We already ask guests to notice the resort fee, pool hours, parking rules, and about 37 other signs they mostly ignore. Now we may need to add one more.
Hawaiʻi’s Act 52 had effectively made private businesses firearm-free by default unless they opted in. On June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court struck that down, 6-3. The default has now flipped: firearms are allowed unless a business says otherwise, and that means posting a clear, legible sign at every entrance.
Before the GM group chat melts down, the practical universe here is still pretty small. Hawaiʻi only issues carry licenses to residents and does not recognize permits from other states. So no, your guest from Texas does not suddenly get to pack heat in the lobby. At the end of last year, the AG counted 3,764 licenses statewide, roughly a third of one percent of residents 21 and older. Small number. But licenses were up 70.5% year over year, with Honolulu up 90%.
Of course, the sign itself has now become part of the debate. Brady Hawaiʻi began distributing free no-firearms signs to businesses in July, while the Hawaiʻi Firearms Coalition published an open letter urging businesses not to post them. Strong opinions, though neither side has to run your Saturday-night MOD shift.
Hawai’i Hotel Alliance advises hotels, pick a policy, post it correctly, and have procedures for non-compliance before you need them. The piece I’d add is training. A sign is a policy. Your front desk agent is the person who may have to enforce it at 11 p.m. on a Saturday. That conversation deserves more thought than the sign itself.
