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Information for Travelers From

Hawaii to the U.S. Mainland, Alaska,

or Guam

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Inspection Notice for Travelers Coming From

Hawaii to the U.S. Mainland, Alaska, and Guam

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Simplified Chinese (623.67 KB)

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Traditional Chinese (614.3 KB)

Thai (594.51 KB)

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Guidance for Mailing and Shipping Food and

Agricultural Products From Hawaii to the U.S.

Mainland

English (474.8 KB)

French (385.67 KB)

German (395.44 KB)

Ilocano (373.6 KB)

Japanese (441.48 KB)

Korean (358.61 KB)

Russian (380.88 KB)

Simplified Chinese (413.27 KB)

Spanish (386.82 KB)

Traditional Chinese (403.07 KB)

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Tagalog (431.05 KB)

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APHIS prohibits or restricts the movement of many agricultural products from Hawaii

into the U.S. mainland, Alaska, and Guam. These include most fresh fruits and

vegetables and certain plants, such as flowers.

That’s because these items could harbor a dangerous stowaway—an invasive pest or

disease. Just one piece of fruit or a single plant that is carrying an invasive pest or

disease could lead to millions of dollars in damage to agriculture and the

environment, expensive eradication efforts, lost trade revenue, and higher food

prices.
What To Expect at the Airport

You must present all food, plants, and other agricultural items to the USDA inspector

at the airport before you leave Hawaii. If your items are generally allowed, the

inspector will examine them to make sure they are free from pests and disease

before you begin your trip. 

Inspection Notice for Travelers Coming From Hawaii to the U.S. Mainland,

Alaska, and Guam

Guidance for Mailing and Shipping Food and Agricultural Products From Hawaii

to the U.S. Mainland

Hear more about the process to check for and inspect agricultural items:

Agricultural items from Hawaii NOT ALLOWED into

the U.S. Mainland or Alaska

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

Fresh fruits and vegetables (see exceptions listed below)

Berries of any kind, including fresh coffee berries and sea grapes

Kikania and fresh pandanus

Swamp cabbage (unchoy)

Cut Flowers

Cotton and cotton bolls

Fresh flowers of jade vine, and Mauna Loa

Plants and Seeds for Planting

Any plants in soil

Cactus plants or cactus plant parts

Mock orange

Seeds with fruit clinging and fresh seed pods
Sugarcane

Organisms

Live insects and snails

Miscellaneous

Soil

Agricultural items from Hawaii ALLOWED into the

U.S. Mainland, Alaska, and Guam (after passing

USDA inspection)

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

Coconut

Coffee

Travelers are permitted to bring unlimited quantities of roasted coffee or

green (unroasted) coffee beans without restriction through any continental

U.S. port of entry.

Commercially canned or processed foods, including processed fruits and

vegetables

Accepted processing methods include cooking, drying, or freezing. If

freezing, all fruits must be frozen solid at the time of inspection. Frozen

mango must be without seeds.

Fresh pineapple

Irish or white potatoes

Treated fruit, such as papaya, abiu, atemoya, banana, curry leaf, dragon fruit,

longan, lychee, mangosteen, rambutan, starfruit, and sweet potato

These fruits must be treated at a USDA-approved facility and packed in

sealed boxes that are properly marked and stamped.

Cut Flowers

Fresh flowers, leis, and foliage, except jade vine or Mauna Loa or any citrus or

citrus-related plants and plant parts in the same family including flowers and
leaves.

For more information on bringing leis into the U.S. mainland, please read

Know the Lei of the Land: How To Make Sure Your Leis Can Come Back to

the U.S. Mainland (759.82 KB).

Plants and Seeds for Planting

Certain plants and cuttings

Some States may require rooted plants to be certified by the Hawaii

Department of Agriculture before they may be moved to the U.S.

mainland. Please contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture for more

information. Contact numbers are provided at the bottom of this page.

Hinahina (Spanish moss)

Miscellaneous

Beach sand

Dried seeds and decorative arrangements

Rocks and stones

Seashells, not land snail shells

Seed leis and seed jewelry

Wood (including driftwood and sticks) and wood roses (dried)

Additional agricultural items from Hawaii

ALLOWED into Guam or Alaska (after passing

USDA inspection)

Guam

The following additional items from Hawaii are allowed into Guam after passing

USDA inspection:

Beets

Rutabagas

Turnips (without tops)

Alaska
The following additional items from Hawaii are allowed into Alaska* after passing

USDA inspection:

Chayote

Green banana

Green onion

Lima bean

Okra

Pea

Pumpkin

Snow pea

String bean

Watermelon

Winged bean

Winter melon

Yard long bean

Zucchini

* Distribution of these items from Alaska to the contiguous United States is

prohibited.

Need More Information?

The information provided on this page is subject to change without notice. For the

most up-to-date information, contact your local APHIS office. For information on how

to certify plants and cuttings, call your local Hawaii Department of Agriculture office.

APHIS Offices (for general questions)

Hilo: 808-933-6930

Honolulu: 808-834-3220

Kauai: 808-632-2511

Kona: 808-326-1252

Maui: 808-877-5261
Hawaii Department of Agriculture Offices (for certifying plants

and cuttings)

Hilo: 808-974-4141

Honolulu: 808-832-0566

Kauai: 808-241-7135

Kona: 808-326-1077

Maui: 808-872-3848