Tobacco and Vapes Under Twenty One
HRS § 712-1258 — $500 for selling to anyone under twenty one, and $10 for being caught with one
No one may sell or furnish a tobacco product or an electronic smoking device to anyone under twenty one years of age, and no one under twenty one may buy or possess one. Sellers check ID from anyone who reasonably appears to be under twenty seven.
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.
| Who | Fine |
|---|---|
| WhoThe seller, first offense | Fine$500 |
| WhoThe seller, later | Fine$500 to $2,000 |
| WhoSomeone under twenty one who buys or has one, first offense | Fine$10 |
| WhoSomeone under twenty one, later | Fine$50 |
A seller who checked and reasonably relied on a photo ID has a defense, and a seller who did not check has none. A particular ticket is a question for a licensed Hawaii attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- HRS 712-1258 — Tobacco products and electronic smoking devices; persons under twenty-one years of age
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.