Is it legal to bring home small bottles of sand from the various beaches in Hawaii? My daughter has been collecting sand in small bottles from various vacations and now that she heard about the different color sands in Hawaii, she wants to bring some home. I don't want to get in trouble at the airport if this isn't legal.

Where is home?

My daughter's math teacher wanted some hawaiian sand from her. She took a little in a zip lock baggie for him. It went through everything fine all the way to VA.

As long as it's a small amount, it should be fine.

PS. If you're afraid of a problem, pack it real tight and put it in your checked luggage.

Oh, I thought you wanted to take it to another country and was wondering if that was possible. A small water bottle will hold sand nicely.

I brought sand home to NC from Hawaii, by putting a very small amount (a spoonful or so) into a ziploc bag and then writing on the bag the beach I gathered it.

I have probably 6 or 7 ziploc bags with my photos of that trip.

Be sure to bring home some lava rocks as well!

We just returned from Maui with 5 water bottles full of sand, which we put in our checked baggage. The agricultural inspector saw it in the x-ray machine and had us take the bottles out to show they were in fact sand and not something else (I don't know what would have been contraband). The woman behind us had rocks in her bag, and she had to take them out for inspection, too. Apparently they are checking for insects. But they let us have our bottles back after they inspected them.

If you want just small amounts, use those clear 8 day pill containers, and write the beach name on top with a sharpy pen. Some containers are larger than others.

Egad folks!

While it may not be illegal to remove a natural resource from a beach, as a resident of the islands I've gotta ask:
How would you feel if tourists to your area, took home some of your natural resources too??

If you're superstitious, taking sand or rock from Hawaii can bring you bad luck. Some people have even sent sand and rock BACK to Hawaii that they had taken from the islands because bad luck hit them like a rock. Native Hawaiians consider every grain of Hawaii as sacred, and frown upon visitors taking any of it.

Actually, it is illegal to take more than a small amount of sand home-is it a quart? to prevent major use by homeowners and contractors- but a tablespoon or so is legal.

I have never heard of any superstition regarding beach sand. Heck, We probably took home a cup or two everytime we went to the beach with our kids, no matter how much I nagged them to brush their feet and shake their towels!

I think the lava rocks are actually illegal to take. I know that it is supposed to be bad luck, Pele does not like it!

I have been taking home small amounts of sand or dirt from various travel destinations for years. I use plastic film containers and have never been stopped or questioned by anyone except my kids who think I am crazy.

I kind of like the philosophy of "Take nothing but photographs".

My sister brought me back sand and water in empty prescription bottles from her honeymoon in the Bahamas back in 1965. I was only 13 and I wanted sand and water from "where the Beatles were" (filming HELP). The water evaporated over time but I think I still have the bottle of sand in a box somewhere.

I second that, Weasel - take nothing but photographs.

Seetheworld - Home is near Chicago, Illinois.

I asked because I had heard that you aren't supposed to bring anything home from Hawaii that might also bring insects or other parasites home (that is why plants and such are checked).

I had also heard about it being bad luck as well.

In the past, when we've traveled to other beach areas is take a small medicine bottle and what probably amounts to a tablespoon of sand home. She has a larger bottle that she keeps adding to - kinda like those layered colored sand bottles you see. It's just a memory thing.

I totally see AuntieMaria's side and will have to see if I can find something else for her to collect from our travels. We just don't like the spoons, shot glasses and other usual soulveniers.

Thanks for all your input!

I'm with auntiemaria. Take home your pictures, memories and purchased trinkets. If you bring home sand and after 40 years you think it's in a box "somewhere" just what is the point of taking it? Don't get it, sorry.