That is no typo! You read that correctly. Thirty bills have been introduced in the 2025 Hawaii legislative session aimed at controlling how Hawaii chooses to conduct their celebrations.
History has informed us well on the unintended consequences of prohibition. Your elected representatives have a limited number of bills they can sponsor during each session, and instead of trying to defend our rights with legislation that matters like Defend the Guard, they are taking multiple shots at the same targets like 2nd Amendment rights and at your holiday joy.
The proposed measures encompass a range of stringent actions. Key changes include the repeal of permissible uses of consumer fireworks and a ban on the sale, importation, personal use, and commercial use of all fireworks, except “consumer types (which they would like to also redefine)”.
Funding would support police sting operations, while county police would be equipped with explosion detection technology and unmanned aerial vehicles. Inspections of personal aircraft and shipping containers would enhance enforcement, and educational programs on fireworks safety would be mandated in schools.
General fireworks offenses and specific pyrotechnic activities would be criminalized, with strict prohibitions on distributing fireworks to non-permit holders and removing pyrotechnic contents. A statewide limitation would restrict consumer fireworks to use by permit, and there would be pension forfeiture for felony convictions related to illegal fireworks. These measures would increase fines for fireworks-related violations and establish penalties for refusing identification or violating carrier requirements.
Newly defined criminal offenses and penalties have been introduced, along with an adjudication system for processing infractions. Funds would be appropriated for the illegal fireworks task force, which would have an extended expiration date. Civil actions for violations of the Fireworks Control Law would be established, alongside a Firework Forfeiture Special Fund for “community safety education”.
How You Can Help:
We need your help to stop this fortified battering ram of violating restrictions and prohibitions.
Below, we have listed each bill on the table aimed at stripping away at our culture and prosecuting the innocent.
Click on the hyperlinks to familiarize yourself with the bill text(s).
The Thirty Bills & Summaries:
Appropriate funds for the illegal fireworks task force through 2027
Extends the sunset (expiration) date of the Act regarding task force to 6/30/2030.
Amends multiple definitions and penalties for fireworks offenses, including heightened penalties if another person suffers substantial bodily injury, serious bodily injury, or death as a result of the fireworks offenses.
Criminalizes offenses of general fireworks
articles pyrotechnic prohibitions in the first and second degree;
Prohibits sending or receiving fireworks or articles of pyrotechnic by air delivery
Bans distribution of fireworks or articles pyrotechnic to non-permit holder
removal or extraction of pyrotechnic contents
Prohibitions on consumer fireworks
Penalties for refusal to provide identification
Penalties for violating requirements of carrier
Establishes an adjudication system and procedures to process fireworks infractions
Appropriation of funds
Increases fines that may be assessed against certain fireworks-related violations
HB1483 - 77 pages long & 30 sponsors
Establishes an adjudication system and procedures to process fireworks infractions.
Amends multiple definitions and penalties for fireworks offenses
Heightened penalties if another person suffers substantial bodily injury, serious bodily injury, or death as a result of the fireworks offenses.
Establishes various criminal offenses and penalties related to fireworks or articles of pyrotechnics.
Appropriates funds.
Prohibits the sale, importation, personal use, and commercial use of all fireworks, except consumer fireworks.
Removes permitting requirements for consumer fireworks.
HB200 -
Imposes a statewide limitation on consumer fireworks, except by permit for use at cultural events.
HB633 -
prohibits fireworks.
Imposes penalties.
HB806 -
Appropriates funds for the Honolulu Police Department and Department of Law Enforcement to conduct sting operations on Oahu to enforce fireworks ordinances or laws.
Authorizes a court to order the forfeiture of one-half of any pension of an Employees' Retirement System member, former member, or retirant upon conviction of the individual for a felony related to certain uses of prohibited fireworks.
HB55 -
Inflates certain fireworks-related offenses from misdemeanors to class C felonies.
HB608 -
Establishes the shipping container inspection program
Establishes a shipping container inspection program special fund.
Amends the definitions of "aerial devices" and "fireworks" within state fireworks law.
Requires reports to the Legislature on implementation of the shipping container inspection program.
Appropriates money.
HB83 -
Increases penalties for certain fireworks violations
Establishes higher penalties for subsequent violations.
Appropriates funds.
HB1305 -
Requires the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of Health, to develop a fireworks education and marketing program for implementation in public schools, including charter schools, and distribution to private schools.
HB607 -
Establishes the Class A felony-level offense of serious bodily injury or death resulting from fireworks.
HB895 -
Appropriates money to the county police departments to enforce applicable fireworks laws
HB550 -
Allows video recordings made by law enforcement agencies who are using, controlling, or operating unmanned aerial vehicles to establish probable cause for an arrest under the Fireworks Control Law if the unmanned aerial vehicle is recording directly above a public park, street, sidewalk, easement, or any public property and the act leading to the arrest is committed on a public street, sidewalk, or other public property.
Appropriates funds to the Department of Law Enforcement to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor the use of illegal fireworks.
SB649 -
Requires the Department of Transportation to inspect personal aircraft that enter the State and land at state airports to prevent the unauthorized transportation of fireworks and article pyrotechnic into the State.
Requires the Department to coordinate with an appropriate law enforcement agency or county fire department to dispose of prohibited fireworks and articles of pyrotechnic.
SB207 -
Requires the Department of Transportation to install and use at each state airport and commercial harbor electronic equipment capable of scanning for illegal fireworks.
SB192 -
Requires the county police departments to purchase and deploy explosion detection technology equipment to assist in the location of and response to explosions caused by the illegal use of firearms and fireworks.
Appropriates money to the counties as a grant in aid.
SB1295 -
Establishes within the Department of Transportation the container licensing program to mitigate the influx of illegal contraband into the State.
Imposes a nominal licensing fee of $1 per container.
Subjects all containers entering the State to inspections
Authorizes the seizure of contraband.
SB413 -
Establishes a civil cause of action that may be brought by any person, other than an officer or employee of the State or employee of a local governmental entity in the State, for certain violations of the Fireworks Control Law
Establishes a civil cause of action for aiding or abetting certain violations of the Fireworks Control Law
SB1615 -
Requires the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of Health, to develop a fireworks education and marketing program for implementation in public schools, including charter schools, and distribution to private schools.
SB1052 -
Reduces the offense of purchasing, possessing, setting off, igniting, or discharging aerial devices, display fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic under a weight of twenty-five pounds without a valid permit to a civil violation.
SB227 -
Establishes the Illegal Fireworks Enforcement Division within the Department of Law Enforcement.
Appropriates funds.
Sunsets (expiration) 6/30/2028.
SB1226 -
Establishes the Shipping Container Inspection Program.
Requires the Department of Law Enforcement to submit reports to the Legislature on the implementation of the Shipping Container Inspection Program.
Appropriates funds.
Amends the definition of "cultural".
Prohibits the use of consumer fireworks except for cultural use by permit.
Repeals wording that generally allows the use of consumer fireworks without a permit on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the Fourth of July.
Makes it unlawful to offer, display for sale, sell, or furnish consumer fireworks to any person except for cultural use by permit.
Prohibits the sale of fireworks to a person more than 5 calendar days before a permitted cultural use.
Imposes a fee of $25 per permit for the purchase and cultural use of consumer fireworks.
Imposes a statewide limitation on consumer fireworks, except by permit for cultural use.
SB999 -
Repeals all permissible uses of consumer fireworks
Makes conforming amendments to the Fireworks Control Law.
Establishes civil penalties for the use and sale of consumer fireworks, including nuisance abatement proceedings and forfeiture of assets used in the commission of the illegal use or sale of consumer fireworks.
Establishes the Firework Forfeiture Special Fund to deposit asset forfeiture proceeds and to provide for community safety education programs.
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