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In Hawaii consumer fireworks are permit-based and tightly limited: HRS 132D-5.5 (Act 243, 2025) makes it unlawful to purchase, possess, set off or discharge them without a permit required under HRS 132D-10, or at any time outside the statutory windows — a $200 fine. Permitted use runs from 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve to 1 a.m. on New Year's Day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Chinese New Year's Day, and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Fourth of July (HRS 132D-3); a cultural-use permit allows 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at other times. Firecracker permits are $25 (up to 5,000 firecrackers each). Counties may be stricter (HRS 132D-17.5) — Honolulu bans fountains, sparklers and aerials on Oahu.
Each rule below is the full statewide entry, with the official source it rests on and the date it was last checked.
In Hawaii a limited set of "consumer fireworks" is legal statewide — firecrackers, fountains, ground spinners and sparklers — but on Oahu only permitted firecrackers are allowed, and sparklers, fountains, aerials and all else are illegal there (2011 partial ban). Firecrackers always require a permit. Aerial and display fireworks are barred for the public statewide.
Full rule, with nearby states →In Hawaii, the only permitted times to use fireworks are from 9 p.m. on December 31 to 1 a.m. on January 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Chinese New Year, and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4, plus permitted cultural events. Firecrackers may be bought no more than 5 days before use, and counties may impose stricter rules.
Full rule, with nearby states →In Hawaii you must be 18 or older and show a valid photo ID to get a firecracker permit. On Oahu the permit costs about $25 and covers up to 5,000 firecrackers, with a limit of 50 permits per person per year as of 2025. Buy only from licensed retailers, and note that permits and rules vary by county.
In Hawaii, all fireworks retail requires a county license, consumers need a county-issued permit to buy, and on Oahu firecrackers are the only category available to the public. That Oahu permit limits use to New Year's and permitted cultural events, and the other counties run similar permit systems.
In Hawaii, a county permit is required to buy and use even firecrackers — on Oahu it's a $25 Honolulu Fire Dept. permit (5,000-cap, age 18+).
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