Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am leaving for Hawaii in the two days. I never thought twice about taking my back up pistol with me. I am not on "official duty" so it will be locked in box under the plane with ammo in a seperate container specifically designed to carry ammo.....blah blah blah..(TSA.gov). ;)

I realize that Federal Law allows a commissioned police officer (as am I) to be armed in any state. However, for curiosity I surfed the web and came across this Hawaiian statute.

Licenses to carry
Reference: HRS 134-9

No person shall carry concealed or unconcealed on the person a pistol or revolver without being licensed to do so under this section or compliance with section 134-5(c) or 134-6.

Note: There is no compact agreement between Hawaii and other states that would permit police officers on official assignment in Hawaii to be armed and exempt from the provisions of the Hawaii Revised Statutes relating to firearms.

http://www.honolulupd.org/info/gun134-2.htm

I'm not on "official assignment", just a family vacation. I don't want to have any problems there. Need some advice. FYI, my shield and PD ID are also coming with me.

Not a lawyer, but I call B.S.. They cannot sidestep federal law. I'm sure that you fall under LEOSA.

I agree, I also found this:

http://www.honolulupd.org/info/gun134-3.htm

Registration, mandatory, exemptions
Reference: HRS 134-3

Every person arriving in the state who brings or by any other manner causes to be brought into the state a firearm of any description, whether usable or unusable, serviceable or unserviceable, modern or antique, shall register the firearm within 72 hours (three days) after arrival of the person or firearm, whichever arrives later.

Every person who acquires a firearm pursuant to section 134-2 shall register the firearm in the manner prescribed by this section within five days of acquisition.

Registration shall not be required for:

Any device that is designed to fire loose black powder or that is a firearm manufactured before 1899;

Any device not designed to fire or made incapable of being readily restored to a firing condition; or

All unserviceable firearms and destructive devices registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of the United States Department of the Treasury pursuant to Title 27, Code of Federal Regulations.

Does this mean I have to register my pistol for my 7 day trip?

And the plot thickens:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol03_Ch0121-0200D/HRS0134/HRS_0134-0011.htm

§134-11 Exemptions. (a) Sections 134-7 to 134-9 and 134-21 to 134-27, except section 134-7(f), shall not apply:

(1) To state and county law enforcement officers; provided that such persons are not convicted of an offense involving abuse of a family or household member under section 709-906;

(2) To members of the armed forces of the State and of the United States and mail carriers while in the performance of their respective duties if those duties require them to be armed;

(3) To regularly enrolled members of any organization duly authorized to purchase or receive the weapons from the United States or from the State; provided the members are either at, or going to or from, their places of assembly or target practice;

(4) To persons employed by the State, or subdivisions thereof, or the United States while in the performance of their respective duties or while going to and from their respective places of duty if those duties require them to be armed;

(5) To aliens employed by the State, or subdivisions thereof, or the United States while in the performance of their respective duties or while going to and from their respective places of duty if those duties require them to be armed; and

(6) To police officers on official assignment in Hawaii from any state which by compact permits police officers from Hawaii while on official assignment in that state to carry firearms without registration. The governor of the State or the governor's duly authorized representative may enter into compacts with other states to carry out this paragraph.

(b) Sections 134-2 and 134-3 shall not apply to such firearms or ammunition that are a part of the official equipment of any federal agency.

(c) Sections 134-8, 134-9, and 134-21 to 134-27, shall not apply to the possession, transportation, or use, with blank cartridges, of any firearm or explosive solely as props for motion picture film or television program production when authorized by the chief of police of the appropriate county pursuant to section 134-2.5 and not in violation of federal law. [L 1988, c 275, pt of §2 and am c 272, §2; am L 1989, c 211, §10; am L 1990, c 281, §11; am L 1996, c 60, §§1, 2; am L 1999, c 202, §1 and c 297, §2; am L 2006, c 66, §4]

I am not a federal officer so I guess this means I have to "register" my pistol when I show up since 134-2 has to do with the registration.

I'm also going in a few months (Maui). It's been a little while but the last couple of times I was there on vacation (Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii), I carried concealed no big deal. IIRC, I gave the local PD a courtesy call to let them know I was there on vacation and carrying off duty and asked if I needed to check in with them or if there were any hoops I needed to jump through. Up until a few years ago, they just said nope and have a good vacation... :)

I'm planning on calling prior to my trip just to make sure nothing has changed... I'm also planning on bringing a few patches to trade... :)

Tell them you work for Dog and ask for a little professional courtesy.