Department of Customer Services

Oahu residents may order personalized license plates as a gift for an individual with a vehicle registered in the City and County of Honolulu.

It will take 60 to 90 days for the license plate to be prepared and additional time for the requestor to be notified and complete the pickup and replacement procedures.

License plates are primarily meant for law enforcement officers to identify vehicles in cases of crime and to safeguard drivers on the road.

All personalized license plate requests get a first-round review. The ones deemed questionable get flagged for additional scrutiny.
 
Administrative Rules for Personalized License Plates

Effective July 1, 2022, the nonrefundable annual fee for a personalized license plate increased to $60 under state rules (Section 249-9.1 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes). The fee applies to the initial application and all annual renewals of a vehicle’s registration, and is in addition to all other registration/renewal fees. Personalized license plates annual fee increase FAQs.

A personalized license plate is limited to a combination of six letters and numbers.

A space is counted as one character. One hyphen is allowed in addition to the six letter and number combination. No other punctuation marks are allowed.

All license plates issued in the City and County of Honolulu are government property and speak for the Hawaii state government. The City and County of Honolulu has the right to regulate what can be written on a license plate as long as the regulations are reasonable and uniformly applied.

Forbidden phrases include words or connotations of a sexual, obscene, profane, or vulgar nature, or relating to excretory functions or intimate body parts.

Motorists who are applying for personalized license plates must follow the city’s rules prohibiting certain kinds of words or phrases.

Administrative Rules for Personalized License Plates

Oahu residents with currently registered vehicles may order the license plate online.

1. Go to the city’s personalized plate website to check if the preferred character combination is available.

2. If the license plate is available, reserve it by completing and submitting the online application. You must enter a valid mailing address and email address.

3. Complete payment with a credit card. The annual fee for a personalized license plate is $60, which will be added to all subsequent motor vehicle renewal fees and taxes.

4. After approval of the requested license plate letter/number combination, you will receive a letter in 60 to 90 days providing procedures and requirements. The letter provides procedures and requirements for the following.

• • Selecting a satellite city hall pick up location.
  • Updating and renewing the vehicle registration.
  • Replacing the current license plates and registration decal.
  • Payment of fees. The license plate and emblem replacement fee is $5.50.

Oahu residents may also apply in person at a satellite city hall.

1. Make an appointment to visit a satellite city hall at AlohaQ.org.
2. Staff will assist you with the license plate request and payment at your satellite city hall appointment. The annual fee for a personalized license plate is $60, which will be added to all subsequent motor vehicle renewal fees and taxes.
3. After approval of the requested license plate letter/number combination, you will receive a letter in 60 to 90 days providing procedures and requirements. The letter provides procedures and requirements for the following.
   • • Selecting a satellite city hall pick up location.
     • Updating and renewing the vehicle registration.
     • Replacing the current license plates and registration decal.
     • Payment of fees. The license plate and emblem replacement fee is $5.50.