Hawaii vehicle bill of sale

Fill in the free Hawaii bill of sale on this page and print it.

A bill of sale is not part of a normal transfer when the seller signs the title. Honolulu requires a notarized bill of sale when the recorded owner has not released the certificate of title, in its instructions for vehicles last registered in another county or titled in another state. We found no state or county bill of sale form.

Hawaii doesn't publish a required list. A complete bill of sale usually has:

• The seller's and buyer's names and addresses
• Year, make, model and VIN
• Odometer reading
• Sale date and price
• An "as is" statement if there's no warranty
• Both signatures and the date

1. In Section A on the front of the title, write the odometer reading if the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer.
2. Date, print and sign your name in Section A. Joint owners must each date, print and sign.
3. If there is a lien, have the lienholder sign Section B on the back, or get a lien satisfaction letter.
4. Give the buyer the signed title, the last-issued registration and the current safety inspection certificate.
5. Fill in the Notice of Transfer at the top of the title (or form CS-L(MVR)53) with the buyer's name and address, and sign it.
6. Submit the Notice of Transfer within 10 days to the county where the vehicle was last registered, and keep a copy.
7. If you can, go with the buyer to a satellite city hall, as Honolulu recommends, so problems with the documents are caught.

Front of the Hawaii certificate of title, Section A. The seller fills in the odometer reading (model year 2011 and newer), then dates, prints and signs. Joint owners must all sign. A lienholder signs Section B on the back, and the buyer signs Section D on the back (Section E for a new lienholder). The Notice of Transfer is the detachable form at the top of the title. HRS 286-52(a) requires both parties to sign in pen and ink and write their addresses on the title. The title signature does not need a notary in Hawaii.

Required. File Notice of Transfer (CS-L(MVR)53)53.pdf) within 10 days of the sale. It protects you if the buyer gets tickets or tolls, or abandons the car, before retitling it.

Hawaii plates normally stay with the vehicle: HRS 249-7(d) says no new plates are issued to a new owner, except in limited cases. Under HRS 249-7(e), the seller may ask the county to reassign the plates to another vehicle the seller later acquires. This is at the county's discretion and costs $5 plus the registration fee.

Inspection. The buyer must present a current State of Hawaii safety inspection certificate to transfer the title, so the seller hands over the certificate kept in the vehicle. If county records show an expired safety check, a current inspection must be shown. Safety inspections are required yearly, except that new cars get an initial two-year check.

Odometer disclosure. The seller writes the odometer reading in Section A on the front of the title. Honolulu requires it for model year 2011 and newer vehicles that are 20 years old or less. Model year 2010 and older vehicles are exempt.

Sales tax. Honolulu's transfer instructions list no sales or use tax for a private sale. The buyer pays the $10 transfer fee (plus a $50 penalty if the transfer is late), the yearly registration if it has expired or expires within 45 days, and any delinquent vehicle taxes from prior years. Hawaii's general excise tax rules (HAR 18-237-1) say business does not include casual sales, meaning occasional or isolated sales of property not sold in the usual course of business.

The buyer has 30 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $10.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Notice of Transfer (CS-L(MVR)53)53.pdf)
• Application for Duplicate Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title (if the title is damaged), CS-L(MVR)10
• Application for Registration (buyer, for out-of-county and out-of-state transfers), CS-L(MVR)11_v.8_2024.10.03%20Honolulu.pdf)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with your city and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services, Division of Motor Vehicles if anything about your sale is unusual. Last verified October 20, 2026.

Listing it first? Good photos sell cars faster: see how to take pictures of a car to sell, and read the full guide to selling a car. Buying or selling in another state? Pick it on the bill of sale page.