Motor Vehicle Registration: OUT-OF-STATE
City and County of Honolulu • Department of Customer Services
Revised Oct. 12, 2021, and supersedes all previous editions.
Out-of-State Vehicle Registration
Instead of an out-of-state permit, you may opt to transfer your current out-of-state registration
and obtain a City and County of Honolulu Certificate of Registration. If the vehicle is going to
remain in the State of Hawaii beyond a year, this may be a preferable option. If choosing this,
you must complete the transfer within 30 days of your vehicle’s arrival on Oahu.
It is required to obtain a City and County of Honolulu registration once the out-of-state vehicle
permit expires.
To transfer out-of-state license plates to Hawaii license plates and obtain a City and County of
Honolulu registration, complete the following requirements:
1) Complete and sign the Application for Registration, Form CS-L (MVR) 1
2) Submit current out-of-state registration
3) Submit out-of-state title (if available)
4) Submit Bill of Lading, which shows the date the vehicle arrived on Oahu
5) Current Hawaii Vehicle Inspection Certificate—upon its arrival, take the vehicle to any
official Hawaii Safety Inspection Station:
a) If vehicle passes all other items on the safety inspection, it will fail on valid
registration in the City and County of Honolulu
b) All defects must be corrected before vehicle can be registered
* Note: Once the vehicle is registered in the City and County of Honolulu and Hawaii
license plates are issued, return to the Hawaii Safety Inspection Station within 30
days of the original “failed” safety check to obtain valid safety inspection emblem and
certificate
6) Pay the license plate and emblem fee—the Hawaii expiration date will be the last day of
the full month that the out-of-state registration expires, not to exceed 12 months.
a) If we do not have the weight of the vehicle as established by the manufacturer, you
may be required to have the vehicle weighed at a state-certified scale
* Note: Taxes and fees are charged on an annual basis commencing when the out-of-
state registration expires; there is no proration for registrations which expire during
the month
7) If the registered owner is a non-resident and member or spouse of the U.S. Armed
Forces on active duty in the State of Hawaii, provide a CS-L (MVR) 50 signed by
commanding officer or personnel officer
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