Hawaii is a universal registration state. Fortunately pre-1898 guns are exempt. For long guns you have to get a permit to acquire. There is a 14 day waiting period. You have to sign a medical release and get finger printed the first time you apply. The long gun permit is good for as many guns as you want for a year and must get renewed each year to remain valid. You only get finger printed the first time you apply. The only fee is the one time FBI fingerprint charge, which is around $16.

Hand gun permits are only valid for a specific gun. Again there is a 14 day waiting period.

However, the main problem is that on Oahu you have to go to the main police station. There is one desk. This serves a population of a little over 1 million people. Before Obama's re-election and the Ct. shootings the line was about 1 hour. Now the line is 4-6 hours. For a hand gun that means you satnd in line 4-6 hours to get the permit application, go back 14 days later and stand in line for another 4-6 hours to pick up the permit, then go pick up the gun and then stand in line for another 4-6 hours with the gun in hand to register it. For a long gun only the initial 4-6 hour line is avoided once you have a permit (which requires 2 4-6 hour waits once a year).

It is estimated that only 1/3 of the guns in Hawaii are legally registered. Can you guess why?

Hawaii was the site of one of the oft sited mass shootings around 15 years ago. The guy had a history of mental illness. He had about 6 legally registered guns. The system simply does not work, but makes a criminal out of those of us who legally import a gun but don't have 2-3 days of time to register it.

Last edited by DrBob; 02/17/13 04:48 PM.
Great-Great Grandson of D.M. Lefever
www.lefevercollectors.com