Honolulu issued 47 citations for fireworks violations in the second half of 2025, double the number issued in either of the previous two years, as newly enacted laws gave law enforcement expanded tools to crack down on illegal fireworks.
Twenty-nine of the citations were issued on New Year’s Eve alone. The enforcement surge reflects new laws signed by Hawaii Gov. Josh Green before July 4, 2025, which streamlined the process for issuing civil fines and authorized the use of unmanned drones for surveillance.
The enforcement wave follows a deadly New Year’s Eve 2023 explosion that killed six people and injured 24, an incident that spurred lawmakers to overhaul enforcement mechanisms that had historically resulted in dismissals or dropped prosecutions in 94% of cases.
Honolulu police and state law enforcement deployed new legal tools in the second half of 2025 to combat illegal fireworks use, resulting in a marked increase in citations that authorities say is already reducing injuries and deaths on the islands.
The Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department issued 47 citations for fireworks violations between July 4, 2025 and January 1, 2026—double the rate of previous years. Twenty-nine citations were issued on New Year’s Eve alone, the single busiest enforcement night.
The enforcement surge reflects two bills signed by Gov. Josh Green before July 4, 2025: Act 243, which elevated serious fireworks offenses to felonies and created a streamlined civil-fine process for low-level violations, and Act 244, which authorized police to use unmanned drones for surveillance.
Under the new framework, officers can issue on-the-spot $300 fines for unpermitted fireworks use plus $20 in court fees—a substantial increase from the $50 average fine in previous years. Previously, prosecuting fireworks cases required expert witnesses to establish proof, a burden that contributed to a 94% dismissal or dropped-charge rate between 2018 and 2022, according to a Civil Beat investigation cited in court records.
Prosecution Results Mark Improvement
Court data through January 21 show 12 successful prosecutions out of 47 citations issued—the strongest enforcement record in at least seven years. Eight cases remained active at trial, eight were dismissed, one was dropped, and another remained pending. Four active cases were scheduled for trial later in January.
The dozen confirmed outcomes represent a significant improvement over recent history. Between 2023 and 2024, 48 charges were brought on Oʻahu; 45 were unsuccessful, and only three resulted in fines when defendants pleaded no contest.
Beyond citations, state law enforcement intensified efforts at the import level. The Department of Law Enforcement seized approximately 80 tons of illegally shipped fireworks throughout 2025, executed 23 search warrants, and initiated eight nuisance abatement processes against property owners. Five additional felony arrests were made on New Year’s Eve.
“While the department has made good progress on stemming the flow of illegal imports to the island, there needs to be more focus on the consumer side, including issuing more citations in the coming year,” Mike Lambert, director of the Department of Law Enforcement, said last week.
Drones Show Mixed Results
The state tested 10 unmanned drones as surveillance tools to identify violators, a capability authorized for the first time under Act 244. On New Year’s Eve, however, the drones proved less effective than hoped.
Coordinating ground officers to respond in real time to observations from the air presented significant operational challenges, according to Brian Lynch, assistant chief of the Honolulu Police Department’s Regional Patrol Bureau.
“Halfway through the night we weren’t getting any results so we put the drones away, we all piled in cars, and we went out,” Lynch told the Honolulu Police Commission.
Despite the coordination difficulties, Lynch emphasized that enforcement success should be measured by behavioral change rather than citation volume alone. “Progress in fireworks enforcement shouldn’t be measured by how many citations were issued but by the notable difference in people’s behavior,” he said.
The drones are expected to be deployed to Hawaii’s neighbor islands at a later date following operational improvements.
Injury and Death Toll Drop Sharply
The enforcement effort coincided with a dramatic decline in fireworks-related injuries and deaths.
Six people were transported to Honolulu hospitals with serious fireworks injuries on New Year’s Eve 2025-26, compared to 91 the previous year—a reduction of more than 93%. There were no reported deaths from fireworks on New Year’s Eve 2025-26, compared to the six fatalities from the 2023 New Year’s Eve explosion that sparked the legislative overhaul.
The reduction in harm was the clearest indicator that the combination of increased citations and expanded surveillance was working as intended. Mayor Rick Blangiardi had expressed earlier disappointment with the citation tally, but law enforcement officials argued the true measure of success lay in fewer injuries and deaths, not higher enforcement counts.