Hawaii Agricultural Import Requirements

Hawai‘i is a separate agricultural quarantine jurisdiction. Plants, produce, animals, and packing materials that move freely on the mainland may require a permit, a certificate, or a quarantine period before they can enter the state.

This page summarizes the rules most relevant to arriving aircraft, crews, passengers, and cargo. It is a convenience summary only. The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) Plant Quarantine Branch is the authority on every point below, and requirements change. Confirm current conditions with the branch before you ship or fly. See the official DAB Import Program page.

What Counts as an Agricultural Item

Agricultural items include all plants and plant parts (fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and foliage), animals, microorganism cultures, microbial products, arthropods, soil, and the containers and packing materials holding any of those things.

Everything in that category requires inspection on arrival in Hawai‘i and cannot be released until the inspection is complete. The branch gives priority to snakes, red imported fire ants, and other pests and plant diseases not established in the islands.

Obligations by party

  • Transportation companies, freight forwarders, and operators. Notify a Plant Quarantine inspector of any agricultural items on board, and keep all items, including cargo and mail, available until inspection is finished.
  • Passengers and crew arriving from the U.S. mainland. Declare all agricultural items on the Plants and Animals Declaration Form, then present those items at the Agricultural Inspection Counter in the baggage claim area.
  • International arrivals. USDA regulates plants, plant products, animals, and animal products, including meats, entering the United States from foreign countries. State and federal restrictions can both apply to the same commodity, in which case both agencies must inspect it.

Contact the branch directly for the notification procedure that applies to your operation, since the declaration process for arriving flights has been under revision.

Plants, Plant Parts, and Soil

Most plants are admitted after inspection. Four general conditions apply to all of them:

  • Plants must be apparently free of insects and disease.
  • Plants do not have to be bare-rooted, but the growing media cannot contain soil.
  • Parcels arriving by mail or cargo must be clearly labeled “Plant Materials” or “Agricultural Commodities.”
  • Shipments must be accompanied by an invoice or packing manifest listing contents and quantities.

Categories that need a permit, certificate, or quarantine

The following require an import permit, a certificate of origin, a certificate of treatment, or some combination. Several are also held in a quarantine facility.

  • Grass family (sugarcane, bamboo, grasses). Plants and parts require a permit and quarantine. Seeds and dried parts of bamboo and grass are unrestricted.
  • Bromeliad family (pineapple, bromeliads, tillandsia). Permit plus a certificate of origin and/or treatment. Some plants require quarantine. Seeds and flasks of bromeliads other than pineapple are unrestricted.
  • Coffee. Plants, plant parts, and used coffee bags require a permit and certificate of treatment. Plants and seeds for propagation also require quarantine.
  • Cruciferous vegetables (turnip, rutabaga, radish or daikon, horseradish). Edible roots require a certificate of origin or treatment, depending on where they were grown.
  • Orchid family. Plants and propagative parts require a permit and certificate of origin. Some require quarantine. Seeds and deflasked tissue culture plants are unrestricted.
  • Banana. Plants and parts require a permit and quarantine. Fruit is unrestricted.
  • Passion fruit. Plants and parts require a permit and quarantine.
  • Pine. Plants and parts require a certificate of origin or treatment, depending on origin. Cut branches are allowed only from October 20 through December 31.
  • Coconut. Plants, seednuts, and green parts are prohibited. Nuts for consumption require a permit and must be completely husked and punctured. Dried products require a certificate of treatment.
  • European corn borer hosts. Corn on the cob and non-propagative parts of sorghum, broomcorn, and sudan grass require a certificate of origin or treatment. Propagative parts other than seed require a permit and quarantine.
  • Aster, chrysanthemum, hollyhock, dahlia, gladiolus. Plants require a certificate of origin or treatment, depending on origin. Seeds, tubers, corms without stems, and cut flowers are unrestricted.
  • Palm family. Plants from the U.S. mainland are not allowed. Plants from foreign countries and propagative parts require a certificate of origin.
  • Caribbean fruit fly hosts. Fruits and berries from Florida and Puerto Rico require a certificate of origin or treatment, depending on origin.
  • Taro and dasheen. Plants and propagative parts from the Solomon Islands require a permit and quarantine.

Sand, soil, and earth are separately regulated. Contact the branch before moving any quantity. For full detail, see the DAB plant import guidelines.

Animals

Two different agencies regulate animals, and which one applies depends on whether the animal is considered domesticated.

Non-domestic animals

The Plant Quarantine Branch regulates any animal not considered domesticated and common in Hawai‘i. Species are sorted onto four lists:

  • Conditionally approved. Common pets. An import permit is required.
  • Restricted, Part A. Import and possession permits required, with prior site inspection and approval. Limited to research by universities or government agencies, exhibition in municipal zoos or government-affiliated aquariums, or medical and scientific purposes approved by the Board of Agriculture.
  • Restricted, Part B. Same permit and site requirements. Limited to filming, exhibition, zoological park research, or aquaculture production with Board approval.
  • Prohibited. May not be imported.

Important: any animal that does not appear on one of the lists is treated as prohibited until the Board of Agriculture reviews it. Absence from the prohibited list does not mean an animal is allowed. See the current non-domestic animal and microorganism lists.

Domestic animals

Dogs, cats, cattle, swine, poultry and birds, sheep, and horses fall under the Animal Industry Division rather than Plant Quarantine. Importing them requires a valid health certificate, a permit, and compliance with the applicable quarantine rules. Dogs and cats are handled through the state’s rabies quarantine program, which has its own checklist and advance paperwork.

Microorganisms and microbial products

Algae, protozoa, bacteria, fungi, mushroom spawn, viruses, and products containing them require an approved permit or other approval in advance of shipment.

Permits, Labeling, and Penalties

Permits

Import permits are applied for on Form PQ-7, available from any Plant Quarantine office or as a fillable PDF from the branch. Applications for organisms on the conditionally approved list require the quantity, common and scientific names, shipper details, approximate arrival date, mode of shipment, and purpose of importation. Restricted organisms require additional detail on containment and disposition, plus site approval before the permit is issued. Apply well ahead of your intended movement date. See permit applications and the current fee schedule.

Labeling and documentation

Every agricultural parcel entering the state must be clearly labeled as containing plant materials or agricultural commodities, and must be accompanied by an invoice or manifest showing the exact contents by name and quantity. Under state law, each container must also be marked with the name and address of the shipper or owner, the name of the consignee or agent, the country, state, or territory and locality where the product was grown, and a statement of contents.

Penalties

Chapter 150A of the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes sets tiered penalties. In general terms:

  • A general violation of the chapter or its rules is a misdemeanor, with a fine of at least $100 and a maximum of $10,000. A second offense within five years carries $500 to $25,000.
  • A violation involving a prohibited animal, or a restricted plant, animal, or microorganism moved without a permit, is a misdemeanor carrying $5,000 to $20,000.
  • Intentionally importing, transporting, or harboring such an organism with intent to propagate, sell, or release it is a class C felony carrying $50,000 to $200,000.

Violators may also be liable for the cost of recapturing, eradicating, or controlling the pest involved.

Not legal advice. The figures above summarize the statute as written and omit its exceptions and procedural detail. Read the current text of Chapter 150A on the Hawai‘i State Legislature site, or consult counsel, before relying on it.

Official Contacts

Plant Quarantine Branch, O‘ahu

1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96819
Phone: (808) 832-0566
Fax: (808) 832-0584

Honolulu Airport Office

Phone: (808) 837-8413
Fax: (808) 836-6380
After hours emergency: (808) 837-8092

Neighbor Island Offices

Hilo: (808) 974-4141
Hilo Airport: (808) 961-9393
Kona, Keāhole Airport: (808) 326-1077
Kahului: (808) 873-3962
Kahului Airport: (808) 872-3848
Līhu‘e: (808) 241-7135

USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine

Honolulu International Airport, 300 Rodgers Blvd., #57, Honolulu, HI 96819
Imports and exports: (808) 834-3240
Veterinary Services: (808) 838-2854

Animal Industry Division

For dogs, cats, livestock, and poultry, including rabies quarantine.
Phone: (808) 483-7100

Statewide Pest Hotline

To report a suspected pest sighting.
Phone: (808) 643-PEST (7378)

See the full DAB Plant Quarantine contact list.

Summary last verified against Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity sources and Chapter 150A, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, on July 23, 2026. Requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the Plant Quarantine Branch before shipping or flying.