Hawaii driving lesson · Vehicle Equipment & Registration
Registering your vehicle and keeping it current
A 3-minute lesson from the Hawaii course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Registration is the official record of who owns a vehicle. In Hawaii each county handles it, so your car must be registered where you operate it and renewed every year.
Know the rule
Your vehicle must be registered, and licensed each year, by the county in which you operate it.
A current, valid safety inspection certificate is required before registration. Proof of insurance is needed for cars, buses and trucks being inspected; proof of liability for motorcycles.
The certificate of title is held by the legal owner or lien holder until the loan is paid. The registration goes to the purchaser, who must keep it in the vehicle.
After a name change, appear in person within 30 days with proof of the change, the properly endorsed certificate of ownership and the current year's certificate.
You move from Kailua to Hilo in March. Within 30 days, notify the county vehicle registration agency in writing, and separately notify the examiner of drivers for your license. Registration also belongs in the county where you now drive.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
In which county must you register your vehicle?
The county where you were born
The county where you bought the vehicle
The county where you operate it
Any county you choose
Answer: The county where you operate it
Vehicles must be registered in the county where they are operated.