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HRS §142-48

Illegal branding of someone else's animals and the penalty

This law makes it a crime to put your own brand or mark on an animal that belongs to someone else, or to put someone else's brand on an animal with the intent to steal it. If you do this, you can be charged with a serious felony and fined for each animal.

everyone

The statute, as written — Prohibited branding or marking; penalty

Any person who intentionally or knowingly places their own brand or mark on any kine, horse, mule, sheep, goat, or other cattle belonging to another or places the brand or mark of anyone other than the animal's owner with the intent to convert it to one's own use or to the use of another shall be guilty of a class C felony and, in addition to any other penalties imposed by the court, be fined not less than $1,000 for each kine, horse, mule, sheep, goat, or other cattle thus branded or marked. [PC 1869, c 25, §1; am L 1903, c 12, §1; RL 1925, §688; RL 1935, §266; RL 1945, §1075; RL 1955, §20-47; HRS §142-48; gen ch 1985 ; am L 2025, c 235, §18]
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.