Register a vehicle in Hawaii

By · checked

Title and register a vehicle in the City and County of Honolulu (Oahu only; Hawaii has no statewide DMV): an AlohaQ appointment at a satellite city hall, a Hawaii safety inspection, and a title transfer within 30 days.

Your situation

What is your situation?
Online or in person
No, appointment or mail · AlohaQ appointment, or by mailCity and County of Honolulu (Oahu) only. Ownership transfer is not an Express Window transaction and needs an AlohaQ appointment at a satellite city hall; the page also describes a transfer by mail to the Division of Motor Vehicles. City and County of Honolulu (Oahu) only. Vehicle ownership transfer is not an express window transaction. Make an appointment at a satellite city hall. A transfer can also be mailed with the title, registration, safety check and a check payable to the City and County of Honolulu.
Cost
$10 title transfer feeCity and County of Honolulu (Oahu) only. If you transfer within 30 days of the seller's date of transfer; a $50 penalty is added after 30 days. Registration fees are separate and set at the counter.

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

  2. Get the safety inspection

    All vehicles on Oahu need a valid registration, certificate of title and State of Hawaii Safety Inspection Certificate. Safety inspections are done at authorized stations.

    Motor Vehicle Registration ↗

  3. Seller files a Notice of Transfer

    The seller submits a Notice of Transfer within 10 days to the county where the vehicle was last registered. The agency recommends buyer and seller go to the appointment together.

    Motor Vehicle Transfer ↗

  4. Pick the one that fits you:

    1. Option 1: Make an appointment

      Book an AlohaQ appointment at a satellite city hall and complete the transfer there within 30 days of the seller's date of transfer on the title.

      Appointments ↗

    2. Option 2: Transfer by mail

      An ownership transfer can be done by mail with the completed title, current registration, current safety check and a check payable to City and County of Honolulu: Department of Customer Services, Division of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 30330, Honolulu, HI 96820-0330.

      Motor Vehicle Transfer ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

  • Transferring more than 30 days after the seller's date of transfer adds a $50 penalty to the $10 fee.
  • If the vehicle's registration is delinquent, the new owner is assessed all delinquent taxes for prior years that it was not legally registered.
  • If the last-issued registration has expired or will expire within 45 days, you also pay the annual registration.
  • Per the City's out-of-state registration steps, Hawaii requires two license plates; the plate with the emblem space goes on the rear.
  • Non-resident active duty military personnel must submit a Non-Resident Certificate, Form CS-L (MVR) 50, for each registration, renewal or transfer; Hawaii-resident active duty, National Guard and Reserve members use Form CS-L (MVR) 50A for the one-vehicle weight tax exemption.

Offices that register vehicles

Honolulu/Oahu only: vehicle registration and titling is done at the City and County of Honolulu's satellite city halls (AlohaQ appointment); renewals can also be done online, at a DMV self-service kiosk or by mail. Hawaii has no state DMV and the other counties (Hawaii, Maui, Kauai) run their own offices; their pages could not be read and are not covered here. Agency source.

13 offices where you can register a vehicleSee them on a map, search by county or show the ones open now

Largest cities with them: Honolulu (4)

14 more offices may be able to register a vehicle, but neither the office's service list nor the agency says so. They show in the search below, labelled; call before you go.

Results show offices where you can register a vehicle or may be able to, nearest first, each labelled.

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Sources · checked October 30, 2026

We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMV Decoded is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.