Hawaii generally prohibits any person from carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on any public highway.¹ This prohibition does not apply to any person who has in his or her possession a handgun while licensed per state law.²

Hawaii permits the open carrying of a long gun in a motor vehicle, but only if traveling to and from hunting or target shooting locations with a valid hunting license.³

Hawaii permits the open carrying of a handgun in a motor vehicle with a license or permit.⁴

In 2023, Hawaii enacted legislation requiring people to safely store firearms left in unattended vehicles.⁵ It is a petty misdemeanor to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly store or otherwise leave a loaded or unloaded firearm out of the person’s immediate possession or control inside a vehicle without first securely locking the firearm in a safe storage depository that is out of sight from outside of the vehicle.

A “safe storage depository” means a safe or other secure impact- and tamper-resistant container that, when locked, is incapable of being opened without a key, keypad, combination, or other unlocking mechanism and is capable of preventing an unauthorized person from obtaining access to or possession of the firearm contained therein. A vehicle’s trunk or glove box alone, even if locked, is not a safe storage depository.

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1. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-26(a).[↩]
2. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 134-9, 134-26(a).[↩]
3. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-5(a).[↩]
4. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-26(a).[↩]
5. Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 134-9.3.[↩]