County of Hawaii: Motor Vehicles - General Information
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Department of Finance
Vehicle Registration and Licensing Division: General Information
Office Locations and Hours
Registration Renewal
Non-Hawaii Registered Vehicle
Vehicles Registered in Another County
Out-Of-State Permit
Replacing Plates or Emblem
Replacement Special License Plates
Special Instructions For
Non-Resident Military
Transfer of Lienholder
Ownership Transfer (Seller)
Ownership Transfer (Buyer)
Special License Plates
Dog Registration
Bicycle and Moped Registration
Junking A Vehicle
Storing A Vehicle
Notice of Transfer
Motor Vehicle Safety Inspections
The Hilo Office is located at the 101 Pauahi St. #5 Hilo HI Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m daily. The office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays.
The Kona office is located at Territorial Centre Building 75-5751 Kuakini Hwy #107 Kailua Kona HI Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. The office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays.
The registration of all vehicles in Hawaii must be renewed every year in the county where the vehicle is registered and being driven.
Renewal application forms are mailed to the registered owner approximately 45 days before the vehicle's registration expiration date.
To renew your registration please mail the renewal application form, along with your check for the amount indicated. Also, if it is noted on your renewal form, include the yellow copy of your current vehicle inspection certificate.
If your renewal application indicates that you have outstanding traffic violations, you are required to submit a written clearance for that vehicle before your application can be processed. To obtain the clearance, contact the traffic violation bureau at 75 Aupuni St in Hilo, at the Keakealani Bldg.- Old Kona Hospital, or at the Waimea Civic Center in Kamuela. Mailed renewals must be postmarked no later than 10 working days before the end of the expiration date.
If you did not receive your renewal application by mail, you may renew by submitting your current certificate of registration, current vehicle inspection certificate, and if required, a traffic violations bureau clearance to your nearest motor vehicle registration office. Registration personnel will determine total fees due.
If there is an address error on your renewal application or on your current certificate of registration, line out the incorrect address and print your correct address before submitting these documents for renewal.
Failure to renew your registration will result in a penalty of 10 percent of the motor vehicle weight tax.
The following lists the requirements to switch from out of state license plates to Hawaii license plates and obtain Hawaii County registration:
Complete and sign an appropriate application for
registration form. (Motor Vehicle Forms Main Page.)
Submit the last issued out of state certificate of registration.
Submit the last issued out of state certificate of title if you are listed as the
lienholder.
Submit a bill of lading or shipping receipt, which shows the date the vehicle, arrived in
Hawaii County.
Submit a current Hawaii certificate of safety inspection.
If vehicle’s year model is previous, current or subsequent year (ex. 2003, 2004, or
2005), submit a State of HI form G-27 form with any required attachments. This form may be
obtained from the State of Hawaii Department of Taxation or from their web site at www.state.hi.us/tax/alphalist.html#g
. Questions regarding the G-27 form should be directed to the Hawaii District Tax Office
at 808-974-6321.
If we do not have the weight of the vehicle as established by the manufacturer, you may be
required to have the vehicle weighed at a state certified scale.
Registration personnel will determine the required fees.
Vehicles Registered in Another County
Your vehicle must be registered in the county in which it is being driven. The following lists the requirements to change your vehicle registration from the counties of Maui, Kauai, or Honolulu to the County of Hawaii:
Complete an application
for registration form. The registered owners as indicated on the certificate of
registration must sign the application.
Submit the other county's certificate of registration.
Submit the other county's certificate of title if you are listed as the lienholder.
Registration personnel, if required, will determine the fee.
You may operate your recently arrived vehicle in Hawaii County if it is currently registered in another state under the following conditions:
The vehicle is registered in your name.
A Hawaii safety check inspection from an authorized safety check station has been
obtained.
An out-of-state vehicle permit from the Department of Motor Vehicle Registration within 30
days of its arrival in County of Hawaii is issued. To obtain the permit, submit the
following:
A completed out-of-state
vehicle permit application form. The current out-of-state certificate of registration.
A bill of lading or shipping receipt, which shows the date the vehicle, arrived in Hawaii
County.
The Hawaii Certificate of Safety Check Inspection.
$5.00 payment for the permit.
The out-of-state plates will be valid until their expiration date or for 12 months,
whichever occurs first.
You may also obtain Hawaii license plates under the above conditions instead of an out of
state permit. If your vehicle is going to remain in the state this might be an easier
alternative for you.
If your license plate or emblem is lost, mutilated or stolen, you must obtain a replacement.
To obtain a replacement, you must:
Complete and sign an application
for replacement plate or emblem form.
Submit your current certificate of registration.
If your license plates have been mutilated or defaced, you must surrender both your front
and back plates.
If only one plate has been lost or stolen, you must bring in your one remaining plate.
The fee to replace both the license plates and emblem is $5.50.
The fee to replace only an emblem is 50 cents.
Replacement of your Special License Plates
If your special license plate is lost, mutilated, or stolen, you must obtain a replacement.
To obtain a replacement:
Complete and sign an application
for replacement special number plate form.
Submit your current motor vehicle registration.
If your special license plates have been mutilated or defaced, you must surrender both
your front and back plates.
If only one plate has been lost or stolen, you must bring in your one remaining plate.
The fee to order replacement special plates is $20.
The special plate will take approximately 60 to 90 days to manufacture. During this period
you will need to purchase regular license plates and emblem for a fee of $5.50.
Complete and sign an application
for replacement plates.
The Motor Vehicle Registration Personnel will provide you additional information when the application for replacement is received.
Special Instructions For Non-Resident Military
Members of the United States Armed Forces on active duty stationed at a military installation in Hawaii and who are residents of another state are exempt from payment of Hawaii's motor vehicle registration fees. Individuals who are members of a reserve component on temporary active duty do not qualify for this exemption. If you qualify and want to be exempt from the tax, you must submit a completed non-resident certificate form MVR/DF10. A completed form is required each time you are applying for the following:
Renewal of a Hawaii registration.
Hawaii registration of a vehicle previously registered in another state or county.
Hawaii registration of a newly purchased vehicle, and
For transfer of ownership of a previously Hawaii registered vehicle.
Should you leave active duty, change your residency to Hawaii or are stationed out of the state of Hawaii but your vehicle remains in Hawaii, you are no longer exempt from Hawaii's motor vehicle weight tax. To avoid a penalty for delinquent registration, you must re-register your vehicle within 30 days of the effective date of your change in status.
Registration personnel will determine the amount of the registration fees that must be paid.
If you have paid the loan on your vehicle and the lienholder has sent you the tan certificate of ownership endorsed on line 2, or the Blue Certificate of Title endorsed in Section B, you must accomplish the following to record the vehicle in your name as both registered owner and lienholder.
Ensure that the lienholder has signed their name and stamped the name of the institution on the appropriate lines.
Complete the new lienholder portion on the reverse side of the certificate of ownership or certificate of title. If the vehicle is registered in joint ownership, both parties must sign.
Submit the properly endorsed certificate of ownership or certificate of title and the current certificate of registration. Pay the $5.00 transfer fee plus the cost of registration renewal if the registration has expired or will expire within 45 days.
Registration personnel will determine renewal fees.
The seller must accomplish the following:
If you possess the Oahu, Maui, or Kauai certificate of title, the registered owners must complete section A on the front of the title. The lienholder must complete Section B on the reverse side of the title. Both parties must sign if the vehicle is jointly registered or jointly owned
If you possess the older tan certificate of ownership, the registered owners must date and sign.
Complete the odometer reading in the spaces provided on the certificate of title.
Give the new owner the endorsed certificate of title, the current certificate of registration and certificate of safety inspection. Complete a notice of transfer form and mail it within 10 days to the county motor vehicle registration office where the vehicle was last registered.
If the vehicle is registered in the name of a business, a letter of authorization must be on file at the motor vehicle registration office naming you as an authorized person to sell vehicles on behalf of the business. If the business is a partnership, all partners must sign the letter of authorization; and if the business is a corporation, a corporate officer must sign the letter of authorization.
The buyer must accomplish the following:
The new registered owners must print and sign their names on the appropriate lines on the reverse side of the certificate of title. If the vehicle is to be jointly registered, both parties must sign. If the vehicle is being registered in the name of a business, you must have a letter of authorization on file authorizing you to buy vehicles on behalf of the business.
The new lienholder must print and sign their names on the appropriate lines on the reverse side of the certificate of title. Both parties must sign if the vehicle is jointly owned.
To complete the transfer, the properly endorsed certificate of title, the current certificate of registration, and current safety inspection certificate must be submitted within 30 days to the motor vehicle registration office. A transfer fee of $5.00 will be assessed. If the registration has expired or will expire within 45 days the cost of registration renewal will be calculated and collected by the registration personnel.
Please note that a late transfer fee of $50.00 will be assessed if the documents are submitted after 30 days. In addition, you will be assessed delinquent taxes for prior years that the vehicle has not been registered.
The following are the requirements to obtain special license plates:
Submit $25.00 along with a completed application for special plates.
If more than one application for the same special plate is received, the application first
processed will have priority.
You will be notified by mail when the plates are ready for pickup. At that time, you
will be asked to:
Submit the vehicle's certificate of registration. Pay an emblem replacement fee of 50
cents. If the registration has expired or will expire within 45 days, you must also pay
for the renewal fees.
Submit a current certificate of safety inspection.
Please adhere to the following guidelines when ordering special license plates:
Limited to six letters, numerals, or combination thereof. A space between a letter and
number is counted as one of the six letter-numeral combinations.
Only one hyphen is allowed in addition to the six letter-number combinations. The hyphen
may be used to replace a letter or number. No other punctuation marks are allowed.
All requested numbers, letters or combinations that are misleading, publicly
objectionable, or letter-number combination of regular issued plates, will be denied.
The cost is $25.00 upon initial application and is not prorated. After the special plates
are issued, a $25.00 annual charge will be added to your registration fees upon each
renewal of the vehicle registration . The plates are valid until the design of the license
plates is changed.
Applications can be obtained at any Auto Registration Office
You may register your dog at the Hawaii Humane Society located in Keaau telephone number (808) 966-5458, Kamuela (808) 885-4558, or Kona Humane Society (808) 329-1175 or at your nearest county motor vehicle registration office.
All dogs that are 4 months of age or older must be licensed. Dogs are issued a biennial license.
The owner of a dog must be 18 years of age or older.
To register a dog you will be required to provide the owner's name, address, microchip number, home and business phone numbers. You also need to provide the dog's name, breed, age, sex, and a veterinary certificate if the dog is spayed or neutered. Also provide the dog's microchip number if available. If you have an "Assistance Dog" (Guide, Service, Signal or Hearing), appropriate documentation shall be submitted with the application.
The license fee for a dog that is spayed or neutered is $2.10. The license fee of a dog that does not have a veterinary certificate certifying that the dog is spayed or neutered is $6.10. The fees are not refundable and are not prorated.
Please contact any Humane Society or your nearest county vehicle registration and
licensing office for the following:
Replacement of certificates of registration.
Replacement of lost or stolen dog tags.
To report a lost or stray dog, contact the closest Humane Society
Click here to access the form: Dog License Application.
Bicycle and Moped Registration
All bicycles that have 2 tandem wheels that are 20 inches or more in diameter and all mopeds are required to be registered.
Bicycles with wheels less than 20 inches in diameter are not required to be registered but owners may register them to facilitate the return of a recovered stolen bicycle.
The permanent registration fee is $15.00. Replacement tag fee is $2.00. You must be at least 18 years of age to register a bicycle or moped.
A Moped must meet all of the following criteria:
A safety inspection is required to operate a moped.
Bicycles, which are currently registered in another state, are exempt from registration until the expiration of that state's tag. If the out of state registration certificate is lost or expired, the applicant must provide proof of ownership in the form of a bill of sale, invoice, or receipt which adequately describes the bicycle or moped.
If you sell a bicycle or moped you should file a Notice of Transfer to protect your liability.
To record a transfer of ownership for a bicycle or moped, you must submit the last issued certificate of registration released by the owner of record. If the registration is not current, you will be required to renew the bicycle or moped registration.
The transfer fee is $5.00 if the transfer is recorded within 30 calendar days of release date. Otherwise, a fee of $15.00 will be assessed if the transfer is not recorded within 30 calendar days.
The fee for a duplicate certificate of registration is $5.00.
Click here to access the form: Application for Bike and Moped Registration.
Click here to access the form: Bicycle/Moped Notice of Transfer.
You may junk a vehicle, which you no longer want regardless of whether the registration is current or expired. Please note that once a vehicle is junked, it cannot be registered again.
To junk your vehicle, you must:
Complete the statement for
junking form.
If you have the tan certificate of ownership:
The registered owners must date and sign line 1. The lienholder must date and sign line 2.
If you have the blue certificate of title:
The registered owners must complete Section A on the front of the title.
The lienholder must complete Section B of the reverse side of the title.
Complete the odometer reading in the spaces provided.
Submit the properly completed junking form, properly endorsed certificate of ownership or title, the last issued certificate of registration and the vehicle license plates to the county motor vehicle registration office nearest you.
If you will not be using your vehicle for a period of time and the vehicle is currently registered, you may place it in authorized official storage. By doing so, you will be exempted from payment of future registration fees and taxes. Neglecting to officially store a vehicle means you will continue to be responsible for payment of the vehicle's taxes and fees even during the period when it is not in use.
To store a vehicle, you must:
Complete the application
for replacement license plates.
Surrender the vehicle's current license plates and emblem.
Submit your current certificate of registration. The registration will be stamped to
indicate the license plates have been surrendered and the vehicle is in authorized
official storage.
Seller of a vehicle has 10 calendar days to submit a notice of transfer to the Auto
Registration Office.
Seller will not be released from liability until this notice is recorded. The notice of
transfer must be complete with the new owners name, address and the date of sale, and the
vehicle description.
Motor Vehicle Safety Inspections
Vehicle safety inspections may be obtained at authorized service stations and vehicle repair shops.
With the exception of certain commercial vehicles, most privately owned vehicles are issued a safety inspection certificate that is valid for one year. The following documents must be presented to the safety check inspector:
County of Hawaii: Motor Vehicles - General Information
Home | VRL
Directory | Fee Information | Motor Vehicle Forms