Governor Josh Green, M.D.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

ANNE LOPEZ

ATTORNEY GENERAL

LOIO KUHINA

 

News Release 2024-21
 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RELEASES ANNUAL

FIREARM REGISTRATION STATISTICS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 30, 2024

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

A total of 23,528 personal/private firearm permit applications were processed statewide during 2023, marking a 7.5% increase from 21,881 applications processed in 2022. Of the applications processed in 2023, 95.5% were approved and resulted in issued permits, 2.3% were “voided” (canceled/rejected for technical reasons), and 2.2% were denied due to one or more disqualifying factors.

The 22,459 permits issued statewide in 2023 cover a total of 51,807 firearms registered throughout the year, resulting in a 0.1% decrease from 51,883 firearms registered during 2022. Just over half (26,267, or 50.7%) of the firearms registered during 2023 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 40.0% (20,746) and 8.9% (4,598) of total registrations, respectively. The remaining 51.1% (26,463) of firearms registered throughout 2023 were handguns.

Firearm registration activity increased dramatically over the course of the 24 years for which these data have been systematically compiled and reported. From 2000 through 2023, the number of statewide permit applications processed annually increased by 262.6%, the number of firearms annually registered leapt by 280.5%, and the number of firearms annually imported climbed 263.4%.

The report, entitled Firearm Registrations in Hawaiʻi, 2023, provides a range of additional statistics and analyses focused on firearm permits and licenses, registrations, and application denials statewide and in each of the four counties.

The full report can be downloaded from the Department of the Attorney General’s Research and Statistics web site at http://ag.hawaii.gov/cpja/rs and here.

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Media Contacts:

Paul Perrone
Chief of Research and Statistics
808-586-1420
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov/cpja/rs/

Dave Day
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
808-586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

Toni Schwartz
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1252
Cell: 808-379-9249
Email: [email protected]

Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov