Kokua Line June Watanabe

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Permit needed for almost all guns in state

Question: Recent news events give me pause: Must all pistols be registered on Hawaii? If so, where? How about rifles, shotguns and antique firearms?

Answer: Hawaii's gun law is among the strictest in the country, requiring a permit to purchase any firearm, registration of the firearm, computer checks on the backgrounds of purchasers (criminal and mental health histories), and a 14-day waiting period before a permit is issued.

Applicants for some firearms must also complete a hunter education or firearms safety course before obtaining a permit. No safety course is required for anyone applying for a permit to buy a long gun, a rifle or shotgun.*

To own a firearm -- "whether usable or unusable, serviceable or unserviceable, modern or antique, registered under prior law or by prior owner or unregistered, either by purchase, gift, inheritance, bequest, or in any other manner, whether procured in the state or imported by mail" -- a person must obtain a permit from the chief of police of the county the person is in (Section 134-2 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes).

However, registration is not required for three types of devices: those designed to fire loose black powder or were manufactured before 1899; those not designed to fire or incapable of being readily restored to a firing condition; and all unserviceable firearms and destructive devices registered with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

A separate application and permit are required each time a pistol or revolver is acquired.

However, if you already have a permit for a rifle or shotgun, you are allowed to make subsequent purchases of rifles or shotguns within one year without having to submit a separate application and permit for each acquisition.

"In an exceptional case," the chiefs of police may grant a license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver.

To obtain a permit or to register a firearm in Honolulu, you must appear in person at the Honolulu Police Department's Firearms Section, 801 S. Beretania St.

Call 529-3371 or check HPD's Web site, www.honolulupd.org/info/gunlaw.htm, for more information.

MAHALO

I want to express gratitude for the professional and compassionate care John Gault and his family received while at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua from September 2006 through April. As a result of injury, John was unable to care for himself in any way and was unaware of his own extreme medical needs. The staff always treated him with respect to preserve his dignity. They are to be commended for their outstanding efforts to bring all the medical resources to bear on treating him physically, as well as providing excellent supportive care for the emotional needs of our family. John passed away on May 6 and as we remember him, the Kaiser staff will always be in our thoughts. Only a fraction of John's family could be with him in Hawaii, but we are all comforted by the excellent care he received. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. -- John's sister, Jeannie Morris

CORRECTION Thursday, May 24, 2007 » No safety course is required for anyone applying for a permit to buy a long gun, a rifle or shotgun. A "Kokua Line" article on Page A2 in some of yesterday's editions was incorrect on that point. Please see the applicable Corrections Page for more information.