2026-53 DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SECURES VICTORY UPHOLDING HAWAIʻI’S MINIMUM AGE OF 21 FOR FIREARMS OWNERSHIP
STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA
ANNE LOPEZ
ATTORNEY GENERAL
LOIO KUHINA
DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SECURES VICTORY UPHOLDING HAWAIʻI’S MINIMUM AGE OF 21 FOR FIREARMS OWNERSHIP
News Release 2026-53
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 1, 2026
HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez today announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi has upheld Hawaiʻi laws establishing 21 as the minimum age to acquire and own firearms, rejecting a Second Amendment challenge brought by an individual plaintiff, two firearms dealers and the Second Amendment Foundation.
The court granted the state’s motion for summary judgment, concluding that Hawaiʻi’s age restriction is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. As the court’s opinion explains, around the time the Second Amendment was adopted, those under the age of 21 were considered minors and were restricted from purchasing almost all consumer goods, including firearms. Now for over 150 years, states have enacted statutes setting 21 as the minimum age for an individual to obtain a firearm.
“We are pleased with the court’s opinion and will continue to defend against efforts to weaken Hawaiʻi’s common-sense firearms laws, which protect public safety and save lives,” said Attorney General Lopez. “Today’s decision confirms that the state’s age limit on acquiring a firearm is consistent with a long history of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of our youths.”
“We are so pleased that the court recognized that Hawaiʻi’s law is constitutional,” said Kris Brown, president of Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “As we told the court, tragic incidents of gun violence in schools are disproportionately inflicted by individuals ages 18 to 20 — and mass shootings are also now especially deadly when perpetrated by that age group. Laws like this one are important tools for states to reduce that violence and are perfectly consistent with the Constitution.”
The lawsuit challenged Hawaiʻi’s laws that prohibit people under 21 from acquiring, purchasing, owning or possessing firearms and ammunition. Hawaiʻi law requires a person to be at least 21 years old to obtain a permit to acquire a firearm, with certain exceptions allowing people under 21 to use firearms for activities including hunting and target shooting.
The plaintiffs argued that the restrictions violated the Second Amendment rights of otherwise qualified 18- to 20-year-olds. The court rejected that challenge, finding “a strong historical tradition in this country of restricting acquisition of firearms by people under age 21.”
The lawsuit, Pinales v. Lopez, Civ. No. 1:24-cv-00496-JAO-WRP, was originally filed in November 2024. The court previously denied the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction in February 2025, finding they had not demonstrated that they were likely to succeed on the merits of their Second Amendment claim.
The case was argued by Deputy Solicitors General Thomas Hughes and Ewan Rayner with the Appellate Division. The department is also grateful to co-counsel from both Brady: United Against Gun Violence and Davis Levin Livingston for contributing invaluable support and expertise.
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