Hawaiʻi Firearm Permits Decrease From Record High Level

Firearms/Maui Police Department Special Response Team. File photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

A total of 2,086 personal and private firearm permit applications were processed in Maui County in 2014, marking a decrease from the year before when 2,794 applications were received.

Of those applications, 1,939 were approved in Maui County in 2014, down from the 2,631 approvals granted in 2013.

The information was compiled in a report prepared by the state Attorney General’s office, as part of an annual review.

According to the report, statewide numbers show that there were a total of 19,365 applications processed in 2014, marking the first decrease since 2006 and a 14.9% decline from the record high of 22,765 applications processed in 2013.

Despite the decrease in 2014, officials with the Attorney General’s office say firearm registration activity increased dramatically over the course of the 14 years.

According to the report, the number of statewide permit applications processed annually climbed 298.4% between 2000 and 2014, with the number of firearms registered and those imported rising respectively in excess of 350%.

In Maui County, the report states that between 2000 and 2014, “the number of permits processed annually increased 262.4%, the number of firearms registered climbed 323.1%, and the tally of firearms imported rose 320.1%.”

Of the 2,086 Maui applications processed in 2014, 1,939 were approved and resulted in issued permits; 108 were approved but subsequently voided after the applicants failed to return for their permits within the specified time period; and 39 were denied due to one or more disqualifying factors.

The report states, “Maui County processed as many applications as would be expected for its population size, and denied 136% more applications.”

According to the report, the 1,939 permits issued in Maui County cover a total of 4,736 firearms registers.  Statewide, there were 48,324 registered firearms, marking a 20.5% decrease from the record high total of 60,757 firearms registered in 2013.