Free Hawaii Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale
Hawaii is one of the strictest gun-law jurisdictions in the country, and a private firearm sale here is not a casual transaction. Before any firearm changes hands — long gun or handgun — the BUYER must obtain a Permit to Acquire (PTA) from their county police department: HPD on Oahu, Hawaii County Police in Hilo or Kona, Maui Police in Wailuku, or Kauai Police in Lihue. Once acquired, the firearm must be physically brought to the police station and registered within 5 days. A Hawaii gun bill of sale documents the price, parties, and serial number, but the legal transfer happens at the police counter, not the kitchen table.
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Hawaii Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Private firearm transfers between individuals are not subject to Hawaii's 4% General Excise Tax. Federally licensed dealer (FFL) sales are subject to GET (4% + 0.5% Honolulu surcharge where applicable) on the dealer's gross receipts.
Inspection Requirements
County police will physically inspect each firearm and record its serial number during registration. Long guns and handguns have separate registration tracks. Fingerprinting and a federal NICS background check are part of the PTA process.
Hawaii Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Buyer obtains a Permit to Acquire (PTA) from the county police department BEFORE any transfer — separate permits required per handgun; long-gun PTA covers a 1-year window
- Verify buyer is 21+ for handguns, 18+ for long guns, and not subject to any disqualifying conditions under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 134
- Record full firearm description: make, model, type (handgun/rifle/shotgun), caliber, barrel length, and exact serial number
- Both parties sign and date the bill of sale; include Hawaii driver license numbers and full county/island addresses
- Buyer must register the firearm in person at the county police department within 5 days of acquisition
- Confirm the buyer has a Hawaii hunter education card if the firearm is being sold for hunting use on the Big Island, Lanai, or Molokai
- Document any included accessories (optics, magazines, ammunition) — magazine capacity limits and feature bans apply
- Keep both signed copies of the bill of sale plus a copy of the PTA — these are required if HPD audits the registration
Common Pitfalls
- Transferring the firearm before the buyer has a valid Permit to Acquire — this is a Class C felony in Hawaii for both parties, with potential prison time and permanent firearm prohibition.
- Missing the 5-day registration deadline at the county police — the buyer is committing a misdemeanor and the firearm can be confiscated.
- Selling a handgun from Honolulu to a Maui buyer without coordinating PTAs across both county police departments — each agency has its own forms and queues, and timing is unforgiving.
- Including a "high-capacity" magazine (over 10 rounds for handguns) in the sale — Hawaii bans them, and adding one to the bill of sale creates direct evidence of an illegal transfer.
- Selling a firearm without recording the serial number on the bill of sale — if the gun is later used in a crime, you have no documentation showing when ownership transferred.
Pro Tip
In Hawaii, the bill of sale is just one piece of a larger paper stack: PTA, NICS check, county registration, and serial-number inspection. Run the full sequence in order, keep every document, and you stay on the right side of the strictest gun law in the country.