Purchase and Possession of Ammunition

In 2024, Hawaii began requiring individuals selling or transferring ammunition to check a person’s government-issued photo identification before transferring the ammunition. Hawaii still does not require a license to sell ammunition or require ammunition sellers to maintain a record of the purchase.

Hawaii prohibits the ownership, control, or possession of ammunition by any person who:

• Is a fugitive from justice;
• Is a person prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law;
• Is under indictment for, or has been convicted of, a felony or any crime of violence, or an illegal sale of any drug;
• Is or has been under treatment or counseling for addiction to, abuse of, or dependence upon any dangerous drug, intoxicating compound, or intoxicating liquor;
• Has been acquitted of a crime on the grounds of mental disease, disorder, or defect, or is or has been diagnosed as having a significant behavioral, emotional, or mental disorder, or for treatment for organic brain syndromes;
• Is less than 25 years old and has been adjudicated by the family court to have committed a felony, two or more crimes of violence, or an illegal sale of any drug;
• Is a minor who: 1) Is or has been under treatment for addiction to any dangerous drug, intoxicating compound, or intoxicating liquor; 2) is a fugitive from justice; or 3) Has been determined not to have been responsible for a criminal act or has been committed to any institution on account of a mental disease, disorder, or defect; or
• Has been restrained pursuant to an order of any court from contacting, threatening, or physically abusing any person, as long as the order or any extension is in effect unless the order specifically permits the possession of ammunition.¹
• Is under 21 years old unless they are actively hunting or target shooting. State and county law enforcement, alongside members of the armed forces of the United States, are exempted. ²

Safe Storage of Ammunition

Hawaii requires all ammunition to be confined to the possessor’s business or residence and only allows for the limited transport of ammunition in an enclosed container away from these locations.³ Hawaii law does not specify any ammunition storage practices, however.

Regulation of Unreasonably Dangerous Ammunition

Hawaii prohibits the manufacture, possession, sale or other transfer, barter, trade, gift or acquisition of any ammunition or projectile component coated with Teflon or a similar coating designed primarily to enhance its capacity to penetrate metal or pierce protective armor.⁴

Hawaii also prohibits the manufacture, possession, sale, or other transfer, barter, trade, gift, or acquisition of ammunition or projectile components designed or intended to explode or segment upon impact with a target.⁵ In addition, the federal prohibition on certain kinds of armor-piercing ammunition applies.

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact

1. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-7.[↩]
2. In 2024, Hawaii passed SB 2845. As of this writing, they have yet to assign the bill to a specific code section. See HRS § 134-7 (g) for prohibition, HRS § 134-5 for hunting exemption, and HRS §134-11 for the full list of those exempted from the prohibition.[↩]
3. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-27.[↩]
4. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-8(a).[↩]
5. Id.[↩]