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THE HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU IS THE ONLY PORT OF ENTRY FOR ALL DOGS AND CATS ENTERING HAWAII. THIS INCLUDES GUIDE DOGS AND SERVICE DOGS.

GUIDE DOGS AND SERVICE DOGS THAT MEET THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS CAN COME INTO HAWAII WITHOUT QUARANTINE PROVIDED THEY FOLLOW THE STEPS OUTLINED BELOW.

"Guide dog" means any dog individually trained by a licensed guide dog trainer for guiding a blind person by means of a harness attached to the dog and a rigid handle grasped by the person.

"Service dog" means any dog that is individually and professionally trained to: alert a person with impaired hearing to the presence of people or sounds; assist a person with disabilities involving mobility by pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, or otherwise aiding the user in accomplishing a variety of tasks; alert a person with a seizure disorder to the onset of a seizure or to alert another person or organization at a remote location to the seizure; or alert a person to an impending life-threatening medical crisis and assist in mitigating the consequences of such a crisis; and that belongs to a person with a disability that substantially limits a major life activity.

KEY POINTS FOR QUALIFYING AS A SERVICE DOG
OR AN EXEMPTED GUIDE DOG

• The dog must have current rabies vaccination. (Documentation of the vaccination must include the product name, the lot or serial number, and the expiration date of the lot.)
• The dog must have an electronic microchip implanted.
• The dog must have a microchip implanted that can be read with an Avid scanner (Avid or Home Again chip).
• Prior to arrival the dog must have passed one OIE-FAVN test after 12 months of age, with a level of 0.5 I.U. rabies antibody or greater.  The laboratory will not perform the tests unless the microchip number accompanies the test request form.
• The dog must have a standard health certificate issued not more than 30 days prior to arrival in Hawaii.
• For a service dog, there must be a physician's statement which certifies as to the disability, and that the service dog provides assistance having to do with that disability and documentation of training, or a certificate of training as a service dog by a training program accredited by Assistance Dogs International, Inc., or a service dog training program with equally rigorous administrative, operational and training standards.
• To prevent delays on arrival, it is strongly advised that all required documents be sent to the Rabies Quarantine Branch well ahead of your intended arrival date.  Information can be mailed to the Animal Quarantine Station, 99-851 Halawa Valley Street, Aiea, HI  96701 or faxed to (808) 483-7161.  Staff may be contacted by telephone (808) 483-7151 or (808) 837-8092 or e-mail: [email protected] to assist your with preparations.     
• The Rabies Quarantine Branch must receive notification at least 24 hours in advance of arrival information and location where the dog will be staying. Information can be faxed to 808-483-7161 or telephoned to 808-837-8092.
• On arrival in Hawaii, the dog must be brought by the airline to the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility for verification of compliance with the above requirements and examination of the dog for external parasites.  If all is in order, the dog will be released at that point.
• Qualified Guide dog and Service dog users may request inspection in the terminal at Honolulu International Airport between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, by notifying the Rabies Quarantine Branch 7 days or more before arriving.  In these cases, a “Notice of Terminal Inspection” with tracking number will be issued and sent to the user.  To avoid confusion and delays, this Notice must be presented to airline representatives upon arrival in Hawaii.  After inspection, if all is in order, the dog will be released.

If you have questions, please contact:

Hawaii Department of Agriculture
Animal Quarantine Station
99-951 Halawa Valley Street
Aiea, Hawaii 96701-5602
Telephone (808) 483-7151
FAX (808) 483-7161
E-mail:  [email protected]