The Aloha State has the distinction of being the only state in the nation not to issue even one concealed carry permit to a private citizen last year. But that’s just business as usual for Hawaii. Dating back to 2000, not a single concealed-carry permit has been granted by the state.
Hawaii law requires that each applicant provide justification for needing a concealed-carry license, and the government is then given complete discretion over who is approved. One local gun-rights activist argues that the system is a joke. “They do not issue licenses,” said George Pace. “A person is wasting their time and money going through the process.”
Second Amendment supporters are hoping Hawaii’s strict gun control laws will soon change. Beyond the antiquated and dangerous concealed-carry law, residents are required to have permits just to purchase a firearm—and then they are promptly registered and the information submitted to a federal database.
Pace summed up the Hawaii’s current state best. “It’s preposterous,” he lamented.
