A Hawaii Firearm Bill of Sale is a form that shows proof of a gun sale or trade.
It documents formal ownership change and helps mitigate risk in a highly regulated transaction.
The minimum waiting period to purchase a firearm in Hawaii is 14 calendar days from the time of permit application to when the permit can be granted.
This provides police adequate time to conduct a background check.
Firearm laws: HI Rev. Stat. Chapter 134, HI Rev. Stat. 134-2, HI Rev. Stat. Section 134-7
Restrictions: Yes
State permit to purchase: Yes
Registration of firearm: Yes
License to own: No
Assault weapon law: Yes
Magazine capacity restriction: Yes
Permit for concealed carry: Yes
Permit for open carry: Yes
How to Sell a Firearm Privately
For handgun (handgun, shotgun, or rifle) sales, you must obtain the buyer’s permit to acquire the firearm they are purchasing. Sign the permit in ink and submit it to a Hawaii police station within 48 hours of the transaction.
For the sale or transfer of rifles and shotguns, the seller has to submit a Sale/Transfer of Rifle/Shotgun Form and return it to Hawaii police within 48 hours.
Requirements
Anyone who purchases a firearm for the first time in Hawaii must obtain a permit per HI Rev. Stat. 134-2 from the chief of police of the county of the buyer’s place of business or residence before taking possession of the firearm.
A private party seller must ask a potential buyer for their permit to acquire before selling or transferring ownership of the firearm.
Restrictions
The following individuals cannot purchase a firearm in Hawaii (HI Rev. Stat. Section 134-7):
- Persons under 21 years of age.
- Anyone who is not a US citizen. If you weren’t born in the United States, you must provide proof of citizenship.
- Fugitives from justice.
- Persons prohibited from possession of firearms under federal law.
- Any persons under indictment or who waived indictment or have been bound to the court on felony charges, for any crime of violence or illegal sale of a controlled substance.
- Persons convicted of a felony, violent crime, or the illegal sale of a controlled substance.
- Anyone who is or has been under treatment for an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
- Persons acquitted of a crime on the grounds of mental disease or disorder.
- Any person diagnosed with significant behavioral, emotional, or mental disorders or receiving treatment for organic brain syndromes.
- Persons under 25 years of age who have been found guilty in a family court of a felony, two or more violent crimes, or the illegal sale of a controlled substance.
- Individuals named in a restraining order that prohibits them from contacting, threatening, or physically abusing another person
Additionally, no transfer of a rifle with a barrel length of sixteen inches or longer, or any shotgun with a barrel length of eighteen inches or longer, whether serviceable or unserviceable, usable or unusable, registered under prior law or by a prior owner or unregisterd, modern or antique, shall be made to any person under eighteen, except as provided by section §134-5.
Firearm Inheritance Laws
If you inherit or are gifted a firearm in Hawaii, you must apply for a permit to acquire and register the firearm before taking ownership (HI Rev. Stat. Chapter 134).
All firearms in Hawaii must be registered with a Hawaii police department within five days of purchase or acquisition.
Assault pistols are prohibited under state law. If you inherit one, you must render it inoperable, sell or transfer it to a licensed firearms dealer, or turn it in to Hawaii police within 90 days.
Registration
A Hawaii firearm transfer form provides the information required to register the firearm with the state.
It’s illegal to possess an unregistered firearm in Hawaii.
Once you’ve registered a firearm with Hawaii, the registration is valid until you sell or dispose of the firearm.
All firearms must be registered with state police.
Concealed and Open Carry Permit
To legally carry a firearm in Hawaii, you must apply for a License to Carry Concealed Firearm or a License to Carry Unconcealed Firearm.
How to Apply
To be eligible, you must be over 21 and have a Hawaii mailing address.
Take the following documentation with you to apply:
- Government-issued photo identification
- A passport-sized, front-facing photo of yourself
- Proof of completion of a firearms training or safety course that meets state criteria (HI Rev. Stat. 134-2(g)(4)
- A notarized affidavit from a verified instructor attesting that you have completed the state’s gun safety and proficiency education requirements
- A copy of a signed firearms registration registered in your name
- Application for a license to carry
- Adult Mental Health Division Waiver.
- HIPAA Authorization to Release Protected Health Information Waiver.
- State of Hawaii Permit to Acquire Firearms Application Questionnaire.
Step 1 – Complete Application
Thoroughly complete the Hawaii Police Department Application for License to Carry Firearms./
Step 2 – Submit Registration
Attach a copy of the signed State of Hawaii Firearms Registration for the firearm being registered for concealed carry.
Step 3 – Attach Firearms Proficiently Test Scores
All applicants must pass a firearms proficiency test, with a passing score, within 90 days prior to application submission.
Step 4 – Submit Photos
Attach two passport-sized front-facing photos (taken within 30 days prior to applying).
Step 5 – Sign Protected Health Authorization
Step 6 – Wait for Approval or Denial
The police chief will evaluate all documents and criteria to determine if the resident may be approved for a concealed carry permit.
Open Carry
Hawaii has licensed open carry, however, the state rarely issues permits and is, in practical purposes, non-permissive.
Gun Reciprocity
Hawaii does not recognize any other state’s issued firearms permits or licenses.
Hawaii Firearm Bill of Sale Sample
Below is an example of what a Hawaii firearm bill of sale looks like.
