State desk
Ranks 47th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Hawaii stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 19 Hawaii outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Hawaii in red. Free to cite with attribution.
A permit is required and issuance stays very restrictive despite Bruen, with few licenses actually granted.
Hawaii is 1 of 6 states with this rule
29 · Constitutional (Permitless) Carry15 · Shall-Issue Permit
Hawaii taxes individual income at graduated rates rising to 11.00 percent across 12 brackets, the second-highest top rate of the 41 states that tax income.
Hawaii is 1 of 26 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate
Hawaii charges 18.50 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 49 of 50, which is among the lowest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 36.90 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 18.50 cents.
Hawaii is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest16 · Near the Middle
Abolished in 1957.
Hawaii is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
Hawaii is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $16.00, above the federal $7.25 floor; rising to $18.00 on January 1, 2028.
Hawaii is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
No ID is required; voters confirm identity by signature or personal information matched against the registration rolls.
Hawaii is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)
No ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program.
Hawaii is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal16 · Limited Program
NCSL does not list Hawaii among no-duty-to-retreat states, and does not state a rule for it here. Verify with a primary source before relying on it.
Hawaii is 1 of 12 states with this rule
31 · No Duty to Retreat7 · Recognized by Court Decision
Every registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot for all elections; no request is required.
Hawaii is 1 of 8 states with this rule
29 · No-Excuse Absentee13 · Excuse Required
Hawaii's unemployment rate was 2.8% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 0.1 percentage points from 2.7% in August. It ranks 5th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 4th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 2.1%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Appointed by the governor rather than elected.
Hawaii is 1 of 5 states with this rule
43 · Elected by voters1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court