08/24/2015
How Do I Register My Vehicle In Hawaii - Moving To Hawaii
If you ship your vehicle to Hawaii…
…you must get it registered within 30 days of picking it up from the port in Hawaii.
Here’s how:
Save your shipping receipt (also known as a “bill of lading”) when you pick up your vehicle from the port in Hawaii.
Purchase no-fault insurance (required in Hawaii) for your vehicle.
Take your vehicle and proof of insurance to a Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) station (usually found at Hawaii gas stations and auto repair shops) for a state-required safety inspection. Here’s a list of PMVI stations on Oahu. Save the certificate they give you.
Locate the motor vehicle registration office for the county that you now live in:
City & County of Honolulu (Oahu) – Dept. of Customer Services or Satellite City Halls.
Maui County (Maui, Molokai, Lana’i) – Motor Vehicle & Licensing office locations
Hawaii County (Big Island) – Vehicle Registration & Licensing office locations
Kauai County (Kauai) - Motor vehicle registration is handled through the Dept. of Finance, Treasury Division
Choose 1 of these 2 options:
Get a Hawaii Certificate of Registration and Hawaii license plates (the expiration date on your out-of-state Certificate of Registration will be transferred to your Hawaii Certificate of Registration), OR
Get an Out-of-State Permit to operate your vehicle using your out-of-state license plates until your out-of-state Certificate of Registration expires or 12 months elapse, whichever occurs first. (NOTE: The vehicle must have 2 out-of-state license plates and be registered in your name in order to get an Out-of-State Permit.)
To get a Hawaii Certificate of Registration and Hawaii license plates, bring the following to your county’s motor vehicle registration office:
Registration application for your county: Maui County, Hawaii County. (Applications for the City & County of Honolulu and Kauai County are available only at their offices.)
Maui County only, and only if there is a lien holder listed on your out-of-state registration: Conditional Letter of Acceptance (to be completed by registered owner)
Only if the vehicle year model is from the current, previous, or subsequent year (e.g., 2012, 2011, or 2013) and was bought out-of-state: Motor Vehicle Use Tax Certification, Form G-27
Non-resident, active-duty military personnel only: Military ID and Non-Resident Certificate Form for your county: Maui County. (Forms for the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii County, and Kauai County are available from military units.)
Shipping receipt (bill of lading) showing the date you picked up your vehicle from the port
Out-of-state vehicle registration from your previous residence
Only if there is no lien holder listed on your out-of-state registration: Certificate of Title
Proof of no-fault vehicle insurance
Safety inspection certificate
Valid drivers license (an out-of-state license is OK, as long as it hasn’t expired)
Check or cash to pay license plates fees (get an estimate of the cost)
