Hawaii Open Carry: License Required Statewide

HRS 134-25 and HRS 134-26 make it a class B felony to carry a loaded or unloaded firearm on the person or in a vehicle in public without a license. HRS 134-9 authorizes the county police chief to issue licenses to openly carry a loaded firearm only when the applicant is engaged in the protection of life and property and meets stringent qualifications. In practice, open-carry licenses have historically been almost never granted to ordinary civilians. The legal regime treats both concealed and open carry as license-restricted activities, with sensitive-place prohibitions applying equally. Transport of firearms is allowed only when unloaded and in an enclosed container directly to or from authorized locations under HRS 134-26.

Carrying a firearm in public without a license is a class B felony under HRS 134-25.