New Federal Lawsuit Challenging Hawaiʻi County Firearm Permit Delays

News Release from HiFiCo, Feb 10, 2026

HILO, Hawaiʻi — Hawaiʻi Firearms Coalition will be closely following a new federal civil rights lawsuit filed this week challenging the County of Hawaiʻi’s ongoing failure to process firearm purchase permits within the time required by state law.

The case, Arnold v. County of Hawaiʻi, was filed in U.S. District Court by four Hawaiʻi Island residents who allege that the County has routinely delayed issuing Permits to Acquire firearms well beyond the 40-day deadline established under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes.

State law is clear: firearm permit applications must be issued or denied before the fortieth day after submission. However, the complaint describes repeated instances where applicants were forced to wait far longer — sometimes for months — despite being otherwise qualified and legally eligible to acquire firearms.

According to the lawsuit, one applicant waited more than 55 days for a permit, while another has reportedly received no approval or denial after more than 165 days.

The plaintiffs argue that these delays represent more than administrative inefficiency — they amount to an unlawful burden on the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and a denial of due process for law-abiding residents simply attempting to exercise a fundamental civil liberty.

Hawaiʻi Firearms Coalition congratulates attorney Kevin O’Grady and Attorney Alan Beck for their excellent work in bringing this important challenge. Both attorneys have played a significant role in defending Second Amendment rights in Hawaiʻi and have represented Hawaiʻi Firearms Coalition and its members in multiple major civil rights cases.

This lawsuit reflects an ongoing pattern across the state in which government agencies impose excessive bureaucratic delays that function as barriers to lawful firearm ownership — despite statutory deadlines and constitutional protections.

The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief requiring Hawaiʻi County to comply with the 40-day processing mandate, along with declaratory relief and damages.