Departing Hawaii: USDA Agricultural Inspection Requirements

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspects all passenger baggage leaving Hawai‘i for the U.S. mainland, Alaska, and Guam. The inspection happens at the airport before departure. Plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables grown in Hawai‘i can host fruit flies and other pests that are not established on the mainland, which is why many items that are perfectly legal to buy here cannot leave the state.

This is a convenience summary. APHIS is the authority on every point below and the rules change without notice. Check the official APHIS page for travelers leaving Hawai‘i before you pack or ship.

What to Expect at the Airport

  • Present all food, plants, and other agricultural items to the USDA inspector before you leave Hawai‘i.
  • Tell the inspector if you are carrying fresh fruit or vegetables, plants, flowers, or souvenirs made from plants or wood.
  • Be prepared to open and close your own bags. Do not tape coolers or boxes closed until after inspection.
  • Failure to declare agricultural items can result in delays and civil penalties ranging from $100 to $1,000 per violation.

The screening procedure varies by airport. Some stations screen checked baggage after the airline accepts it, without the passenger present, and inspect hand-carried items at the security checkpoint and again near the departure gate. Confirm the process for your specific departure point with your operator or the airport.

Download the APHIS baggage inspection notice (PDF). It is also published in French, German, Ilocano, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chuukese, and Pohnpeian from the APHIS page linked above.

Shipping and Mailing

Agricultural items being shipped or mailed to the U.S. mainland or Alaska must be inspected and/or certified by APHIS before you present them at an airline cargo office, the post office, or a courier service.

Shipping or mailing most fresh fruits and vegetables from Hawai‘i to the continental United States is prohibited, whether sent directly or routed through Alaska or Guam. Processed fruits and vegetables may be shipped. Accepted processing methods are cooking, drying, and freezing. Frozen fruit must be frozen solid at the time of inspection, and frozen mango must be seedless.

Download the APHIS mailing and shipping guidance (PDF)

Items Allowed After Passing Inspection

These may travel to the U.S. mainland, Alaska, and Guam once they clear USDA inspection.

Fruits, vegetables, and herbs

  • Coconut
  • Coffee. Roasted and green unroasted beans may be brought in unlimited quantities without restriction through any continental U.S. port of entry.
  • Commercially canned or processed foods, including processed fruits and vegetables
  • Fresh pineapple
  • Irish or white potatoes
  • Treated fruit including papaya, abiu, atemoya, banana, curry leaf, dragon fruit, longan, lychee, mangosteen, rambutan, starfruit, and sweet potato. These must be treated at a USDA-approved facility and packed in sealed boxes that are properly marked and stamped.

Cut flowers

  • Fresh flowers, leis, and foliage, except jade vine, Mauna Loa, and any citrus or citrus-related plants and plant parts in the same family, including their flowers and leaves. See Know the Lei of the Land (PDF) for detail on which leis can travel.

Plants and seeds for planting

  • Certain plants and cuttings. Some states require rooted plants to be certified by the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture before they can move to the mainland, so check before you buy.
  • Hinahina (Spanish moss)

Other items

  • Beach sand
  • Dried seeds and decorative arrangements
  • Rocks and stones
  • Seashells, but not land snail shells
  • Seed leis and seed jewelry
  • Wood, including driftwood and sticks, and dried wood roses

Items Not Allowed Into the U.S. Mainland or Alaska

Fruits, vegetables, and herbs

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables, other than the exceptions listed above
  • Berries of any kind, including fresh coffee berries and sea grapes
  • Kikania and fresh pandanus
  • Swamp cabbage (unchoy)

Cut flowers

  • Cotton and cotton bolls
  • Fresh flowers of jade vine and Mauna Loa

Plants and seeds for planting

  • Any plants in soil
  • Cactus plants and cactus plant parts
  • Mock orange
  • Seeds with fruit clinging, and fresh seed pods
  • Sugarcane

Organisms and other items

  • Live insects and snails
  • Soil

Additional Items Allowed Into Guam and Alaska

Guam only

  • Beets
  • Rutabagas
  • Turnips without tops

Alaska only

These clear inspection for Alaska but may not be forwarded from Alaska to the contiguous United States.

  • Chayote
  • Green banana
  • Green onion
  • Lima bean
  • Okra
  • Pea
  • Pumpkin
  • Snow pea
  • String bean
  • Watermelon
  • Winged bean
  • Winter melon
  • Yard long bean
  • Zucchini

Official Contacts

APHIS offices, for general questions

Honolulu: (808) 834-3220
Hilo: (808) 933-6930
Kona: (808) 326-1252
Maui: (808) 877-5261
Kaua‘i: (808) 632-2511

Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, for certifying plants and cuttings

Honolulu: (808) 832-0566
Hilo: (808) 974-4141
Kona: (808) 326-1077
Maui: (808) 872-3848
Kaua‘i: (808) 241-7135

See the full state Plant Quarantine contact list for street addresses and fax numbers.

Summary last verified against USDA APHIS sources on July 23, 2026. The APHIS traveler page was last modified March 31, 2026. Requirements change without notice. Confirm with your local APHIS office before traveling or shipping.