Going to Hawaii HR-218 ?

Hi, Never been there before. I have read that they are not a particularly gun friendly state with regard to CCW. How about HR-218 retired LE when carrying in Hawaii?

You'll need to do serious research on that. Hawaii is very gun-unfriendly....

And you need to be RIGHT because getting your gun there is easy - getting it back out of there could be problematic at the airport unless you can prove that you're within the guidelines of that statute.

Here you go. https://ag.hawaii.gov/cjd/files/2023/04/GUIDELINE-18-USC-§926C-4-18-2023.pdf Got back from Waikiki. Decided to many hoops to jump through to carry under LEOSA. Talked to an Officer about going down to King St. to look for a restaurant to eat at, and the first thing he said was did you bring your gun. Next day we walked along King St during the day and passing me by on the sidewalk was a local who had his hand in his jacket and you could see the outline of a revolver barrel. Good thing was we had no problems with anyone. Have heard if you have your states concealed carry it is easier than if you carry under LEOSA. Go figure.
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Had a trip scheduled a couple years ago so I made a couple calls and did some research, this is what I found out. LEOSA is honored by the state but they do make it as difficult as possible in order to discourage it. The big obstacle is the state requirement for all firearms entering the islands to be registered with the police. The requirement is this needs to be accomplished within 5 days. My trip was only 7 days so I figured I would just chance it for the extra 2 days, then I had a nightmare that I was at the airport to leave the island and the desk agent asked for my registration paperwork and I didn't have any, get hooked up and now my life is a mess. The requirement is that you proceed to the local police dept with the firearm and all supporting documentation, i.e. creds and qualification documentation. When I called the local police where I would be staying they said that you are not legal to carry until this is accomplished. The individual was very courteous but also advised that any deviation of these requirements would be cause for arrest and that many of the decision makers do not want more guns on the islands. Now with all that said things may have changed but that was my experience several years ago. Good luck and I would be interested if anyone knows anything contrary to what I have learned.

Everyone who knows tells me I would not enjoy Hawaii anyway, so the odds of me going there are near zero.

Doug M. said:

Everyone who knows tells me I would not enjoy Hawaii anyway, so the odds of me going there are near zero.

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It depends on whether you like beaches and sun, tons of foreign tourists visiting the islands, and eating unusual, tasty dishes. I don't like the first two my own self, the third is irrelevant to me, the fourth is great but I can do that at home. So, there you have it, especially in light of the firearms difficulties. There are other places to visit.

Been their many times and to all 4 main islands. Never felt the need or wanted to deal with the hassle of bringing my firearm. And I carry everywhere I go on the mainland.

Your choice, but it may be a bigger hassle than it's worth.

Ever since the rabid gun hater Jack Lord's show Hawaii 5-0, I have never given a single thought to visiting Hawaii. Never bothered to watch the new Hawaii 5-0 show either.

Great place to visit. Oahu is pretty touristy but the history is just amazing. Maui was a welcome rest from the tourism. Very laid back with lots to see and do, again plenty of historical stuff.

My wife and I have been to the Bahamas and Jamaica. They didn't make a good impression. Amazing resorts surrounded by abject poverty. In Hawaii it just felt different: Locals all seemed to be hard at work, tourism, construction or military, making $s and presumably paying taxes.

I'd love to go back. When we went we didn't have CC here in IL, so I never gave it a thought. These days I never travel without carefully looking at the laws at my destination and the states I'll pass through.

RETDOE said:

Snip …. and that many of the decision makers do not want more guns on the islands. Snip…

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Yea, it’s well known LEOSA carriers are known for trafficking their carry firearms, doncha know?

five 0 said:

… we walked along King St during the day and passing me by on the sidewalk was a local who had his hand in his jacket and you could see the outline of a revolver barrel.

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Was he a local LEO?

Don’t forget blue on blue shootings do happen.

Dump1567 said:

Been their many times and to all 4 main islands. Never felt the need or wanted to deal with the hassle of bringing my firearm. And I carry everywhere I go on the mainland.

Your choice, but it may be a bigger hassle than it's worth.

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Same here. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

We visited Maui two years ago for a family vacation. I'm retired, and generally don't go anywhere unarmed, but on a tropical vacation? Well, after looking at the crime stats for Hawaii, there was no way I was going without a gun. Crime is high in Hawaii, and Maui is the worst of all the counties there. Drug dealing, theft, harassment and assault.

Hawaii requires all guns be registered within 5 days of arriving in state. They say this applies to visitors and also those carrying under LEOSA (Title 18 USC 926c). You go the county police station, and register, including paying fees - about 2 hours worth of bureaucracy. Well, the entire point and history of LEOSA is that those sort of state laws do NOT apply to the LEOSA authorized individual. So I figured Hawaii could go suck an egg, and if I had a problem I'd enjoy a million dollar lawsuit for false arrest. Your thought process may differ.

First full day there, while enroute to dinner in touristy-Lahaina (pre burn-down), we were confronted by an angry and obviously EDP local and her boyfriend, who road-rage blocked our vehicle, cursed and swore at us, while flipping us double birds and telling us to "go home" and that were were not wanted there. Also telling us, "the police hate you too". I said OK let's find out and dialed 911. They beat feet.

Welcome to the Aloha State! Glad I had my little P32 with me because that could easily have went bad.

The entire visit we were warned not to leave anything you value in your car, break-ins are common. We drove the road to Hana, stopping at villages along the way. Once again, while respectfully visiting some local beaches and getting dirty looks from some VERY unsavory looking unemployed deadbeat locals, my family was very pleased that I was packing heat. We enjoyed reading the homemade road signs: "Spend and Leave", and "Go Home We Don't Want You".

Stopped for some small groceries and supplies at the supermarket.. You are glared at and treated like scum by some of the local shoppers.

Stayed in Kanaapali Beach which was beautiful, and everyone working and visiting at the resort was very friendly. The ocean was beautiful, and we had great excursions: rainforest hike were it poured on us, ocean snorkeling with sea turtles, and a hike up to the rim of the volcano at over 10,000 feet.

Glad I took the family, despite a few bad experiences, we had a good vacation. But we would NOT return. For what we paid for a week, we could have visited a foreign island in the Caribbean for 3 weeks, and have had NO hassles. There is large and very local contingent of racists in Hawaii that hate you and have racial slurs to call you, and threaten you with violence as well. Do a little googling and the incidents are well publicized. As a citizen of the United States, and you feel like a foreigner in your own country.

I have an old adage I live by: If you carry an umbrella it will never rain. I apply that to firearms and have lived long enough to repeat it.

HR 218

SGT ROCK 11B said:

Was he a local LEO?

Don’t forget blue on blue shootings do happen.

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If you are talking about the police officer I talked to then yes he was Hawaii PD. If you are talking about the person walking down the sidewalk then no. Being unarmed I don't walk up to a person carrying what I believe to be a gun and ask if they are LEO.
As I said we had no problems but if Hawaii honored HR 218 as they should then I would have been armed while there.

five 0 said:

If you are talking about the police officer I talked to then yes he was Hawaii PD. If you are talking about the person walking down the sidewalk then no. Being unarmed I don't walk up to a person carrying what I believe to be a gun and ask if they are LEO.

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When I am in Idaho, Montana, Utah or other states I spot people doing a poor job of concealing their handguns and I don't question it. Its a 2A thing.

The other thing is that could be Serpico or another LEO working UC (Undercover) I did UC for two years.

Model 15-4ever said:

But we would NOT return. For what we paid for a week, we could have visited a foreign island in the Caribbean for 3 weeks, and have had NO hassles. There is large and very local contingent of racists in Hawaii that hate you and have racial slurs to call you, and threaten you with violence as well. Do a little googling and the incidents are well publicized. As a citizen of the United States, and you feel like a foreigner in your own country.

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"... foreigner in your own country". You mean like how American minorities feel in lots of places in America?

You should go to Europe and see what entitled American college students are up too. Kid's backpacks taking up seats and little old ladies (locals) have to stand. You should google "Ugly American Tourists".