The short answer
| Item | Hawaii answer |
|---|---|
| Who handles it | Your county. Hawaii has no state DMV counter for titles. |
| Title fee | Set by each county: $10 in Honolulu, $20 in Maui County. |
| Deadline | 30 days (60 if the lender has no office in Hawaii). |
| Late fee | A flat $50 on top of the title fee. |
| Tax | No sales tax. A private sale in Hawaii pays $0. Dealers pass on their general excise tax, at most 4.712%. |
How much does a title transfer cost in Hawaii?
The title is the document that proves who owns the car. Each county sets its own fees.
Honolulu (Oahu):
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title transfer | $10 |
| Duplicate title | $10 |
| Late penalty (on top of the fee) | $50 |
| Plate transfer | $5 |
| New plates | $5 |
| Emblem (the registration sticker) | $0.50 |
Maui County: the transfer fee is $20. You also renew the registration if it has expired or expires within 45 days.
Kauai and Hawaii County: their title fees aren't on an official page we could verify, so this guide doesn't print them. Ask your county motor vehicle office.
Worked example: Honolulu, dealer purchase, $30,000 car weighing 3,320 lbs
- Title: $10.00
- State registration: $46.00
- County registration: $20.00
- State weight tax (3,320 lbs × 1.75 cents): $58.10
- County weight tax (3,320 lbs × 7 cents): $232.40
- Highway beautification fee: $7.00
- Emblem: $0.50
- Plates: $5.00
- General excise tax passed on (4.712%): $1,413.60
Total: $1,792.60. The $25.75 safety inspection is paid to the inspection station and isn't part of this total.
This example uses the $7 highway beautification fee from Honolulu's current fee table. The Hawaii calculator below still uses $10 for that fee, so it shows $1,795.60, $3 more. We're correcting the calculator separately.
Do you pay tax on a car in Hawaii?
Hawaii has no sales tax.
- Dealer purchase: the dealer owes the general excise tax (GET), a tax on the seller's business: 4% plus a 0.5% county surcharge. The most a dealer may pass on to you is 4.712% of the price.
- Private purchase in Hawaii: a casual sale between private people. No GET and no use tax, so the tax is $0.
- Gift: a true gift is also tax-free (Form G-27A).
- Car brought in from another state: you owe use tax (a tax on goods bought elsewhere and used in Hawaii): 4% plus the county surcharge, on the landed value. Landed value is the price plus freight, insurance and duty, minus tax paid to the other state, minus any trade-in, minus a 10% depreciation allowance. You declare it on Form G-27 when you register.
How many days do you have to transfer a title in Hawaii?
30 calendar days from the transfer. It's 60 days if the recorded lienholder (the lender with a claim on the car) has no office in Hawaii.
- Late: a flat $50 on top of the title fee. That's $60 in total in Honolulu and $70 in Maui County.
- Unregistered car: it can owe back taxes for the missing years.
- Until the county issues your new certificate, the law treats the transfer as not complete.
What documents do you need?
- The Certificate of Title, signed by the seller on the front. It needs the odometer reading for 2011 and newer vehicles, and the lienholder sections filled in if a lien is shown.
- The last Certificate of Registration.
- A current (or temporary) Hawaii safety inspection certificate. The car must be current on registration and safety inspection before the transfer can be completed.
- A Non-Commercial Vehicle Certification, if it's a pickup or cargo van.
- A Letter of Authorization, if you register it in a business name.
Plates and registration
Registration is by weight. The state charges its registration fee and weight tax, and your county adds its own registration fee and weight tax. That's why the same car costs different amounts on different islands.
You can move your existing plates to the new car for a $5 transfer fee. New plates are $5.
Family and gift transfers
A genuine gift is tax-free (Form G-27A for the use tax exemption). County title and registration fees still apply.
New residents and cars brought in
Register in your county. A vehicle arriving from another state owes the use tax described above (Form G-27), unless an exemption applies.
We didn't find a single statewide number of days for new residents on an official page, so this guide doesn't give one. Ask your county motor vehicle office.
Seller's steps
- Sign the title over and fill in the odometer reading.
- Give the buyer the title and the last registration.
- Detach the Notice of Transfer at the top of the title and mail it to your county motor vehicle office within 10 days.
Forms
- G-27: use tax certificate.
- G-27A: use tax exemption (gifts and casual sales).
- CS-L(MVR)40: Honolulu bill of sale.
What this guide doesn't cover
Kauai and Hawaii County fee amounts, the electric vehicle road usage charge, trucks, motorcycles and dealer paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Hawaii?
Each county sets its own fee: $10 in Honolulu and $20 in Maui County. Registration, weight taxes and plates are extra.
How much is registration in Hawaii?
It depends on the car's weight and your county. In Honolulu a 3,320 lb car pays $46 state registration, $20 county registration, $58.10 state weight tax, $232.40 county weight tax, the $7 highway beautification fee and a $0.50 emblem.
Do I pay tax when I buy a car from a private seller in Hawaii?
No. A private sale in Hawaii is a casual sale, with no general excise tax and no use tax. A car brought in from another state does owe use tax.
What happens if I transfer a title late in Hawaii?
You pay a flat $50 on top of the title fee: $60 in total in Honolulu, $70 in Maui County. You have 30 days, or 60 if the lender has no office in Hawaii.
Why do Hawaii title fees differ by island?
Each county runs its own motor vehicle office and sets its own title fee, county registration fee and county weight tax.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your Hawaii fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Title fee$10.00
- State registration fee$46.00
- County registration fee$20.00
- State weight tax3,320 lbs x 1.7500000000000002 cents$58.10
- County weight tax3,320 lbs x 7 cents$232.40
- Highway beautification fee$10.00
- Annual emblem$0.50
- Plates$5.00
- Safety inspectionPaid to the inspection station; not in this total$25.75
- General excise tax (passed on)4.712% maximum pass-on$1,413.60
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $367.00/yr
Year 1 $1,795.60 · Years 2–5 $367.00/yr · 5-year total $3,263.60
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Hawaii car registration fee calculator page.
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services – Fee Table (title transfer $10, duplicate $10, $50 late penalty, $7 highway beautification)
- County of Maui – Ownership Transfer – Buyer (transfer fee $20, 30 days, $50 late fee)
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §§ 286-51, 286-52 and 286-55 (cited by name, not linked)
- County of Maui – Ownership Transfer – Seller (cited by name, not linked)
- Honolulu Department of Customer Services – Motor Vehicle FAQs (cited by name, not linked)
- Hawaii Department of Taxation – Forms G-27 and G-27A, and the use tax landed value rules (HAR § 18-238-2) (cited by name, not linked)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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