Maui sunscreen rules in 2026

What sunscreen is legal on Maui in 2026?

Mineral sunscreen only: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both as the active ingredients. Anything else needs a prescription.

Maui County's Bill 135 became Ordinance 5306 when the mayor signed it on 6 December 2021. It bans the "sale, distribution, or use of non-mineral sunscreens" and took effect on 1 October 2022. The only exemption, as Maui Now reported, is a non-mineral sunscreen "issued by a licensed healthcare provider".

The word that matters is use. The state law only stops shops from selling; the Maui rule also covers the bottle you packed at home. The county's FAQ sets civil fines of up to $1,000, and enforcement so far leans on education, not tickets. Nobody checks your bag at the airport. The reef pays the price either way.

How is the Maui rule different from the Hawaii state ban?

The state bans the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone or octinoxate. Maui and Hawaii County go further and allow mineral filters only.

Act 104 of 2018 made it illegal from 1 January 2021 to sell or distribute sunscreen containing oxybenzone or octinoxate anywhere in Hawaii without a prescription. It says nothing about the bottle you bring. Hawaii County (the Big Island) passed its own mineral-only law, which took effect on 1 December 2022, West Hawaii Today reported.

Molokini trips leave from Ma'alaea and Kihei, both in Maui County. Follow the Maui rule and you are covered everywhere in the state.

Did Hawaii ban avobenzone and octocrylene?

No. Statewide bills to ban them were deferred in 2021 and never became law. On Maui they are banned anyway, under the mineral-only rule.

In 2021 the legislature considered HB 102, SB 132 and SB 366, which would have banned sales of sunscreens with avobenzone or octocrylene. Lawmakers deferred them to wait for a National Academies study, trade press reported. That 2022 report asked the EPA for an ecological risk assessment of UV filters rather than recommending new bans, and SB 132, the last of the bills, died in 2022 without a final vote.

The 2026 session took a different route. SB 2426 would fund mineral sunscreen dispensers at state beaches. It passed second reading in the Senate in February 2026 and stopped in the money committee. For a Maui visitor none of this changes anything: a sunscreen with avobenzone or octocrylene is already illegal to use in Maui County, because neither one is a mineral.

What sunscreen should I buy for a Molokini trip?

A water-resistant lotion whose Active Ingredients list shows only zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Ignore the "reef safe" claim on the front.

"Reef safe" and "reef friendly" are marketing words with no legal test behind them. The Drug Facts panel on the back is the test: if any other active ingredient appears, it is not legal on Maui. Pick a lotion or stick over a spray. Sprays drift onto the deck and into the wind, and mineral sprays go on unevenly.

One step further: NOAA's Ocean Service lists nano-sized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide among the ingredients that may harm marine life. Maui law allows them, but "non-nano" on the label is the better buy. Put it on at the hotel, half an hour before you board, so it sets before the first jump off the boat. Every pharmacy and convenience store on Maui stocks mineral brands, so you can buy it on arrival.

What do the Molokini boats ask you to bring?

Mineral sunscreen and your own towel. Some boats supply sunscreen or wetsuit tops, the rafts supply neither sunscreen nor towels.

The listings agree on the basics. Four Winds asks guests to "bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a change of clothing, swimsuit and sandals". Redline Rafting lists towels and sunscreen as not included, and so does Makena Coast Charters, which does hand out wetsuit tops. Ali'i Nui includes "reef-safe essentials" with its premium gear, and guests on Malolo's afternoon trip report reef-safe sunscreen on board. Don't count on it: bring your own.

On the big catamarans the sun is the real hazard. Five hours on an open deck in Hawaii burns faster than the snorkeling does, and the back of your legs and shoulders get the worst of it while you float face down. Our packing list for a Molokini snorkel covers the rest of the bag.

Is a rash guard better than sunscreen for snorkeling?

For your back and shoulders, yes. A long-sleeve rash guard blocks the sun without washing off, and you only need sunscreen on what it leaves bare.

NOAA's advice for reef-friendly sun protection includes clothing: seek shade and wear UPF sunwear. A long-sleeve rash guard covers the snorkeler's burn zone, back and shoulders, for the whole trip, and it never needs reapplying after a swim. Add a hat and sunglasses for the deck, and use mineral sunscreen on the face, the back of the neck, the hands and the backs of the legs.

Kids are the easy win. A rash guard means one fewer fight with a tube of white zinc on a rocking boat. Our guide to Molokini with kids has more on keeping small snorkelers warm and covered.

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