HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services is advising motorists to renew efforts to prevent private vehicle sales from coming back to haunt them.
Among safeguards recommended by the department’s Division of Motor Vehicles is for both buyers and private sellers to go together in person and transfer the title at a satellite city hall on O‘ahu, where more than 430 vehicles change hands daily.
Buyers are also encouraged to research sellers, especially when they don’t know them, and to be wary of unlicensed car dealers disguised as private-party sellers in the City and County of Honolulu.
In addition, buyers should ask to see the seller’s official photo, preferably on a driver’s license or state identification card, and to verify that the identification matches the information on the registration and title of vehicles changing owners.
Sellers are reminded to properly file a change of ownership with the DMV to ensure they are no longer held responsible for any parking tickets or other traffic violations associated with the vehicle after the sale. Called a “notice of transfer,” this document essentially tells the DMV that a vehicle has been sold and the new owner is now responsible for it.
These safeguards are intended to help avoid conflicts that could lead to court battles over the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in completing the process for transferring a car title when selling it privately.
“We cannot overstate the importance of heeding our advice surrounding car ownership changes and knowing the distinct responsibilities that help ensure that vehicle titles are properly transferred from sellers to new owners,” said Department of Customer Services Director Kim Hashiro, whose oversight responsibilities include DMV services in the City and County of Honolulu.
To transfer a vehicle title on O‘ahu, make an online appointment at AlohaQ.org. Transferring ownership of a single vehicle can be processed in the same appointment at a satellite city hall.
To learn more about title transfer responsibilities, watch the short explainer videos in the hotlinks for buyer or private seller.
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