HAWAII FIREARM PERMITS DECREASE FROM RECORD HIGH LEVEL HONOLULU

News Release from Department of the Attorney General, March 11, 2015 

The Department of the Attorney General released its annual report detailing statewide and county firearm registration statistics for calendar year 2014.

A total of 19,365 personal and private firearm permit applications were processed statewide during 2014, marking the first decrease since 2006 and a 14.9% decline from the record high of 22,765 applications processed in 2013. Of the applications processed in 2014, 94.5% (18,296) were approved and resulted in issued permits; 4.8% (921) were approved but subsequently voided after the applicants failed to return for their permits within the specified time period; and a record low of 0.8% (148) were denied due to one or more disqualifying factors.

The 18,296 permits issued statewide in 2014 cover a total of 48,324 firearms registered, marking a major, 20.5% decrease from the record high total of 60,757 firearms registered in 2013. Over half (25,772, or 53.3%) of the firearms registered during 2014 were imported from out-of-state, with the remainder (22,552, or 46.7%) accounted for by transfers of firearms that were previously registered in Hawaii.

Despite the decrease in 2014, firearm registration activity increased dramatically over the course of the 14 years for which these data have been systematically compiled and reported. From 2000 through 2014, the number of statewide permit applications processed annually climbed 298.4%, the number of firearms registered rose 354.9%, and the number of firearms imported surged 356.6%.

It is a misdemeanor in the State of Hawaii to provide falsified information on firearm permit applications, unless the falsified information pertains to criminal or mental health histories, in which case it is a felony offense. In 2014, falsified criminal or mental health information or both were provided in 79.7% (118) of the 148 denial cases; falsified information pertaining to anything other than criminal or mental health histories was provided in 2.0% (3) of the cases; and no falsified information was provided in 18.2% (27) of the cases.

Firearm Registrations in Hawaii, 2014 provides a range of additional statistics and analyses focused on firearm permits/licenses and denials in the State of Hawaii. The full report can be downloaded from the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division web site at http://ag.hawaii.gov/cpja.

# # #

PDF: Firearm Registrations in Hawaii, 2014