Buying a Gun
HRS 134-2 — a permit from the chief of police, no sooner than fourteen calendar days, and a training course
No one may acquire ownership of a firearm, by purchase, gift, inheritance or otherwise, without first getting a permit from the chief of police of the county. Permits go to citizens, nationals and lawful permanent residents twenty one years of age or older, and to some others the section lists.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Hawaii State Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- The permit is not issued earlier than fourteen calendar days after the application, and is issued or denied before the fortieth day.
- A permit for a pistol or revolver is for one transaction and is void unless used within thirty days. A permit for rifles and shotguns covers further purchases of them for one year.
- The applicant is fingerprinted and photographed, signs a waiver for mental health records, and is checked against national databases.
- Within the four years before the permit, the applicant completes a hunter education course, or for a pistol or revolver, one of the firearms safety or training courses the section lists.
- The permit is denied to someone disqualified from owning a firearm, or who lacks the essential character or temperament to be entrusted with one.
A denial comes in writing with its grounds. A request for a hearing before the chief of police is due no later than thirty days after the notice.
A lawfully acquired rifle or shotgun may be lent to an adult for use in the state for up to fifteen days without a permit, or up to seventy five days for use outside it. No firearm may be lent to someone prohibited from having one.