensed dealer, firearms show, hunter or firearm training, or police station. Licensees may carry in the immediate area around their vehicle in a parking area to store or retrieve the firearm.
Where can't you carry a gun in Hawaii?
Licensees may not carry in: state or county buildings and grounds; hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, clinics and medical offices; jails and correctional facilities; bars and restaurants serving alcohol for on-site consumption; stadiums, movie theaters, concert halls and sports venues during events; public libraries; college and university campuses; schools, preschools, summer camps and child care facilities; beaches, playgrounds, parks, pools, golf courses, tennis courts and other public recreation areas (target ranges excepted); shelters for unhoused people, domestic violence victims or children; voter service centers and polling places; banks and financial institutions; public transit vehicles and facilities including airports (unloaded firearms in locked hard-sided cases excepted); amusement parks, aquariums, fairs, museums, water parks and zoos; and posted permitted public gatherings such as rallies. Most items include adjacent parking areas. Private property rule: § 134-9.5 bars licensees from private property without the owner's express authorization, but on June 25, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court held in Wolford v. Lopez that Hawaii's law prohibiting licensees from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the owner's express authorization violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.