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HRS §261-15

Federal pilot and aircraft certificates required in Hawaii

You must have a valid federal certificate, permit, or license to fly a civil aircraft or work as an airman in Hawaii. If you are an airman, you must carry your certificate with you and show it when asked by certain officials or airport staff.

The statute, as written — Federal airman and aircraft certificates

(a) Operation without, unlawful. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause or authorize to be operated any civil aircraft within the State unless the aircraft has an appropriate effective certificate, permit, or license issued by the United States, if the certificate, permit, or license is required by the United States. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in aeronautics as an airman in the State unless the person has an appropriate effective airman certificate, permit, rating, or license issued by the United States authorizing the person to engage in the particular class of aeronautics in which the person is engaged, if such certificate, permit, rating, or license is required by the United States. (b) Exhibition of certificates. Where a certificate, permit, rating, or license is required for an airman by the United States, it shall be kept in the airman's personal possession when the airman is operating within the State and shall be presented for inspection upon the demand of any public officer, or any other officer of the State or of a municipality or member, official, or employee of the department of transportation authorized pursuant to section 261-17 to enforce the aeronautics laws, or any official, manager, or person in charge of any airport upon which the aircraft lands, or upon the reasonable request of any person.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§261-17 Who enforces airport laws and rules

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