Registration Renewals

The annual task of renewing your vehicle registration may put a slight dent in the bank account but for the most part it is a relatively painless errand to complete. Like other states, Hawaii employs a staggered system to collect fees for registration.

Thus, the month you first register your car is generally the month you will pay registration fees for the duration of ownership.

The state calculates the fees based on the vehicle weight and usage. The registration renewal fee is due to the state by the last business day of the month. Hence there is no 30-day grace period.

City and County of Honolulu

Renewing Online

Oahu is the only island that offers an online renewal option. Of course, you need to meet a few prerequisites to qualify to use the service―although nothing extraordinary.

To renew your registration online, you must:

• Receive a renewal card via mail for your vehicle, which is already in DMV records.

• Renew with 45 or fewer days left in the current registration period.

• Still be living at the address listed on the renewal form.

• Be current on vehicle inspections.

• Be free of requirements in the Special Instructions section on your renewal form.

• Be able to pay via MasterCard or Visa.

Renewing by Mail

Once you receive a renewal card you can mail the payment with a check or money order to:

• Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing

• P.O. Box 30320

• Honolulu, Hawaii 96820-0320

Renewing in Person

When you receive the renewal card in the mail you can visit any satellite office to pay the registration fee.

Note: The county assesses a late fee if you miss the date. You'll have to pay $16 for passenger vehicles and $40 for commercial vehicles.

Counties of Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai

You can renew your registration in these three counties via mail or in person. If you opt to mail in the fee (to the address listed on the renewal form), make sure a postmark is on the document at least 10 days prior to the expiration date.

This allows the counties time to process the registration and mail out new tags prior to the actual expiration date. Remember, Hawaii does not have a grace period. So once the tags expire, you can get pulled over and possibly receive a ticket.

If you are late renewing your registration, the counties will impose a late fee of 10% of the vehicle weight tax.

Office Locations

• Hawaii (Big Island)

• Kauai

• Maui