Hawaii title and registration, step by step

Which forms, which fees and which deadlines. For a car bought in the state and for one you bring from another.

In Hawaii the title is issued by County motor vehicle offices (Honolulu: Department of Customer Services, Motor Vehicle, Licensing and Permits); Hawaii has no state DMV (CSD (Honolulu)). The title is on paper. Seller and buyer sign it in pen and write their addresses. If there is a loan, the lender holds the title until it is paid off. The county prints a new title and registration after the transfer.

Where it happens. At your county's motor vehicle office, not a state office. On Oʻahu it is a Honolulu satellite city hall, by AlohaQ appointment (alohaq.org); the transfer can also be done by mail. On Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Kauaʻi you go to the county motor vehicle office. Confirm the deadline and the event that starts it for your transaction: a purchase, receipt of the signed title or a move into the state can have different rules. Late-fee information in the state sources: $50.

Case 1: you bought a car in Hawaii (private seller)

What the seller hands you

• The title with the transfer section completed: your name and address, sale price, date, odometer reading and the seller's signature (both owners if two names are joined by "and").
• If there was a loan: a lien release from the bank, or the lien already removed from the title.
• A bill of sale with VIN, price and signatures. You need it for the sales tax.

What you bring to the office

• The state forms (below), completed.
• The signed title and the bill of sale.
• Applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents: Since January 1, 2026 (new or renewing policies): $40,000 per person and $80,000 per accident bodily injury, $20,000 property damage (40/80/20), plus at least $10,000 PIP that pays your medical costs regardless of fault. It used to be 20/40/10. Without Hawaii insurance you cannot get the safety inspection.
• Valid photo ID.
• Payment: title, registration, plate and sales tax if not paid yet.

Case 2: you bring a car from another state

• Everything above, plus: We found no separate VIN inspection form for out-of-state cars. On Oʻahu the car must go through an official Hawaii safety inspection station — it will fail for having no Honolulu registration — and you bring the bill of lading (shipping receipt) showing the VIN and the arrival date. You have 30 days from the car's arrival on Oʻahu to get either the out-of-state permit or Hawaii registration. You also hand in Form G-27, the Department of Taxation's Motor Vehicle Use Tax Certification, with the registration application, showing the use tax was paid or that none is due (HRS § 286-41(d)). Rebuilt cars do need a VIN and safety inspection by appointment with Motor Vehicle Control, (808) 768-2542, after a certified Salvage Repair Dealer issues the certificate of repair.
• The original out-of-state title (or the bank's letter if it holds it for the loan).
• Tax: Hawaii has no sales tax. It has the 4% General Excise Tax (GET), a tax on the business, plus a 0.5% surcharge in all four counties through December 31, 2030. A dealer may pass it on to you up to 4.712%, but does not have to. If you bring a car in from another state for your own use, the use tax is 4% of its landed value (4.5% with the county surcharge): the price plus freight, handling, import duties and insurance, and it can be reduced for depreciation if you used the car outside Hawaii; sales or use tax you already paid to another state is offset against it. You owe no use tax if you were a resident of another state when you bought the car, bought it for use there and actually and substantially used it there — but if you bought it less than 3 months before shipping it (shipping and storage time do not count), Hawaii presumes you bought it for use here. A car you received as a gift and a car bought in a "casual sale" from a person who is not in the business of selling cars are also exempt. Either way you must hand in Form G-27 with your registration application (HRS § 286-41(d)).

Forms

• CS-L(MVR)53 — Notice of Transfer (seller, within 10 days)
• CS-L(MVR)1 — Application for Registration (car from another county or state)
• CS-L(MVR)27 — Out-of-state permit application (keep mainland plates)
• CS-L(MVR)10 — Duplicate title application

Fees — confirm current amounts (CSD (Honolulu))

Amounts come from the linked state sources and can change. This guide distinguishes source checkpoints from narrow claim reviews; confirm the total for your transaction before you go. A dash means an amount has not been confirmed here.

Sales tax

Hawaii has no sales tax. It has the 4% General Excise Tax (GET), a tax on the business, plus a 0.5% surcharge in all four counties through December 31, 2030. A dealer may pass it on to you up to 4.712%, but does not have to. If you bring a car in from another state for your own use, the use tax is 4% of its landed value (4.5% with the county surcharge): the price plus freight, handling, import duties and insurance, and it can be reduced for depreciation if you used the car outside Hawaii; sales or use tax you already paid to another state is offset against it. You owe no use tax if you were a resident of another state when you bought the car, bought it for use there and actually and substantially used it there — but if you bought it less than 3 months before shipping it (shipping and storage time do not count), Hawaii presumes you bought it for use here. A car you received as a gift and a car bought in a "casual sale" from a person who is not in the business of selling cars are also exempt. Either way you must hand in Form G-27 with your registration application (HRS § 286-41(d)).

If you sell: protect yourself

Listed seller-notice or transfer document: CS-L(MVR)53 (Notice of Transfer). Check its conditions and the state process below. Before handover, confirm with the county motor-vehicle office how the plates will be handled, especially personalized plates. The seller gives the buyer the signed title, the last registration and the current safety inspection record, and files the notice of transfer within 10 days (fine of up to $100 if not). Keep copies of the title, filed notices and handover date to answer later registration, toll or ownership questions.

Mistakes that cost

• Missing the deadline. Check the deadline and consequence for your transaction; filing periods and penalties do not all start from the same event.
• Title with cross-outs or correction fluid. Ask the issuing agency which correction or replacement document it accepts before using it.
• Buying with an "open" title (signed by a previous owner, not the person selling to you). Confirm the ownership chain and the documents the agency requires before paying.
• Showing up without in-state insurance. Confirm the insurance or financial-responsibility documents required for your situation.