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Hawaii car registration fee calculator

How much does it cost to register a car in Hawaii? It depends on weight and county. In Honolulu a 3,320 lb car pays $367 a year: $46 state registration, $20 county registration, $58.10 state weight tax, $232.40 county weight tax, $10 beautification and a $0.50 emblem. Buying adds the $10 title, $5 plates and the general excise tax a dealer passes on (up to 4.712%). Electric cars pay nothing extra at purchase and a $50 road usage charge from the first renewal.

Your vehicle

Electric cars pay nothing extra at purchase; from the first renewal they pay the $50 road usage charge (or $8 per 1,000 miles, capped at $50).
Each county sets its own weight tax and fees. Amounts we haven't confirmed show as not available.
lbs
The vehicle's net (empty) weight, up to 10,000 lbs. Both the state and county weight taxes use it.
$
Estimated total
$1,795.60

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

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.

Estimate only. Rates checked October 21, 2026 · Hawaii. Confirm with the Hawaii counties' motor vehicle offices (Honolulu Customer Services Department).

Hawaii vehicle fees at a glance (2026)

State registration fee$46/yr
State weight tax1.75 cents/lb to 4,000 lbs, 2 cents to 7,000, 2.25 cents to 10,000
County fees, Honolulu$20 registration + 7 cents/lb weight tax ($12 min) + $10 beautification + $0.50 emblem
Electric vehiclesNothing at purchase; $50 road usage charge from the first renewal
Title fee$10 (Honolulu, Kauai)
Plates$5 when issued
General excise tax4.712% maximum pass-on (4% + 0.5% county surcharge)
Safety inspection$25.75 car, $17.75 motorcycle (paid to the station)

Download this fee summary (PDF)

What this estimate does and does not include

  • Hawaii charges by weight at two levels: the state weight tax (HRS 249-33: 1.75 cents a pound up to 4,000 lbs, 2 cents to 7,000, 2.25 cents to 10,000; $300 over 10,000) and the county weight tax (Honolulu 7 cents a pound for cars and noncommercial trucks up to 6,500 lbs, 7.5 cents for other trucks, $12 minimum). The default weight is the 3,320 lb car in Honolulu's own worked example, which totals $367 a year.
  • Counties: Honolulu's fees are complete. Maui's are from its FY2025 schedule (the latest found) and include the Highway Improvement Fee ($100 electric, $50 hybrid); its county registration fee, title and emblem amounts weren't confirmed. Kauai's title, plates and $20 county fee are confirmed, its weight tax isn't. Hawaii County's county fees weren't found on an official page. Unconfirmed lines show as not available.
  • Electric vehicles: the old $50 EV surcharge was replaced on July 1, 2025 by the Hawaii Road Usage Charge. Nothing is owed at purchase; at the first renewal it defaults to $50 (or $8 per 1,000 miles, capped at $50), credited toward the second renewal for EVs bought since July 2025. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids aren't in the program; whether the state's $50 alternative fuel surcharge applies to them isn't clear in the official texts, so it shows as not available at renewal.
  • Tax: Hawaii has no sales tax. Dealers owe the general excise tax and usually pass it on, at most 4.712% (4% + 0.5% county surcharge, grossed up). The calculator assumes the maximum pass-on. No official guidance allows a trade-in deduction on a dealer sale, so there is no trade-in input. The tax on a private in-state sale wasn't confirmed and shows as not available.
  • Motorcycles: Honolulu's ordinance names no motorcycle rate, so the $12 minimum county weight tax is used; one plate is issued. Other counties' motorcycle weight tax shows as not available.
  • The safety inspection ($25.75, motorcycles $17.75) is required before registering and renewing but is paid to the inspection station, so it's shown separately and not counted in the total. Late renewal in Honolulu adds $16 ($40 commercial); a title transfer filed more than 30 days late adds $50. Not included: plate transfer ($5), duplicate title ($10).
Official sources · Last checked October 21, 2026 · Next monthly check: November 2026

Hawaii registration questions

How much is car registration in Hawaii?

It depends on weight and county. In Honolulu a 3,320 lb car pays $367 a year: $46 state registration, $20 county registration, $58.10 state weight tax, $232.40 county weight tax, $10 beautification fee and a $0.50 emblem.

How much are the fees on a new $30,000 car in Honolulu?

$1,795.60 for a 3,320 lb car: $1,413.60 general excise tax passed on (4.712%), $10 title, $367 in yearly registration and weight taxes and $5 plates. The $25.75 safety inspection is paid to the station.

Do electric cars pay extra in Hawaii?

Not at purchase. From the first renewal they pay the Hawaii Road Usage Charge: $50 a year flat, or $8 per 1,000 miles capped at $50. It replaced the old $50 EV surcharge on July 1, 2025.

Is there sales tax on a car in Hawaii?

There is no sales tax, but dealers pay the general excise tax and usually pass it on, up to 4.712% of the price.

What is the late fee for Hawaii registration?

In Honolulu, $16 for a passenger vehicle ($8 county + $8 state) and $40 for a commercial vehicle.

Hawaii guides

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