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TRANSFER OF VEHICLE WITH PERSONALIZED PLATES

Image of the new Hawaii state license plate with the rainbow in the background. In black type, the word Hawaii with an okina between the letter "I"s is at the top, and the words "Aloha State" at the bottom. The license identifier is the word "ALOHA" in all capital letters in black.

When a resident is ready to sell or transfer a vehicle with personalized license plates, those plates must be transferred, stored or retired. The procedure followed depends on how the vehicle is sold, exchanged or transferred.

Transfer through a private (non-dealer) sale

  1. The owner relinquishes the rights to the personalized plate via a letter to the DMV, satellite city hall location, or to the purchaser of the vehicle.
  2. The personalized plate must be returned to any satellite city hall location when the purchaser registers the vehicle.
  3. The personalized license plate is retired, not to be used on any other vehicle. The owner may keep the front license plate as a memento, surrendering the back license plate.
  4. The vehicle will be issued new license plates at this time for the new owner.
  1. The owner surrenders personalized license plates at a satellite city hall location with a request to store the personalized plate until another vehicle is obtained.
  2. Submit an application for replacement license plates with the surrendered personalized plates.
  3. New license plates will be issued for the vehicle.
  4. When the another vehicle is obtained, the owner returns to the same satellite city hall location where the personalized plates were surrendered to register the second vehicle and receive the personalized plates kept in storage.

Transfer through a dealership sale

  1. The owner relinquishes the right to the personalized license plate via a letter to the DMV and car dealer.
  2. The dealer takes the vehicle with the personalized license plate.
  3. The dealer processes the registration of the purchased vehicle (new or used) and surrenders the personalized plate. The DMV will assign a new plate to the purchased vehicle which the dealer will apply upon receipt from the DMV.
  4. The dealer processes the registration requesting a new plate for the first vehicle and submitting the letter from the previous owner that the rights to the personalized plate had been relinquished.
  5. New license plates will be issued for the first vehicle.
  1. The dealer removes personalized plates from first vehicle and forwards them to DMV with all documents required to register the new vehicle including request for plate transfer.
  2. The first vehicle should not be sold by the dealer until the plate request is complete. Note: a temporary (paper) license plate must not be placed on a used vehicle.
  3. DMV will assign new plates to the first vehicle.
  4. Upon completion of the registration of the new vehicle and a new plate assignment to the first vehicle, the personalized plates will be returned to the dealer which can then be placed on the new vehicle.
  5. The new license plates assigned to the first vehicle may be installed and can now be sold.
  1. The owner surrenders personalized license plates at a satellite city hall location with a request to store the personalized plate until another vehicle is obtained.
  2. The owner submits an application for replacement license plates with the surrendered personalized plates.
  3. New license plates will be issued for the first vehicle.
  4. The second vehicle is purchased from a dealer. Upon registration of that vehicle, the dealer notes the surrendering of the personalized plates and requests the plates be taken from storage at the satellite city hall location that has them and be forwarded to the DMV for issuance to the dealer to place on the vehicle.
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