LICENSE PLATES
The standard-issue state of Hawaii license plate is an iconic symbol that has endured for more than three decades.
The “Rainbow” license plates are issued upon an initial registration of a vehicle in the state. Two license plates are issued at a time for vehicles except motorcycles, and by state law must be placed on the front and back of the vehicle. Motorcycles are issued a single license plate that is placed on the rear of the cycle.
Information on vehicle registration is available on the vehicle registration page.
In addition to the standard issue license plates, there are several specialty license plates – including personalized license plates – that are available. Please go to the specialty license plates page for more information.
Effective Jan. 1, 2025, a new state law changed the spelling of the state name on license plates to “HAWAIʻI” to include the Hawaiian diacritical mark.
That new law also requires the City and County of Honolulu to issue only license plates that have “HAWAIʻI” spelled with the Hawaiian diacritical mark after Jan. 1, 2025.
Due to an unexpected delay, only the following types of license plates are currently available at satellite city halls:
- Passenger (standard)
- Disabled Person (mailed by DMV)
- Organization (decal)
- Trailer
- Truck
The following license plates featuring the Hawaiian diacritical mark ARE UNAVAILABLE at this time:
- Electric Vehicle
- National Park Specialty (Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, Haleakalā)
- Veteran Specialty (Combat Veteran, Combat Wounded, Gold Star Family, Veteran, etc.)
- Motorcycle
- Moped
We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience this has caused you. Upon your visit to a satellite city hall, please provide your contact information to the concierge staff for our DMV staff to follow up with you when the license plate you are seeking becomes available. We understand the importance of addressing your concerns, and we are committed to making things right as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
Previously issued license plates with a current registration are still valid and do not need to be replaced.
To see previous license plates issued in the state, visit our historical license plate archive.
Frequently Asked Questions about the updated license plates
Why did the Hawaiʻi license plate change?
- The 2024 legislature passed HB 1861 and the governor signed it into law at Act 64 to make changes to HRS 249-9 requiring the spelling of the state’s name as “Hawaiʻi” with the ʻokina.
Why is the state license plate important to the City and County of Honolulu?
- State law makes it the responsibility of the city to administer the license plate program for the state of Hawaiʻi.
Why is adding the ʻokina on the Hawaiʻi license plate important?
- The City and County of Honolulu has been proactive toward incorporating Hawaiian diacritical marks in official messaging to promote Hawaiian language and culture as consistently as possible.
- This is another step in meeting an important goal, joining state and county letterhead and website headers that are already required to include Hawaiian Diacriticals (Act 170, Session Laws 2022).
Will this force a new standard license plate design?
- We determined that our beautiful current rainbow design has enough letter-number combinations to last more than a decade, so we won’t be looking to create a new design at this time.
- All we needed to do was add the ʻokina to Hawaiʻi when reprinting the license plate.
Will all the license plates have to be changed immediately?
- Any license plate issued after Jan. 2, 2025 must have an ʻokina in “Hawaiʻi”.
- License plates without an ʻokina in “Hawaiʻi” are no longer available.
Will my old license plates need to be changed?
- No, any license plates issued before Jan. 1, 2025 is still valid.
What if I want to change my license plate to have the new “ ʻokina” plate?
- Follow the usual procedure to replace a license plate at a satellite city hall. It is an express window transaction.
- It might be helpful to schedule an AlohaQ appointment to keep from having a potentially long wait.
- Check with the satellite city hall concierge to confirm that the license plates you want are available. Standard issue license plates are available, but manufacturing delays have some types of license plates currently unavailable.
What about changing my personalized license plates?
- Just follow the usual procedure to replace a license plate at a satellite city hall, the same if it were stolen or damaged.
What needed to happen for the ʻokina license plates to be issued starting Jan. 2nd?
- We have been working since the bill was passed on May 3, 2024 and the governor signed it into law on June 24, 2024.
- As the program administrator, the City and County of Honolulu immediately consulted with our neighbor counties to assess the license plate inventory statewide.
- A plan was developed in conjunction with the other counties to exhaust the previous license plate inventory statewide. That’s why you may see a few license plates for Maui on Oʻahu.
- Our license plate vendor has been manufacturing and shipping the new license plates for our locations to make available to the public. Unfortunately, there have been delays for certain types of license plates and those will be available as soon as possible.
What other changes may be coming on license plates?
- The new law allows designs for special plates like the Hōkūleʻa Polynesian Voyaging Society plate, the National Parks plates, or the new plates that were approved in the last session, to use upper case, lower case or title case lettering in the design for the words “Hawaiʻi” and “Aloha State.”