HONOLULU (KHON2) — The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide the fate of Hawaii’s strict gun laws that limit where concealed carry is allowed.
KHON2 heard from both sides of the contentious issue.
The Court will review Hawaii’s 2023 firearms law which bans concealed handguns in many public and private spaces, like beaches, parks and businesses — unless owners explicitly allow guns.
Gun rights advocates said the law makes carrying nearly impossible.
“In the rest of the country, businesses are welcome to put up signs that say, ‘This is a gun-free zone.’ But if you don’t, then it’s expected that you are able to carry on that property,” said Hawaii Rifle Association president Kainoa Kaku.
The law’s private property rule enforces the ban unless businesses post signs that say ‘Guns allowed,’ and it has sparked debate in the Islands.
Businesses can also post a ‘Guns not allowed’ sign — those that do not post anything are considered gun-free zones by default.
“I’ve always thought it was a silly thing. It’s like saying to a criminal, ‘No one is armed here. Please come in and take my stuff.’ But you know, what people want to do in their private property is fine with me. But for the State to make it by default, gun-free zone doesn’t make any sense and it hasn’t existed in the rest of the country,” Kaku said.
Others argue that the current law respects property owners and Hawaii’s culture.
“The way Hawaii’s law is set up is that, you know, these businesses don’t have to do a bunch of extra work to sort of say, ‘Hey, we kind of like to keep things as it is. Right now, we’re not allowing firearms on our property.’ But people can also decide, ‘Hey, I do want to allow firearms on my property,” said Moms Demand Action Hawaii Chapter co-lead Dr. Elna Nagasako. “I feel like Hawaii has a strong culture of gun safety. Hawaii has the ability, I think, still, to have people come together from all different walks of life and sort of say, ‘What makes sense for us here?’ And again, doing it within the framework of you know, the Supreme Court decision.”
The Hawaii Rifle Association says law-abiding gun owners just want to be able to protect themselves in areas where criminals do not pay attention to whatever sign is posted.
“So I think a culture shift and being able to accept one another and realize that we are on the same side, we just have a different perspective,” Kaku said.
The Court will hear arguments in winter and a decision is expected by June 2026.