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HRS §245-51

Ban on foreign and export-only cigarettes

This law makes it illegal for anyone to have, move, sell, or bring into Hawaii cigarettes that are meant for export or not meant for sale in the U.S. It also bans cigarettes that lack required federal warnings, violate trademark or copyright laws, or were imported illegally. The law lists specific types of banned cigarettes.

everyone

The statute, as written — Export and foreign cigarettes prohibited

It shall be unlawful for an entity to possess, keep, store, retain, transport, sell, or offer to sell, distribute, acquire, hold, own, import, or cause to be imported into the State any of the following cigarettes: (1) The package of which bears any statement, label, stamp, sticker, or notice indicating that the manufacturer did not intend the cigarettes to be sold, distributed, or used in the United States, including but not limited to labels stating "for export only", "U.S. tax-exempt", "for use outside U.S.", or similar wording; (2) The package of which does not comply with all requirements imposed by federal law regarding warnings and other information on packages of cigarettes manufactured, packaged, or imported for sale, distribution, or use in the United States, including but not limited to the specific warning labels specified in the federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, title 15 U.S.C. section 1333; (3) The package of which does not comply with all federal trademark and copyright laws; (4) Imported into the United States on or after January 1, 2000, in violation of title 26 U.S.C. section 5754 or any other federal law or regulation; (5) For which the person otherwise knows or has reason to know the manufacturer did not intend to be sold, distributed, or used in the United States; (6) For which there has not been submitted to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services the list of the ingredients added to tobacco in the manufacture of such cigarettes required by the federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, title 15 U.S.C. section 1335a; or (7) The package of which bears a cigarette brand name that is a registered United States trademark of a participating manufacturer and the package was imported by anyone other than the participating manufacturer of that cigarette brand. "Participating manufacturer" means any signatory to the "Master Settlement Agreement", as the latter term is defined in section 675-2.
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.