Hawaii
What You Need to Know About Hawaiʻi’s Agriculture Form – Hawaii Magazine
All passengers on flights arriving in the Islands are required to fill out this document.
As one of the most isolated archipelagos in the world, the Hawaiian Islands are home to diverse ecosystems and an agricultural industry that produces a unique variety of crops. It’s this one-of-a-kind environment that lures millions of travelers to Hawaiʻi every year.
But the Islands’ native forests and farmlands are also extremely susceptible to diseases and pests carried by plants and animals brought into the state. Hawaiʻi is considered an epicenter of extinction, with the introduction of invasive species wreaking havoc on native plants and animals.
This is why passengers arriving to any Hawaiian island, whether on a flight from Dallas or Tokyo or anywhere else, are required to fill out the state’s Agricultural Declaration Form. The forms are distributed during flights and one person in each traveling party must complete and return the form to the airline.
The single page questionnaire asks passengers to list if they’re carrying any plants, undeclared animals or agricultural materials to the Islands. On the other side of the form is an optional survey from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.
The form is intended to protect the state from invasive species and pests. By educating travelers before they even board flights to the Islands, the state can better prevent agricultural materials and potential biohazards from arriving in the first place.
The Hawaiʻi Legislature is working to digitize the declaration form. While there is no confirmed date for when that will be complete, one proposal includes sending electronic versions to passengers when they check in to their flights. And in an August 2024 interview, Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Director Sharon Hurd said the state is working on building an app that would allow passengers to complete the digital survey.
Until the state creates a digital version, all passengers will still be required to fill out paper forms on their flights.
What to Do if You’re Traveling with Agricultural Materials like Plants, Produce and Seeds:
- If travelers realize they’re carrying fresh produce on them, there’s an amnesty bin at all airports. You can deposit any produce and agricultural products in the designated containers.
- Plant quarantine inspectors are stationed in the baggage claim area to examine all agricultural items.
- The Department of Agriculture also requires dogs, cats and all pets to be quarantined. You can request special permits for service animals. Additional information can be found at the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine page.
When You Depart the Islands:
Travelers are not allowed to take agricultural products like fruits, vegetables and seeds from Hawaiʻi to the U.S. mainland. Bags are screened for agricultural products to prevent the spread of fruit flies and other hazardous plant and insect diseases.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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