Hawaii Abandoned Vehicle Laws: Fines, Fees, and Penalties

Hawaii’s abandoned vehicle laws are set out in Chapter 290 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, and they let each county remove a vehicle left on public property, bill the registered owner for towing and storage, fine repeat offenders, block future vehicle registrations, and even trigger a driver’s license suspension.¹ The rules vary by county, but the core framework, and the consequences for owners, come from state law.

When a Vehicle Is Considered Abandoned

There is no single statewide definition. HRS 290-1 lets each county adopt its own ordinance, provided it sets a minimum distance and timeframe the vehicle must be moved after an initial inspection.² If the vehicle has not moved that distance within the required window, the county posts a second notice. Ignore that one, and the vehicle is classified as abandoned and subject to removal.

Where a county has not adopted its own ordinance, the state fallback applies: a vehicle is abandoned if it is left unattended for more than 24 continuous hours and is unlawfully parked on a public highway, other public property, or private land functioning as a setback, shoulder, easement, or right of way next to a public highway.² The 24-hour clock runs only on vehicles that are already unlawfully parked in one of those locations. A legally parked car on a residential street is not abandoned simply because it sat overnight.

Honolulu keeps its version simple: any vehicle, including a moped, left unattended for more than 24 hours on a public highway qualifies as abandoned.³ Hawaii County uses a 24-hour threshold with a one-mile radius rule: after a police officer posts a removal notice, the vehicle must be moved onto private property or at least one mile from its original spot within 24 hours, or it will be towed.

Once a vehicle is classified as abandoned, the county has ten business days to take it into custody.²

Derelict Vehicles Are a Separate Category

Hawaii distinguishes “abandoned” from “derelict.” Under HRS 290-8, a vehicle is derelict when it is physically inoperable, because a part has been removed or it has sustained material damage, and at least one of these administrative conditions also applies:⁴

The registered and legal owners no longer live at the addresses on file with the county director of finance.
The owners have disclaimed ownership, or a notice of transfer was filed but the new owner never completed the title transfer within 30 days.
The VIN and license plates have been stripped, making the owner impossible to identify.
The vehicle has not been registered for the previous 12 months.
The county has no record the vehicle was ever registered there.

Derelict classification allows faster removal. Before authorizing a tow, the county administrative head only has to check whether the vehicle has been reported stolen or is wanted for an investigation. There is no waiting period for the owner to respond, because the designation itself assumes the owner is unreachable or has walked away.

Notice to the Owner

When a county takes custody of a vehicle abandoned on public property, HRS 290-2 requires immediate written notice to both the legal and registered owner by registered or certified mail, sent to the address on file with the vehicle licensing division.⁵ The notice must describe the vehicle, state where it is being held, and explain what will happen if no one claims it within ten days. If the registered owner’s address is out of state, the deadline extends to 20 business days, and business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays.

What It Costs to Get Your Vehicle Back

Hawaii caps the fees a towing company can charge under HRS 290-11, and those caps also apply to certain police-ordered tows through HRS 291C-165.5. The statutory maximums:⁶

Base tow: $65, or $75 if a dolly is used.
Mileage: $7.50 per mile towed.
Storage: $25 per day for the first seven days, then $20 per day.
Difficult hookup surcharge: $30 for multilevel parking structures.
Overtime surcharge: $15 for tows between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 6:00 p.m. Friday through 6:00 a.m. Monday.

The statute is explicit that these are the only charges a towing company may bill the owner. The bill still adds up quickly. A five-mile tow followed by two weeks of storage runs roughly $430 before any surcharge. A month of storage can push combined charges past $700.

Fines and License Consequences

The tow bill is often not the worst of it. Hawaii layers administrative penalties on top of the direct costs, and those penalties reach your ability to register vehicles and to drive at all.

Registration Block and License Suspension

If you have outstanding charges or fines tied to an abandoned vehicle, including towing, storage, processing, and disposal costs, the county director of finance will deny registration for that vehicle and block any transfer of ownership.¹ The county also notifies the examiner of drivers, who can then suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew your driver’s license. Walking away from an abandoned vehicle situation does not just mean losing the car. It can also freeze your ability to legally drive anything else.

Repeat Offender Fines

Hawaii tracks how many times a registered owner’s vehicles have been deemed abandoned or derelict. Under HRS 290-46, escalating fines start at the third violation:⁷

Third violation: $750.
Fourth or subsequent violation: $1,000.

These fines are stacked on top of all towing, storage, and disposal costs. Honolulu adds its own municipal fine of $150 to $500 for abandoning a vehicle on a street or highway.⁸ Other counties may impose their own fines.

Sale of Unclaimed Vehicles

If nobody claims the vehicle within the notice period, the county can sell it at public auction. Sale proceeds go into the county general fund. The registered or legal owner is entitled to whatever exceeds the county’s towing, handling, storage, and sale costs, but the claim has to be filed within one year of the sale date. Miss that window and the county keeps the balance.

Vehicles Towed From Private Property

The rules above cover public roads and public property. Vehicles towed from private property fall under a separate part of HRS 290-11. A property owner or occupant can order an unauthorized vehicle towed at the vehicle owner’s expense, but only if the property has posted signage that meets specific requirements.⁶ The sign must use light-reflective letters at least two inches tall on a contrasting background, state that unauthorized vehicles will be towed and held at the owner’s expense, include the name, address, and phone number of the towing facility, and be visible to any driver approaching a parking space. For lots where every space is restricted, posting at each entrance is enough.

After a private-property tow, the towing company has 15 days to identify the registered owner through the department of transportation or county finance department and send written notice by certified mail. That notice must include the maximum towing charges allowed by law and warn that if the vehicle is not recovered within 30 days, it will be deemed abandoned and sold or junked after one public advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation. The towing company keeps its share for services rendered, and any remaining proceeds go to the owner if the owner can be located, or to the state director of finance if not.

One provision is worth knowing before your car disappears. If you reach the tow truck before it drives away, the company must release the vehicle to you at no charge. The statute covers the period from hookup until the truck actually leaves with the vehicle, provided the release can be done safely.

Reporting a Vehicle or Stopping a Tow

Every county handles reports slightly differently. Honolulu runs an online reporting portal open at any time. In Hawaii County, reports go to police dispatch at (808) 935-3311, and status checks on a previously reported vehicle go to the traffic services section at (808) 961-2227. When you report, have the location, plate number, VIN if visible, make, type, color, and how long the vehicle has been there.

If you are the owner and the county has posted a removal notice on your vehicle, the only way to stop the process is to actually move the car. Removing the notice sticker from the windshield does not reset the clock or cancel the tow. If you own a vehicle that is at the end of its life, Hawaii County runs a free disposal assistance program that will tow up to two derelict or permanently junked vehicles per fiscal year from your private property at no cost, subject to funding. Using a program like that is cheaper than waiting for the county to classify the vehicle as abandoned and bill you for the full removal chain.