No snakes in Hawaii?

I'm moving to Hawaii within the next couple months and I read that pet snakes are not allowed anywhere in the state. True?

Yes.
Hawaii has, as far as I know, banned the importation of just about any non-indigenous "wild" animal. I think you can bring in "domesticated" pets, such as dogs/cats, but even then I think there is some kind of quaranteen and vet check requirements.
They've also banned the exportation of the non native Jackson's Chameleon, even though they have been established for a long time.

<addendum> Checked my Reptiles and Law book, and you can actually own (as of 1998, though that may have changed the last 6-7 years)quite a few species of Amphibians, including Salamanders, Newts, and Frogs and also turtles. definitely not ant snakes though.

I think the fine for intentionally bringing any snake into Hawaii is 25K or so. The government is trying to avoid an alien species invasion that could wreek havoc on the ecosystem as the Brown Tree Snake has done on the island of Guam.

John is absolutely right. All snakes are prohibited in Hawaii with the exception of a few male zoo specimens.

From http://kapio.kcc.hawaii.edu/upload/fullnews.php?id=27

"A person can be fined up to $200,000 for being caught importing or owning snakes of any type, but people are encouraged to turn them in under the state’s amnesty program, which provides immunity from prosecution. Illegal animals may be turned in to any HDOA office, the Honolulu Zoo or any humane society with no questions asked and no fines assessed. Anyone with information on illegal animals should call the plant quarantine branch at 832-0566 or the pest hotline at 586-PEST. Animals turned in under amnesty will not be killed. The Honolulu Zoo sends the animals to mainland zoos and educational institutions.

A complete list of illegal animals can be found at:
www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa"

And from http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/adminrules/AR-71P.pdf

REPTILES
CLASS Reptilia
ORDER Squamata
Serpentes (all species in snakes
suborder, except for two male
nonvenemous snakes for exhibition
in a government zoo, and for one
sterile male brown tree snake,
Boiga irregularis, for
research or training of snake
detector dogs by the department)
FAMILY Helodermatidae
Heloderma sp. gila monster

Thanks for the info.

This sucks, I was all excited thinking I could have Spoon again. Even my 2 cats have to go through hell and back just to come to Hawaii (not to mention cost me a ton of money), so I have to leave them at home too.