Hawaii tobacco and nicotine laws

What it would do: Prohibits any person or entity from selling, offering for sale, or distributing disposable electronic smoking devices in Hawaii beginning January 1, 2027, with violations subject to daily fines.

What it would do: Repeals section 328J-11.5 of Hawaii Revised Statutes, which preempted local ordinances regulating the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices, thereby restoring counties' authority to adopt more stringent regulations than state law.

What it would do: Amends Hawaii's cigarette and tobacco excise tax by establishing a new tax rate effective January 1, 2026, and revises revenue disposition provisions beginning July 1, 2025, with specific percentages or dollar amounts to be allocated to cancer research, trauma, community health, and emergency medical services funds.

What it would do: Repeals Hawaii Revised Statutes section 328J-11.5, which declared the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices a statewide concern and preempted all local ordinances regulating such sales, thereby allowing counties and cities to enact their own regulations on these products.

What it would do: Beginning January 1, 2026, prohibits retailers from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with intent to sell flavored nicotine products, nicotine product flavor enhancers, or mislabeling e-liquid products as nicotine-free, with fines of $100 to $1,000 per violation.

What it would do: Increases the cigarette tax from 16 cents to 18 cents per cigarette effective January 1, 2026, and allocates the 2-cent increase to the Hawaii cancer research special fund for research, operations, and capital expenditures.

What it would do: Increases the excise tax on electronic smoking devices and e-liquids from 70 percent to 90 percent of wholesale price for sales after January 1, 2027, and directs 22 percent of resulting tax revenue to the Hawaii cancer research special fund.

What it would do: Repeals state preemption of local tobacco regulations and clarifies that counties may enact ordinances regulating cigarette, tobacco product, and electronic smoking device sales if ordinances are more stringent than state law.

What it would do: Amends the unlawful shipment of tobacco products offense to exclude large cigars and pipe tobacco shipped to persons 21 years or older for personal consumption only, effective January 1, 2026.

What it would do: Prohibits retailers from selling flavored tobacco products, including menthol and cooling sensation products, and mislabeling nicotine-containing e-liquids as nicotine-free, effective July 1, 2026, with fines of $100-$1,000 per violation.

What it would do: Establishes a vaping store registry requiring all retailers and distributors of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids to register annually with the department of health beginning January 1, 2026, paying a $250 annual fee, and authorizes inspections and enforcement with fines up to $5,000 per violation.

What it would do: Requires manufacturers of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids containing nicotine to certify annually by August 1, 2025, that products have FDA marketing authorization, and establishes a state directory of approved products; prohibits sale of unlisted products beginning October 1, 2025, with civil penalties up to $10,000 per product for violations.

What it would do: Establishes a definition for premium cigars distinct from large cigars and excludes them from percentage excise tax, instead imposing a 50 cents per premium cigar excise tax on wholesalers and dealers on or after January 1, 2026.

What it would do: Repeals state law preempting county tobacco regulations and clarifies that counties may enact ordinances regulating cigarette, tobacco product, and electronic smoking device sales if the ordinances are more stringent than state law.

What it would do: Amends Hawaii's cigarette and tobacco tax law to clarify that the mail order shipment exemption applies only to large cigars, and to specify conditions under which tobacco product shipments are exempt from state taxes.

What it would do: Requires the Hawaii Department of Health to determine safe nicotine standards for products sold in Hawaii to prevent addiction, and directs the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to restrict sales of products exceeding those standards.

What it would do: Prohibits sale, possession, and consumption of tobacco products and electronic smoking devices by persons born on or after January 1, 2005, effective January 1, 2026, with penalties including fines and community service.