A Hawaii veteran license plate is available to qualifying veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, Pearl Harbor survivors, conflict-era veterans, and Gold Star family members under Hawaii Revised Statutes 249-9.2. You apply through your county motor vehicle office with proof of the service that qualifies you, and the plate costs the same as a standard plate.1Justia. Hawaii Code 249-9.2 – Special Number Plates; Military Service
Which Plate You Qualify For
HRS 249-9.2 authorizes ten plate categories, each with its own designation printed on the left side of the plate and its own proof requirement. Pick the one that matches your service, because the documentation the county asks for depends on the category.
- Combat Wounded — proof that the U.S. Department of Defense awarded you the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat against an armed enemy.
- Veteran — certification that you are a veteran.
- Pearl Harbor Survivor — proof that you were serving the United States, military or civilian, on Oahu or offshore within three miles during the December 7, 1941, attack.
- Former Prisoner of War — proof that you were confined as a prisoner of war while providing military service.
- Combat Veteran — certification of combat service from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services.
- Vietnam Veteran, Korea Veteran, World War II Veteran, Persian Gulf Veteran — certification of conflict-era service from the VA or the Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services.
- Gold Star Family — proof that you would qualify for a gold star lapel button under 10 U.S.C. 1126, which covers immediate family members, including grandparents, of service members who died during military service.
Your DD Form 214 will usually contain the facts the county needs for most categories, but the statute keys on the underlying proof rather than a single document. If you qualify through a specific conflict, the VA or the state Office of Veterans’ Services issues the certification directly.1Justia. Hawaii Code 249-9.2 – Special Number Plates; Military Service
Every category is available for passenger vehicles and for motorcycles or motor scooters.
How to Apply
Apply at the motor vehicle office in the county where your vehicle is registered. Hawaii’s four counties — Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai — each handle their own registration. In the City and County of Honolulu, the form is CS-L(MVR)192, “Application for Veteran Specialty License Plates.”2City and County of Honolulu. Special Plates Other counties use equivalent forms available at their registration offices.
Submit the completed application together with the proof your category requires. The application goes to the director of finance for your county. Most applicants receive their plates within a few weeks of filing a complete application.
Cost and Renewal
The Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services confirms that veteran license plates are issued “for the same cost as a regular license plate.”3Office of Veterans’ Services. Benefits and Services There is no premium for choosing a military service plate. In Honolulu, the plate fee itself is $5.00, charged on top of standard registration costs that include a $46 state registration fee, a $20 county registration fee, weight-based taxes, and a $7.00 highway beautification fee.4City and County of Honolulu. Motor Vehicle Registration Fees differ slightly by county.
Hawaii registration renews annually in the county where the vehicle is registered.5Hawaii County, HI Vehicle Registration & Licensing. Registration Renewal Your veteran plates stay with you through renewals as long as you remain eligible and keep the vehicle registered in your name.
Vehicle, Transfer, and Surrender Rules
The plates can only go on a noncommercial passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or motor scooter registered in your name. They cannot be used on a commercial vehicle or on a vehicle registered to someone else.1Justia. Hawaii Code 249-9.2 – Special Number Plates; Military Service
Military service plates are not transferable to another person. If you sell or transfer the vehicle, surrender the plates to the director of finance before new plates are issued for a replacement vehicle. One exception: after a qualifying veteran passes away, the director of finance may allow a surviving family member to keep the front plate as a memorial.1Justia. Hawaii Code 249-9.2 – Special Number Plates; Military Service
Disabled Veteran Registration Fee Exemption
The disabled veteran registration fee waiver is a separate program from the plate itself, and it is worth knowing about if you qualify. Hawaii waives the $45 state registration fee for veterans rated 100 percent service-connected disabled by the VA. You still pay county fees, weight taxes, and other charges. To qualify, you must be a Hawaii resident with an other-than-dishonorable discharge and a current 100 percent VA rating.6Office of Veterans’ Services. Motor Vehicle Exemption for Veterans with a Service-Connected Disability Rating of 100 This exemption applies regardless of whether you also carry a veteran license plate.