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Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 1-4 (2026)

  Persons and property subject to laws

✓ current as of July 2026
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     §1-4  Persons and property subject to laws.  The laws are obligatory upon all persons and property within the jurisdiction of the State. [CC 1859, §6; am imp PC 1869, c 3, §1 (same as PC 1850, c 3, §1); RL 1925, §6; RL 1935, §6; RL 1945, §5; am L 1955, c 57, §1(b); RL 1955, §1-7; HRS §1-4]

 

Cross References

 

  Boundaries, see Const. art. XV.

  Concurrent jurisdiction of the State over federal reservations, see Pub L 86-3, §16(b).

  Full faith and credit, judgment of another state, see U.S. Const. Art. IV.

  Hawaii National Park, specific rights reserved to the State, see Pub L 86-3, §16(a).

  Service of process, see §634-21 et seq. and provisions of particular chapters; HRCP rule 4.

 

Law Journals and Reviews

 

  The Decision to Disobey:  A View of Symbolic Civil Disobedience.  7 HBJ 5.

 

Case Notes

 

  Territorial waters, offenses committed on vessels within, prior to annexation, 1 H. 58; during territorial status, 217 U.S. 234, aff'g 3 U.S.D.C. Haw. 345.

  Contracts, what law governs.  3 H. 21; 10 H. 138; 10 H. 614, 622.

  Personal property, whether within the jurisdiction, taxation of.  3 H. 292; 16 H. 396.  Compare as to intangibles.  31 H. 264, aff'd 47 F.2d 869; 26 H. 299, 356, aff'd 289 F. 664.

  Embezzlement, money received in Hawaii for delivery elsewhere.  5 H. 372.

  Divorce, effect of on ownership of insurance policy, what law governs.  10 H. 117, reh'g denied.  10 H. 562.  Compare 132 Cal. 85, app. dis. 188 U.S. 291.

  Comity, action on insurance policy within and without the State, which takes precedence.  14 H. 80, app. dis. 187 U.S. 308.

  Federal reservations:  Jurisdiction during territorial status.  19 H. 198; 23 H. 61; 38 H. 188, 198; 4 U.S.D.C. Haw. 62; 142 F. Supp. 666.  Divorce, residence on military reservation.  35 H. 461; 37 H. 223; 38 H. 261.

  Real estate situated outside State, validity of trust under will of Hawaiian resident.  46 H. 475, 562, 382 P.2d 920.

  Custody of children found within the State.  49 H. 20, 29-31, 407 P.2d 885.

  Maritime injuries, effect of admiralty jurisdiction.  49 H. 77, 83, note 2, 412 P.2d 669, mod. and reh'g denied.  49 H. 267, 269-71, 414 P.2d 428.

  General laws not applicable to State unless explicitly made applicable.  51 H. 87, 451 P.2d 809.

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1970–2023 · leading case: State v. Keohokapu, 276 P.3d 660 (Haw. 2012).
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State v. Keohokapu, 276 P.3d 660 (Haw. 2012). · cites it 3× “was convicted of manslaughter for stabbing Steven Wilcox to death outside a *685 bar, and thus faced a possible twenty year indeterminate sentence. HRS §§ 707-702 [1] and 706-659. [2] However, the State sought to extend his sentence to a term of life with the possibility of…”
Fought & Co. v. Steel Eng'g & Erection, Inc., 951 P.2d 487 (Haw. 1998). · cites it 2× “HRS § 1-4 (1993) provides in relevant part that “[t]he laws [of Hawai'i] are obligatory upon all persons .”
State v. Sakamoto, 70 P.3d 635 (Haw. 2003). · cites it 2× “Act 154, § 1-4, at 279-81 (stating effective date as May 27, 1976).”
Taylor v. Gov't Employees Ins. Co., 978 P.2d 740 (Haw. 1999). · cites it 2× “2) Act 347, §§ 1-4, at 1-342, the provisions of HRS § 431-448 became part of HRS § 431:10C-302, *746 captioned "Required optional additional insurance.”
Burns v. Gill, 316 F. Supp. 1285 (D. Haw. 1970). · cites it 4× “Article III, §§ 1-4, of the 1968 Constitution of the State of Hawaii, provide for a State legislature consisting of a 25-member senate and a 51-member house of representatives, and provide for the appointment of a Reapportionment Commission to reapportion both houses at 8-year…”
Chung Mi Ahn v. Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 265 P.3d 470 (Haw. 2011). “Laws Act 198, §§ 1-4 at 840-41 (effective June 14, 2006).”
Foytik v. Chandler, 966 P.2d 619 (Haw. 1998). “Act 166, §§ 1-4 at 277-82 (emphasis and brackets in original).”
In re Tax Appeal of Travelocity.Com., L.P. v. Dir. of Taxation., 346 P.3d 157 (Haw. 2015). “Laws Act 185, §§ 1-4, at 394-96. Act 185 amended HRS Chapter 237D to provide for an exact percentage distribution to the Counties and amended the requirements for returns and payments.”
Creative Telecomm., Inc. v. Breeden, 120 F. Supp. 2d 1225 (D. Haw. 1999). “§§ 1-4. Applying this criteria, it is clear that the FAA applies to the instant action.”
Matter of Lease Cancellation of Smith, 719 P.2d 397 (Haw. 1986). “2d, Assistance, Writ of §§ 1-4 at pp. 414-15 (1963). Under our present practice, writs of assistance are a method of enforcing a judgment of the court directing a specific act.”
Serion v. Thornton, 85 P.3d 186 (Haw. App. 2004). “The term “owner” is defined in HCC § 1-4 as follows: “Owner” means one who has complete dominion over particular property and the one in ivhom legal or equitable title rests; when applied to a building or land, “owner” means any part oimer, joint owner, owner of a community or…”
Kienker v. Bauer, 129 P.3d 1125 (Haw. 2006). · cites it 2× “Act 213, §§ 1-4 at 516-17. As related before, that statute provides, in relevant part, as follows: Government entity as a tortfeasor; abolition of joint and several liability.”
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