What Are the Magazine Capacity Limits in Hawaii?
Woody's answers are based on published federal and state law. Not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for your specific situation.
Hawaii has a 10-round magazine capacity limit for handguns and long guns. This applies to both possession and purchase of magazines.
What This Means for You
Hawaii's magazine restrictions directly impact your build planning since you'll need to source compliant magazines or modify existing ones. The law affects both new purchases and magazines you might already own, making it a key consideration for any build project in the state.
The Detail
Hawaii enforces a strict 10-round magazine capacity limit that applies to all firearms, whether handguns or long guns. This restriction covers both the purchase of new magazines and the possession of existing high-capacity magazines, making it one of the more comprehensive magazine laws in the country.
The law doesn't distinguish between different firearm types or intended uses. Whether you're building a hunting rifle, competition pistol, or home defense firearm, the 10-round limit applies universally. This means popular platforms that commonly use higher capacity magazines will require you to source specific compliant magazines or modify existing ones.
Compliance typically involves either purchasing magazines specifically designed to hold 10 rounds or fewer, or modifying higher capacity magazines with permanent alterations. Simply inserting a removable block or limiter generally doesn't meet legal requirements, as these can be easily removed. Permanent modifications usually involve physically altering the magazine body or installing permanent internal blocks.
There may be limited exceptions for certain categories of users or specific circumstances, but these are typically narrow in scope. Law enforcement and military personnel often have different rules when acting in their official capacity. However, the general principle for civilian ownership remains the 10-round limit across all firearm types.
Build Impact
You'll need to factor magazine availability and cost into your build budget, as compliant magazines can be more expensive or harder to find for certain platforms. This restriction might also influence your platform choice, since some firearms work better with lower capacity magazines than others.