“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Hawaiʻi Legislature made significant changes to our state’s firearms laws,” Hawaii Firearms Coalition noted Feb. 13. “Among those changes was a requirement that firearm instructors in Hawaiʻi be approved by the county police departments.”
“Shortly after the law took effect, the Honolulu Police Department implemented its instructor approval process,” the post continued. “For a brief period, a list of approved instructors appeared on HPD’s website. Then, without explanation, it disappeared.”
This created a dilemma for Hawaii’s gun owners, the post explained, because it “left residents seeking lawful training with no independent way to confirm who was approved.”
HPD declined to provide a list, citing privacy concerns, the post elaborated. A formal request filed under the state’s Uniform Information Practices Act resulted in a list being shared, but “it was oddly redacted,” HFC claimed.
“Now, nearly two years later, we have requested the list again,” HFC announced, filing “another request under the Uniform Information Practices Act to obtain the current list of approved instructors.”
AmmoLand Shooting Sports News has amassed a comprehensive archive of enacted gun laws and initiated legal proceedings for Hawaii over the years, and this development is arguably of interest not just to Hawaiian gun owners, but to all, as what happens in one state is often tried in another, and ultimately such issues may end up being resolved (or ignored) in the federal court system. As such, this correspondent sent the following inquiry to the Honolulu PD:
Hawaii Firearms Coalition is telling its members a list of approved instructors has been taken down from HPD’s website.
They say residents seeking lawful training have no independent way to confirm who was approved and that HPD will not provide a list citing privacy concerns.
I am requesting a for-the-record comment for publication on HPD’s position on this and how firearm owners can make sure training they get complies with state approval and training mandates.
HPD sent the following response on Wednesday:
Please see the response below provided by Assistant Chief Carlene Lau.
Hawaii Firearms Coalition is telling its members a list of approved instructors has been taken down from HPD’s website. They say residents seeking lawful training have no independent way to confirm who was approved and that HPD will not provide a list citing privacy concerns. What is HPD’s position on this?
The HPD has not in the past, nor does it currently, publicly post a listing of verified firearm instructors for several reasons, including that HPD is prohibited from advertising private businesses. Additionally, the list is not published to protect the privacy of instructors and to prevent potential liability or confusion caused by a list that changes frequently due to new applicants, verifications expiring, and revoked verifications.
How can firearm owners make sure the training they get complies with state approval and training mandates?
HPD is committed to transparency and recognizes the importance of those seeking lawfully required training from a verified instructor. Anyone requesting assistance from HPD with locating a verified instructor is informed to:
- Use a search engine
- Check social media
- Get a referral from a 2nd Amendment advocate group
- Ask the instructor for a copy of their letter of verification from HPD
A list of instructors’ names and what they are verified to teach is also available upon request.
In a directly related development, HFC issued an update Tuesday:
“The Honolulu Police Department has responded to our UIPA request and provided Hawaii Firearms Coalition with the current list of instructors approved by the Chief of Police.”
A list, current as of Feb. 17, is included in that update, with the note that the list “changes on a weekly basis depending on when and/or if the instructor status of the named individuals [is] set to expire.”
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About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
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