Overview
The real surprise is private-party sales: because GET only taxes business activity, a genuine person-to-person sale - running friend to friend, stranger to stranger, no dealer involved - owes no GET and no use tax at all, regardless of price. Buy from a dealer and you owe the 4.712%; buy from a private seller and you typically owe $0 in transaction tax, just registration. Pick your county and vehicle below to see your real total.
01 - Official fees
Hawaii tax, title & license fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GET (dealer sale, visible pass-on rate) | 4.712% | of purchase price |
| Private-party / casual sale | $0 | GET applies only to business activity |
| State registration fee | $46.00 | |
| State highway beautification fee | $7.00 | |
| County registration fee | $20.00 | plus $0.50 county emblem |
| State weight tax | 1.75¢–2.25¢/lb | up to 10,000 lbs; flat $300 above that |
| County weight tax | 1.25¢–7.0¢/lb | set independently by each county, $12 minimum |
| Ownership transfer fee | $5–$20 | varies by county |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county motor vehicle registration office (Honolulu, Maui, Hawaiʻi, or Kauaʻi) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How to pay tax, title and registration in Hawaii
- 1
Get the seller's signed-over Hawaii title, or, for a dealer purchase, let the dealer prep the paperwork.
- 2
If it's a dealer sale, GET is already built into the price at checkout - you don't pay it separately at the counter.
- 3
If it's a private-party sale, bring a bill of sale and complete Form G-27 (Motor Vehicle Use Tax Certification) to document the casual-sale exemption.
- 4
Take the title, G-27 (if applicable), proof of no-fault insurance, and safety inspection certificate to your county vehicle registration office within 30 days.
- 5
Pay the state and county registration fees plus your county's weight tax - the clerk calculates weight tax off the vehicle's actual scale weight.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Hawaii vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Hawaii tax, title & license FAQ
How much is tax, title and registration on a $30,000 car in Hawaii?
For a dealer purchase: about $1,414 in GET (4.712%), plus roughly $250–$650 a year in registration and weight tax depending on your county and the vehicle's weight - Honolulu runs highest, Hawaiʻi County lowest. A private-party purchase skips the $1,414 entirely.
Why is my friend on Oʻahu paying so much more than me on the Big Island?
County weight tax. Honolulu charges 7.0¢ per pound on passenger vehicles; Hawaiʻi County charges just 1.25¢. A 4,000-lb SUV's weight tax alone is $280 on Oʻahu versus $50 on the Big Island - the state portion is identical everywhere.
Is Hawaii's GET the same thing as sales tax?
Legally, no - GET is levied on a business's gross income, not on the buyer. But dealers are allowed to pass it on, and the grossed-up rate they charge (4.712% on top of a 4.5% GET liability, since the pass-on amount is itself taxable income) looks and functions like a sales tax on your invoice.
Do I really owe nothing when I buy from a private seller?
In almost all cases, yes - Hawaii's GET only reaches business activity, and an individual selling their own car isn't 'in business' for that transaction. File Form G-27 at registration to document the casual-sale exemption; skip it and the county clerk may default to taxing the vehicle's fair market value instead.
I'm shipping a car to Hawaii from the mainland - what do I owe?
Use tax at 4.5% of the 'landed value' - your purchase price plus shipping, insurance, and handling to get it to port - unless you already paid sales/use tax to another state, which credits against it. This applies whether you're a new resident or just buying a mainland vehicle and having it shipped.
Does a trade-in reduce what I owe in Hawaii?
No - unlike sales-tax states, Hawaii's GET is based on the dealer's gross income from the deal, and trade-in allowances generally don't reduce that taxable base. There's no trade-in credit built into the 4.712% calculation.
What paperwork does the county actually want?
The signed title, a completed registration application, current no-fault insurance, a passed safety inspection (annual, required before registering), and - for private sales - Form G-27. Bring all of it in one visit; each county office processes registration on the spot.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.