The Hawaii Revised Statutes provide for distinctive license plates for amateur radio operators. Any licensed Amateur Radio (Ham) operator (except Novices) may obtain these plates.  Plates are issued for a passenger vehicle registered in the HAM operator’s name.    We do not issue HAM plates for motorcycles Currently, there is a one time fee of $13.00 (cash only) for obtaining these plates.

 

On Oahu, you may obtain HAM plates from the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) by bringing a copy of your amateur radio license and $13.00 to our office, located in the basement of the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Bldg, 650 South King Street. The clerk will fill out the application, and you will have to initial the receipt to indicate that the call sign on the order is correct.

 

State Civil Defense requires that we accumulate a minimum of ten orders before forwarding to them. When they receive our order, they will combine it with orders from other counties and make a blanket order.

 

After a suitable manufacturing time (generally a minimum of 6 weeks), State Civil Defense will return the order to DEM, and you will be notified that the plates are in our office and ready to be picked up.

 

We will notify you when the plates are here. Please bring with you, .the regular license plates and registration for the car that you want the amateur plates on. The clerk will fill out a temporary registration for you, which you will take to a full service satellite city hall to get a new registration and decal. Information on satellite city hall hours and locations are on the web or call 527-6695 for more information. We will retain your regular plates in our files to exchange back to you when needed.  For questions, call 723-8960.

 

You should remember that like any registration, your new plates are for your personal use on that one car, and they cannot be transferred to another owner or another vehicle. When you decide to sell or abandon your vehicle, you must go through the same procedure -- bring the amateur plates in, we return your original plates and issue a memo which you then take back to the satellite city hall to get your new decal and registration certificate for the original plates. We will retain the amateur plates for you until you get your new car with the permanent or hard copy registration.  At that time the plates can be reissued to you.

 

If you would like to have your old amateur plates for a souvenir, they must be defaced in a manner to prevent them from being used as a license plate again. We do this by punching two or three 1-1/2 inch holes in the plate.