Ownership Transfer

The seller must complete the following:

1. The registered owner(s) must sign off in Section “A” on the front of the Certificate of Title.
2. Fill-in the odometer reading if the vehicle is less than ten (10) years old.
3. If a lien holder is indicated, the lien holder must complete Section “B” on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title.
4. Detach and complete the Notice of Transfer form that is located at the top of the Certificate of Title and submit it within ten (10) days to the County Motor Vehicle & Licensing Office where the vehicle was last registered. If the form has been previously detached from the Certificate of Title, you may complete and submit the following Notice of Transfer(PDF, 227KB).
5. Provide the new owner with the endorsed Certificate of Title, the last issued Certificate of Registration and State of Hawaii Safety Inspection Certificate.

If the vehicle is registered in the name of a business, a Letter of Authorization(PDF, 105KB) must be on file. A Letter of Authorization (LOA) must be submitted by a company to the County of Kauai Division of Motor Vehicles & Licensing in order to process specified motor vehicle transactions. The person(s) named on the LOA are the authorized signatories of the company who are authorized to complete specified motor vehicle transactions on behalf of the company.

The new owner must complete the following:

1. The new registered owner(s) must print and sign their name(s) on the appropriate lines on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title in Section "D". If the vehicle is to be jointly registered, both parties must sign. If the vehicle is being registered in the name of a business, you must have a Letter of Authorization(PDF, 105KB) on file authorizing you to buy vehicles on behalf of the business.
2. If there is a lien holder on the vehicle, the lien holder must print and sign their names on the appropriate lines on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title in Section "E". Both parties must sign if the vehicle will be jointly registered.
3. Submit the properly endorsed Certificate of Title, the last issued Certificate of Registration, and current or temporary State of Hawaii Safety Inspection Certificate within thirty (30) days.
4. If applicable, complete a Non-Commercial Vehicle Registration(PDF, 180KB) if the vehicle is a pick-up truck or a cargo van.
5. If you are a non-resident active duty military service member, submit a properly completed Non-Resident military Certificate, which is available from your military personnel office or your military unit.
6. A transfer fee of $10.00 will be assessed plus the cost of registration renewal if the registration has expired or will expire within forty-five (45) days. The cost of registration renewal will be calculated by the Customer Service Representative.

Please note: A late transfer fee of $50.00 will be assessed in addition to the $10 transfer fee, if the documents are received after 30 days (60 days if the lien holder does not have an office in the State of Hawaii), from the date of release by the owner. In addition, you will be assessed delinquent taxes for prior years that the vehicle has not been registered.

If the vehicle will be registered in the name of a business, a Letter of Authorization(PDF, 105KB) must be on file. A Letter of Authorization (LOA) must be submitted by a company to the County of Kauai Division of Motor Vehicles & Licensing in order to process specified motor vehicle transactions. The person(s) named on the LOA are the authorized signatories of the company who are authorized to complete specified motor vehicle transactions on behalf of the company.

When the lien holder has released the Certificate of Title to you, you may record the vehicle in your name as both registered owner(s) and lien holder(s) by completing the following:

1. Ensure the lien holder has signed their name and stamped the name of the institution in Section "B" of the Certificate of Title.
2. Complete the Application for transfer by New Lienholder in Section "E" on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title. If the vehicle is registered in joint ownership, both parties must sign.
3. Submit the properly endorsed Certificate of Title and the last issued Certificate of Registration.
4. Pay the $10.00 transfer fee plus the cost of registration renewal if the registration has expired or will expire within 45 days. The cost of registration renewal will be calculated by the Customer Service Representative.

If the vehicle is jointly owned, the survivor may transfer ownership to his or her name by:

1. Signing Section A of the Certificate of Title or lines No. 1 and 2 on the Certificate of Ownership.
2. Completing and signing the appropriate lines on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title/Ownership as the new registered and legal owner.
3. Submitting the properly completed and endorsed Certificate of Title/Ownership to registration personnel, put in drop box or mail to the Treasury Division, Motor Vehicle Registration, 4444 Rice St., Ste 466, Lihue, Hawaii 96766-1340, with the current Certificate of Registration.
4. Submitting a copy of the deceased's death certificate, obtainable from the State Department of Health, 3040 Umi St., Lihue, Hawaii 96766.
5. Submitting a current Hawaii Vehicle Inspection Certificate.

If the vehicle is registered only in the name of the deceased, detailed legal requirements must be met Affidavit of collection of Personal Property of the Decedent(PDF, 63KB). For assistance, email the vehicle registration personnel at kauaimvr@kauai.gov