VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Following Advocacy from  Hawai‘i Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, Legislature Passes Bill to Raise the Age of Purchase for Ammunition 

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement after lawmakers in the House voted to pass SB 2845. The measure, which now goes to conference, raises the age of purchase for ammunition to 21, unless the purchases fall within exceptions stated by the law. In addition, it requires ammunition sellers to check the government-issued ID of purchasers to verify their age.

“Our state prohibits the purchase of a firearm for anyone under 21 – it’s only right that the same applies for ammunition,” said April Ching, a volunteer with the Hawai‘i chapter of Moms Demand Action. “As gun violence continues to be the leading cause of death for children and college-aged Americans, this bill now ensures we are keeping ammunition out of the hands of our youth. We are grateful for lawmakers’ steadfast support to combating the gun violence crisis, and look forward to continuing working with our gun sense champions to make Hawai‘i a national leader for gun safety.”  

A recent report found that ammunition sellers often fail to use effective methods of age verification for online sales. Unlike alcohol, tobacco, or gambling websites which require submission of an ID online or require proof of age upon delivery, online ammunition sellers typically proceed with a sale after a mere unverified click asserting age eligibility. SB 2845 will ensure sellers are in compliance with the new 21-and-over age limit for Hawai‘i, and will help curb the industry’s reckless practice of allowing underage ammo sales as more states enact verification requirements. 

Hawaiʻi ranks 5th in the country for gun law strength in Everytown’s 2024 Gun Law Rankings. Everytown’s interactive gun law platform – which shows the direct correlation between the strength of a state’s gun laws – is available here. More information about unintentional shootings by children is available here. More information about gun violence in Hawaiʻi is available here. 

To speak with a policy expert or Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer, please contact [email protected].