HRS §803-11
Breaking into a house to make an arrest
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗This section says when police or someone making an arrest needs to enter a house and is refused, they can break doors or barriers. But first, they must loudly announce they have a warrant, or if no warrant is needed, say why they are there.
courts
The statute, as written — Entering house to arrest
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
Whenever it is necessary to enter a house to arrest an offender, and entrance is refused, the officer or person making the arrest may force an entrance by breaking doors or other barriers. But before breaking any door, the officer or person shall first demand entrance in a loud voice, and state that the officer or person is the bearer of a warrant of arrest; or if it is in a case in which arrest is lawful without warrant, the officer or person shall substantially state that information in an audible voice. [PC 1869, c 49, §10; RL 1925, §3976; RL 1935, §5410; RL 1945, §10711; RL 1955, §255-11; HRS §708-11; ren L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; gen ch 1985]
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.