Hawaii
Under a new law that went into effect in April 2025, gun owners in
Hawaii are required to store guns securely to prevent unauthorized access by children and teens.
To comply with this new law, gun owners must securely store all firearms.
Secure storage means either:
- Securing the firearm in a locked box or container,
- Using a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device that is properly engaged to render the firearm inoperable by any unauthorized user, or
- Storing the firearm in a secure location.
In addition, if a gun owner leaves a gun in an unattended vehicle they must securely lock the firearm in a safe or other tamper-resistant container that prevents unauthorized access to the firearm. A vehicle’s trunk or glove box alone, even if locked, is not a sufficient method of safe storage according to state law.
Gun owners may be subject to criminal penalties if they fail to follow these requirements. More serious penalties may result if these requirements are not met and a child younger than 18 gains access to an improperly secured firearm. Gun owners may also be liable for injuries or damage to property caused by an improperly secured firearm.
* There is a limited exception to these requirements when a gun owner is carrying the firearm or is close enough to retrieve the firearm as if it were being carried.
Keeping Your Homes and Vehicles Safe with Secure Storage
If you’ve made the decision to bring a gun into your home, it’s important to know how responsible gun owners work to keep their families safe by mitigating the inherent risks associated with firearm ownership. Every responsible gun owner securely stores their guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Here’s why:
- More than 700 children die by gun suicide each year, most often using guns belonging to a family member.
- Nearly 360 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else each year.
- At least one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deathscould be prevented with increased secure storage.
- More than 200,000 guns are stolen from individuals every year—a significant portion of those are stolen from cars.
Safety is always an adult responsibility. Kids will be kids, so it’s always an adult’s responsibility to keep children safe. Always assume that curious or impulsive kids may find and touch an unsecured gun, even if they’ve been told not to. If a child handles a gun, a bad decision can quickly become a fatal one. Be SMART adults protect kids by making sure all guns are stored securely, which means they are inaccessible to kids, and by making sure children are never in the presence of unsecured guns.
The information provided here is not legal advice and should not be understood as such. Consult with an attorney if you have questions about how this law applies to your specific circumstances.