Hawaii 's Animal Quarantine Laws
Hawaii is rabies-free. Hawaii's quarantine law is designed to protect residents and pets from potentially serious health problems associated with the introduction and spread of rabies. All dogs and cats, regardless of age (puppies and kittens included) or purpose, must comply with Hawaii’s dog and cat import requirements.
Chapter 4-29 Hawaii Administrative Rules, governs the importation of dogs, cats and other carnivores into Hawaii. This law states that dogs and cats meeting specific pre- and post-arrival requirements may qualify for 5-day–or-less quarantine program, which has a provision for direct release at HonoluluInternationalAirport after inspection. (See “Checklist For 5-Day-Or-Less Program” for details.)
Furthermore, the law requires dogs and cats not meeting all of the specific 5-Day-Or-Less program requirements to be quarantined for up to 120 days upon arrival In Hawaii. (See “Hawaii Rabies Quarantine Information Brochure” for details on 120-day quarantine.)
Prohibited Animals: The regulation of animal breeds and species that are permitted to enter Hawaii is under Plant Quarantine Branch jurisdiction and administrative rules. Non-domestic dogs and cats and hybrids such as wolf, wolf cross, Dingo, Bengal, Savannah, etc are prohibited under Plant Quarantine (PQ) law. Refer to Plant Quarantine's animal guidelines for importation.
Puppies and Kittens: Due to the minimum amount of time needed to prepare a puppy or kitten to meet the requirements of the 5-Day-Or-Less program, a puppy or kitten will be about 10 months of age by the time the preparations are completed. Puppies and kittens not able to meet all of the requirements for the 5-Day-Or-Less program will be quarantined for 120 days.
Hawaii Resident Pets: Owners wishing to leave Hawaii with their pets and return without extended quarantine must meet all requirements listed on the “Checklist Only For Resident Dogs And Cats Originating From Hawaii And Returning For The 5-Day-Or-Less Program." The length of the waiting period after a successful rabies blood test is modified and must be completed before leaving Hawaii. See “Checklist Only For Resident Dogs And Cats Originating From Hawaii And Returning For The 5-Day-Or-Less Program” for details.
Re-Entry Fee Requirements: For pets re-entering Hawaii after completing a Hawaii rabies quarantine program, click here for requirements when a reduced "Re-entry" fee for Direct Airport Release or 5-Day Or-Less quarantine applies.
INFORMATION AND FAQs
- Hawaii Rabies Quarantine Information Brochure [aqsbrochure.pdf, Rev. 02/06] This brochure contains important information about pre-arrival requirements, quarantine station location and contacts, procedures, policies, rules, operations and fees.
- Frequently Asked Questions [Rev. 10/05]
- Direct Airport Release Security Advisory
- IMPORTANT! Pet owners are responsible for transporting all pets released from the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility (AAQHF) to their vehicles or the Interisland terminal. Airport security regulations do not permit animals to be let out of the transport crate on airport property. Pets must be picked up and loaded into a vehicle or onto a baggage cart in their transport crate. Therefore, vehicles must be large enough to accommodate the intact crate with the pet inside. There are no baggage carts or porters in the immediate vicinity of the AAQHF.
Due to limitations in inter-island service on the weekend, pets arriving on Thursday or Friday may not be transferred to satellite quarantine stations and approved hospitals on the neighbor islands until the following Monday.
FORMS
- Dog and Cat Import Form [AQS-278.pdf, Rev. 10//05]- One completed form per pet is required to be submitted along with all pre-arrival documents (Two Rabies Vaccination Certificates, Health Certificate, Pre-payments) NO LESS THAN 10 DAYS BEFORE PET ARRIVES IN HAWAII TO QUALIFY FOR 5-DAY-OR-LESS or AIRPORT RELEASE. If the health certificate cannot be sent 10 days before arriving with the rest of the documents, the original must be given to the inspector upon arrival in Hawaii.
- List of Approved Veterinary Hospitals [AQS-20.pdf]
- Breed Code Listing and Color Code Listing [AQS-66.pdf, Rev. 06/05)]
- Intermediate Handlers [aqs-interhandlers.pdf, Rev. 10/05] List of registered private individuals or organizations that may be contracted with for fee as intermediate handlers to assist in the interstate and inter-island shipping of pets.
- Summary For Veterinarians [AQS-39.pdf, Rev. 10/05] Summary for veterinarians of health certification, microchip, rabies vaccination intervals, OIE-FAVN test and waiting periods requirements of the 5-Day-Or-Less program.
- OIE-FAVN Testing Forms - All posted laboratory fees and documents are subject to change by the laboratory without notice.
- Kansas State University FAVN-OIE Testing Form for general public [aqs-ksu-favnform.pdf, Rev. 11/05]
- FAVN Testing Request form for DOD Members [aqs-dod.favn.pdf, Rev. 07/05]
- Request For Electronic Microchip for Foreign Countries [aqs-73.pdf, Rev. 07/03]
Effective June 30, 2003, the State of Hawaii will only provide microchips for requests outside of the 50 States of the United States. - OIE-FAVN Test Results
Pets owners do not need to present a hardcopy of test results to the Rabies Quarantine Branch, as KSU and DOD will send results directly if “Hawaii” is listed as the destination on the lab submission form. Owners can obtain pre-arrival OIE- FAVN test results from the veterinarian that submitted the sample or on the Hawaii Department of Agriculture website (see below). Please do not call laboratories directly for test results!
For those qualifying for the direct release or 5-day-or-less you can now check online for your pre-test results and the 120-day date after KSU or DOD received your pet’s sample. Click here for more information.
For information on requirements for allowing guide dogs and service dogs to enter Hawaii without Quarantine click here .
- E-mail:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Animal Quarantine Station phone: (808) 483-7151
- or you may contact our quarantine office at this address:
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
Animal Quarantine Station
99-951 Halawa Valley Street
Aiea, Hawaii 96701-5602
