Hawaii License Plate Search

Standard Passenger License Plates in Hawaii

The standard passenger license plates in Hawaii are generally issued for transportation means that carry up to 10 people (including the driver). Their type; commercial or passenger, depends on what vehicle is going to be registered. Hence, it doesn’t depend on the type of use.

Passenger transports mainly include those that are used for personal purposes as well as microbuses and taxis.

In HI, there are several categories of number tags such as organizational, standard, veteran’s, etc. The process differs for all types. But some steps are common, such as;

the applicant should have the vehicle registered in advance
on the day of application, he/she should provide the Driver’s ID and proof of identity
he/she must make all the payments (emblem, listing, etc.)

Requirements for title and registration

There is no directory for vehicle titles and registration. Each county has its own set of rules. The requirements may differ slightly from one county to the next.

The titling requirements listed below, on the other hand, are general. HI generally requires the following papers:

If you buy the vehicle from another person, you must have the previous title and registration.
If the automobile or motorcycle is produced at least 10 years ago, you will be required to submit the odometer disclosure.
Complete sale form.
You must also have signed documents by the seller and buyer.
You must also have signed documents by the seller and buyer.
Transport inspection certificate. And, of course, the cheques of obligatory payments.

How to transfer your title or registration

You must have all the required documents with you when you visit the local DMV. Besides the above-mentioned papers, you are required to show these documents;

Form DF-L(MVR) 1
Lading Bill
In case you don’t have a lading bill, you submit the out-of-state permit
Certificate of weight
Certificate of the transport inspection

If you have bought or sold a car, you may transfer all your permits.

In HI, there is no central DMV. That’s why you should contact the local department in case you move to another state or cancel your insurance. Besides, if you want to change your license tag category into a specialty you may surrender your existing permit.

The permit for an out-of-state license is also available when you just want to operate the transport for personal use in a new state with car tags.

All in all, the requirements are different for each region. That’s why the best decision is to contact your local DMV for detailed information. HI doesn’t offer an online service to register your car. So, you may need to personally visit the county DMV.

Transferring the license plate

If you have bought a car from a dealer, generally it’s their responsibility to transfer the permit. Or in case they don’t provide that service, you should do it on your own.

In many cases, the drivers transfer their existing documents and car tags to their new transport. So, you should just apply for a new one.

All you should do is to fill in the application form, provide proof of identity. The transport should be inspected. And of course, you will have to make all the necessary payments. New state residents get to have them titled and registered as well.

Hawaii offers different categories of number tags; personalized, vanity, disabled veterans, etc. All they have one general requirement, that is, they should have up to 6 digits or letters. For punctuation marks, the only hyphen is available.

Whenever you apply for a vanity license plate you can decide on how to combine the letters and digits. However, you cannot make offensive combinations.

You as well have the opportunity to find the license plate number by VIN.

Fees and payments

First of all, you shall proceed with the listing process. The cost depends on the weight and you generally need to pay it every year. The cost for disposal is generally $12. The fee is $45. You also will need to pay $5 if you need to renew an emblem.

If you ever lose or damage your plate you can apply for a replacement that costs $5 in HI.

Note: State doesn’t have an online service for the application of titling and registration and number tags. However, in case of renewal and replacement, you can run the county’s DMV website or mail them.