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HB55 • 2026

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Crime
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
SOUZA, LAMOSAO, Kapela, Poepoe
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specifics on how it will affect existing penalties for offenses committed before its effective date.

Making Fireworks Offenses More Serious

This bill changes certain fireworks-related crimes from misdemeanors to class C felonies.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the penalty for importing aerial devices or display fireworks without a valid license from a misdemeanor to a felony.
  • Makes it a felony if someone purchases, possesses, sets off, ignites, discharges, stores, sells, or allows others to possess aerial devices with more than 25 pounds of fireworks.
  • Changes selling or transferring fireworks to an unlicensed person from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who import, purchase, possess, set off, ignite, discharge, store, sell, or transfer aerial devices and display fireworks without proper licenses or permits.

Terms To Know

Felony
A serious crime that can result in a prison sentence of more than one year.
Misdemeanor
A less serious crime that usually results in a shorter jail time or fines.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how it will affect existing penalties for offenses committed before the law takes effect.
  • It is unclear what specific actions would be considered transferring fireworks to an unlicensed person.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to JHA, referral sheet 1

  3. 2025-01-16 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  4. 2025-01-13 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.
Fireworks; Offenses; Penalties; Felonies
Converts certain fireworks-related offenses from misdemeanors to class C felonies.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB55

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

55

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO FIREWORKS
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that
fireworks-related offenses occur all too often within the State, and often
cause devastating physical harm to residents.
�

The legislature particularly notes the recent mass casualty incident in
Aliamanu, Oahu, on December 31, 2024, in which fireworks killed at least four
people and injured dozens more.
�
The
legislature believes that the State must take action to deter the illegal use
of fireworks.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to convert certain fireworks-related offenses from
misdemeanors to class C felonies.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 132D-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"
(a)
�

Any person:

����
(1)
�
Importing
aerial devices, display fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic without having a
valid license under section 132D-7 [
shall be guilty of a class C felony
];

����
(2)
�
Purchasing,
possessing, setting off, igniting, or discharging aerial devices, display
fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic without a valid permit under sections
132D-10 and 132D-16, or storing, selling, or possessing aerial devices, display
fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic without a valid license under section
132D-7, or allowing an individual to possess, set off, ignite, discharge, or
otherwise cause to explode any aerial device in violation of section 132D-14.5[
:

���������
(A)
�
If the total weight of the aerial devices, display fireworks, or
articles pyrotechnic is twenty-five pounds or more, shall be guilty of a class
C felony; or

���������
(B)
�
If the total weight of the aerial devices, display fireworks, or
articles pyrotechnic is less than twenty-five pounds, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor
];

����
(3)
�
Who
transfers or sells aerial devices, display fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic
to a person who does not have a valid permit under sections 132D-10 and 132D-16[
,
shall be guilty of a class C felony; and
]
; or

����
(4)
�
Who
removes or extracts the pyrotechnic contents from any fireworks or articles
pyrotechnic and uses the contents to construct fireworks, articles pyrotechnic,
or a fireworks or articles pyrotechnic related device [
shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor.
]
;

shall
be guilty of a class C felony.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act does not affect rights and duties
that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun
before its effective date.

����
SECTION 4.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Fireworks;
Offenses; Penalties; Felonies

Description:

Converts
certain fireworks-related offenses from misdemeanors to class C felonies.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.