Hawaii Vehicle Registration and Back Tax Calculator

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 7, 2026

The state part: the same in every county

Chapter 249 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes sets the state charges, which your county collects with its own:

• State registration fee: $46 a year (HRS § 249-31), split $40 to the state highway fund, $5 to emergency medical services and $1 to the accessible parking account.
• State weight tax (HRS § 249-33), on the vehicle's net weight: 1.75¢ a pound up to 4,000 lbs, 2.00¢ over 4,000 up to 7,000 lbs, and 2.25¢ over 7,000 up to 10,000 lbs. Over 10,000 lbs, it's a flat $300. The tier rate applies to the whole weight, so a 4,200-lb SUV pays 2¢ on all 4,200 lbs ($84).
• Safe Routes to School surcharge: $5 on every registration. HRS § 249-37 required each county to start charging it by December 31, 2025.

County weight taxes and fees

A few details behind the table:

• Honolulu charges 7.5¢ a pound for trucks and commercial vehicles. Its highway beautification fee rose from $7 to $10 for transactions processed on or after June 1, 2026.
• Maui charges 5.91¢ a pound for vehicles that don't qualify for the passenger rate, under its fiscal year 2027 budget (July 2026 to June 2027).
• Hawaii County charges 2.5¢ a pound for commercial vehicles and anything over 6,500 lbs.
• Pickups and SUVs: a truck or noncommercial vehicle up to 6,500 lbs pays the passenger rate in every county once you certify that it isn't used commercially.

Electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles

Since July 1, 2025, Hawaii's electric vehicles owe a state road usage charge instead of the old EV registration surcharge. The charge is 0.8¢ per mile driven, minus the estimated state fuel tax an equivalent car would have paid, capped at $50 a year. Until June 30, 2028, owners can choose a flat $50 instead. The calculator uses $50. A new EV with no inspection yet pays $50 at its first renewal, and that amount is credited at the second renewal. Vehicles running on other non-petroleum fuels still pay a $50 state surcharge. On Maui, the county adds a highway improvement fee of $100 a year for EVs and $50 for hybrids.

Back registration tax and late penalties

On Kauai, for example, registration is due by the last working day of the month it expires. Under HRS § 249-10, unpaid weight tax becomes delinquent, each county sets its own penalty, and the county can require the back taxes and penalties before it renews or transfers the vehicle. The counties we have official figures for:

• Maui: $8 for passenger vehicles, $20 for others
• Hawaii County: $8 at the passenger rate, $20 at the commercial rate
• Kauai: 20% of the county weight tax and 20% of the state weight tax

Vehicles with unpaid taxes can also be seized and sealed. If the owner doesn't redeem the car within ten days by paying the tax, penalties and storage, it can be sold at auction.

Tax when you buy a car in Hawaii

Hawaii has no sales tax. Instead, businesses owe the 4% general excise tax (GET) on what they sell, and all four counties add a 0.5% surcharge. A dealer may pass the tax on to you, but doesn't have to. The most it can add is 4.712% of the price in every county, which on a $40,000 car comes to $1,884.80.

Shipping in a car you bought on the mainland is different. Its landed value (the cost plus shipping, import duties and insurance, not counting the other state's sales tax) owes 4.5% use tax. Sales tax you paid to the other state counts as a credit, up to 4.5%. You show proof on Form G-27 to the county before you can register. A car bought from a private person who isn't in the vehicle business is a casual sale, and no use tax is due. The same goes for a genuine gift of a car the giver bought (form G-27A), but not for a car you bought with gifted money. New cars from the previous, current or next model year need a G-27 for a new registration in Hawaii County.

Frequently asked questions