Yes, cockfighting is illegal in Hawaii. State law treats it as second-degree animal cruelty, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, and federal law adds felony exposure of up to five years in prison for most related conduct. One quirk worth knowing up front: Hawaii’s statute does not specifically punish spectators, though federal law does.
What Hawaii’s Statute Actually Prohibits
Hawaii has no standalone cockfighting law. Instead, Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 711-1109 folds it into second-degree animal cruelty, which covers anyone who keeps, uses, or helps manage a place used for fighting or baiting a “bull, bear, cock, or other animal.”1Justia. Hawaii Code 711-1109 – Cruelty to Animals in the Second Degree The same statute reaches people who encourage, aid, or assist a fight, and anyone who collects admission money at the door.
In practical terms, that language catches most of the roles in a cockfighting operation. Raising birds for combat, arranging matches, hosting the venue, handling birds during a fight, or taking money at the gate all fall inside the statute.
State Penalties
Second-degree animal cruelty is a misdemeanor.1Justia. Hawaii Code 711-1109 – Cruelty to Animals in the Second Degree A conviction can bring up to one year of imprisonment2Justia. Hawaii Code 706-663 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Misdemeanor and Petty Misdemeanor and a fine of up to $2,000.3FindLaw. Hawaii Code 706-640 – Authorized Fines
By comparison, dog fighting in Hawaii is a Class B felony under a separate statute, Section 711-1109.3, with much heavier imprisonment and fines.4Justia. Hawaii Code 711-1109.3 – Cruelty to Animals by Fighting Dogs in the Second Degree The split between the two has been a recurring issue in the legislature.
The Spectator Gap
Hawaii’s statute does not specifically criminalize simply attending a cockfight. It targets people who manage, operate, aid, encourage, or profit from the venue. Someone who walks in, watches, and leaves without betting, handling birds, or helping run the event falls outside the plain language of Section 711-1109.
Federal law closes that gap. Under 7 U.S.C. Section 2156, knowingly attending an animal fighting venture is itself a federal offense, carrying up to one year in prison.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S. Code 2156 – Animal Fighting Venture Prohibition6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 49 – Enforcement of Animal Fighting Prohibitions So the state might pass on a spectator, but a federal prosecutor need not.
Federal Charges That Stack on Top
The federal Animal Welfare Act applies regardless of what Hawaii state law says. Under 7 U.S.C. Section 2156, it is a federal crime to:
- Knowingly sponsor or exhibit any animal in a fighting venture.
- Knowingly buy, sell, possess, train, transport, or deliver an animal for fighting.
- Use the mail or interstate commerce to advertise fighting animals or equipment.
- Sell, buy, transport, or deliver knives, gaffs, or other bladed implements in interstate or foreign commerce for use in animal fighting.
- Knowingly attend an animal fighting venture.
- Knowingly cause someone under 16 to attend one.
Penalties vary by offense. Sponsoring, transporting animals, advertising, and trafficking bladed implements each carry up to five years in federal prison. Attendance tops out at one year. Bringing a child under 16 to a fight carries up to three years. Federal fines apply across the board.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 49 – Enforcement of Animal Fighting Prohibitions
Hawaii’s geography makes federal jurisdiction easy to establish. Any movement of birds or equipment between islands, from the mainland, or from abroad involves interstate or foreign commerce.
Honolulu’s Own Ordinance and Equipment Rules
The City and County of Honolulu has its own cockfighting law on top of the state statute. Chapter 7 of the Honolulu Revised Ordinances makes it unlawful to engage or participate in any cockfighting exhibition, and separately bans manufacturing, buying, selling, trading, or possessing gaffs, slashers, and other bladed devices designed to be strapped to a rooster’s legs.7Animal Legal & Historical Center. Honolulu Revised Ordinances – Chapter 7 Animals and Fowl Violations carry a fine of $250 to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Possession of fighting paraphernalia also supports intent to participate under the state cruelty statute.
Collateral Consequences
A federal animal fighting conviction is a felony, and the consequences outlast the sentence. Under 18 U.S.C. Section 922, anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison is barred from possessing firearms or ammunition.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts Because the main federal animal fighting offenses carry up to five years, a conviction triggers a lifetime firearms ban absent expungement or a pardon.
Operations with meaningful betting can also draw federal gambling charges. Under 18 U.S.C. Section 1955, an illegal gambling business is one that violates state law, involves five or more people, and either runs for more than 30 days or brings in at least $2,000 in gross revenue in a single day.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1955 – Prohibition of Illegal Gambling Businesses A regular cockfighting event with wagering can meet those thresholds without much trouble.
Will Hawaii Make Cockfighting a Felony?
Not yet. Hawaii remains one of a small number of states where cockfighting is still a misdemeanor at the state level. House Bill 1980 would have made it a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and would have added separate offenses for spectators and for possession of fighting devices. The Hawaii Senate voted it down in April 2024.10Center for a Humane Economy. Latest Cockfighting Arrests No Surprise After Hawaii Senate Fails on HB 1980 As of 2026, the misdemeanor classification stands.