The Hawaii sunscreen law, codified at Hawai’i Revised Statutes Section 342D-21, makes it illegal for stores to sell or distribute any sunscreen containing oxybenzone or octinoxate without a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. It took effect on January 1, 2021. Maui County goes further and allows only mineral sunscreens. If you want to stay clear of all of it, buy a product whose only active ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
What the Statewide Ban Covers
HRS 342D-21 makes it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or distribute any sunscreen containing oxybenzone or octinoxate unless the buyer has a prescription from a physician, osteopathic physician, or advanced practice registered nurse.1Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 342D-21 – Sale and Distribution of Sunscreen Containing Oxybenzone or Octinoxate, or Both; Prohibition The law targets retailers and distributors. Consumers are not fined for using a banned product, but no store in Hawaii can legally sell one over the counter.
The prescription route is the only exception in the statute. There are no carve-outs for researchers, government workers, or emergency personnel.1Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 342D-21 – Sale and Distribution of Sunscreen Containing Oxybenzone or Octinoxate, or Both; Prohibition
One quirk catches people off guard. The statute defines “sunscreen” as a product marketed to prevent sunburn but explicitly excludes cosmetics intended for the face.1Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 342D-21 – Sale and Distribution of Sunscreen Containing Oxybenzone or Octinoxate, or Both; Prohibition A tinted facial moisturizer with SPF, marketed as a cosmetic, sits outside the ban. A bottle of sunscreen labeled for body and face use does not.
The state law still permits sunscreens containing other chemical UV filters, such as avobenzone, homosalate, or octocrylene, as long as they do not contain the two banned ingredients.
Maui County Goes Further
Maui County Ordinance 5306, effective October 1, 2022, bans the sale, distribution, and use of all non-mineral sunscreens without a prescription.2County of Maui Hawaii. Mineral Only Sunscreen Maui County Only sunscreens made with non-nanotized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are allowed.
That is a much bigger swath than the state ban. Products with avobenzone, homosalate, or octocrylene are legal on Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island but not in Maui County. The Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources described Maui’s Bill 135 as the first regulation in the country to restrict all potentially harmful petrochemical sunscreen ingredients and allow only mineral-based products.3Department of Land and Natural Resources. Maui County Council Passes Historic Bill Prohibiting Non-Mineral Sunscreens Enforcement falls to the County Department of Environmental Management.
How to Choose a Compliant Sunscreen
Flip the bottle and read the “Active Ingredients” panel. If the only actives are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both, the product is legal statewide, including in Maui County. Anything else listed as an active ingredient means the product contains a chemical UV filter.
The National Park Service recommends visitors to marine areas use only sunscreens listing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as active ingredients, and avoid chemical filters like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and avobenzone.4U.S. National Park Service. Sunscreen – Oceans, Coasts and Seashores A UV-blocking shirt is a workable alternative for water activities and does not wash off.
Why “Reef-Safe” Labels Are Not a Shortcut
“Reef-safe” and “reef-friendly” have no legal definition in Hawaii or under federal law. A sunscreen can carry either label and still contain ingredients the state or county has banned. Most of the confusion at checkout traces back to this gap.
The NPS has warned that sunscreens labeled “reef-friendly” may still contain harmful ingredients, and visitors should verify the active ingredients list rather than rely on marketing claims.4U.S. National Park Service. Sunscreen – Oceans, Coasts and Seashores Enforcement of the label at the federal level has been rare, but state prosecutors are moving. In May 2025, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office obtained a $300,000 settlement against Sun Bum for advertising chemical sunscreens as “reef friendly,” and the company agreed to stop using the term.5Office of the District Attorney | County of Santa Clara. DA Secures First Ever Judgment in Lawsuit Against Major Sunscreen Manufacturer for False Reef Friendly Advertising Supergoop settled a similar case for $350,000 a month later.6Office of the District Attorney | County of Santa Clara. DA Obtains Second Reef Friendly Settlement for False Advertising of Sunscreen The takeaway for shoppers: the label on the front is not the law. The list on the back is.
What Visitors Need to Know
The state law targets sellers, not tourists. You will not be stopped at the airport or fined for having a tube of oxybenzone-based sunscreen in your luggage. TSA allows sunscreen in carry-on bags at 3.4 ounces or less, and in larger quantities in checked bags.7Transportation Security Administration. Sunscreen There is no state inspection of personal sunscreen on arrival.
Individual parks and operators set their own rules on top of the law. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve strongly encourages reef-safe sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and lists oxybenzone, octinoxate, parabens, and nanoparticles among ingredients harmful to its reefs.8Hanauma Bay State Park. Proper Use of Reef Safe Sunscreen Some tour operators will not let you in the water wearing chemical sunscreen, and some resorts only stock mineral options.
The simplest plan is to buy a mineral sunscreen before the trip. You will be compliant everywhere in the state, allowed on every boat, and spared the job of reading ingredient lists in a hotel gift shop.
Penalties for Retailers
The sunscreen prohibition sits inside Chapter 342D, Hawaii’s water pollution chapter, which authorizes civil penalties for violations set by the environmental court based on the seriousness of the violation and the economic benefit gained by the violator.9Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 342D-30 – Civil Penalties The statute does not set a fixed fine specifically for sunscreen sales.
Other environmental penalty provisions in Hawaii illustrate the range: up to $10,000 per violation for solid waste offenses and up to $15,000 per violation for conservation district violations, with continuing violations potentially assessed per day.10Department of Health. Administrative and Civil Penalty Policy Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch Solid Waste Programs These are different programs, but they mark the ballpark for a retailer that keeps banned product on the shelf after notice.
Pending Efforts to Expand the Ban
Legislators have tried to widen the statewide list. In 2021, the Hawai’i Senate passed SB 132, which would have added avobenzone and octocrylene starting January 1, 2023, but it did not become law.11Center for Biological Diversity. Hawai’i Senate Bill Bans Harmful Sunscreen Chemicals A similar bill, SB 748, was introduced in 2024 and also died. The statewide list still covers only oxybenzone and octinoxate. Maui County’s mineral-only rule is the only place in Hawaii where the broader chemical filters are prohibited.