Hawaiʻi safety briefing

Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, Chapter 41, Article 27

• It is illegal to sell pepper spray in the City and County of Honolulu without a license. Period.
• Licensed dealers must give a point-of-sale safety briefing covering proper use, shelf life, disposal, first aid and limitations, and keep a signed acknowledgement on file for 5 years.
• Sold in person by a licensed dealer, with the point-of-sale briefing and signed acknowledgment the ordinance requires.
• Buyer must be 18+. Cannot be sold where alcohol is consumed.
• Penalty for illegal sale: up to $2,000 fine or 1 year imprisonment per transaction.
• SafetyStoreHawaii is a fully licensed Honolulu dealer. Every product we sell is legally compliant.

Effective January 1, 2022

• Hawaii repealed its previous total ban on stun guns and Tasers effective January 1, 2022.
• Civilians 21 and older may legally purchase and possess electric guns (Taser-style projectile devices). No buyer permit exists. The purchase has to happen in person at a licensed dealer, after a background check and a safety briefing.
• SafetyStoreHawaii is Axon's first official Taser dealer in the United States.

Hawaiʻi County Ordinance 25-50

• Every short-term vacation rental on the Big Island, hosted or unhosted, must register annually.
• Registration adds mandatory safety compliance: emergency contact info, evacuation guidance, fire safety equipment.

Maui County Bill 9 (2025)

• STR owners pivoting to long-term tenants face new tenant safety obligations.

Hawaii Revised Statutes

• Hawaii follows a "duty to retreat" doctrine in public. You must retreat from confrontation if you can safely do so before using force.
• Castle Doctrine exception: in your own dwelling, you have no duty to retreat before using force to defend yourself.
• Less-lethal tools (Byrna, pepper spray, Taser, Banshee) let you create distance and de-escalate without crossing the lethal-force line.