Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division

Firearms

June 20, 2023 – The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General released its annual report detailing statewide and county firearm registration statistics for calendar year 2022.

A total of 21,881 personal/private firearm permit applications were processed statewide during 2022, marking a 6.1% decrease from 23,299 applications processed in 2021. Of the applications processed in 2022, 96.2% were approved and resulted in issued permits; 1.3% were approved but subsequently voided after the applicants failed to return for their permits within a specified time period; and 2.5% were denied due to one or more disqualifying factors.

The 21,047 permits issued statewide in 2022 cover a total of 51,883 firearms registered throughout the year, resulting in a 9.1% decrease from 57,091 firearms registered during 2021. Just over half (26,913, or 51.9%) of the firearms registered during 2022 were imported from out-of-state, with the balance accounted for by transfers of firearms that were previously registered in Hawaiʻi. Rifles and shotguns comprised 44.3% (22,939) and 10.3% (5,340) of total registrations, respectively. The remaining 45.5% (23,604) of firearms registered throughout 2022 were handguns.

Firearm registration activity increased dramatically over the course of the 23 years for which these data have been systematically compiled and reported. Comparing the year 2000 to the year 2022, the number of statewide permit applications annually processed increased by 237.2%, the number of firearms annually registered climbed 281.0%, and the number of firearms annually imported leapt by 313.8%.

Firearm Registrations in Hawaii, 2022

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