Does Hawaii require a front license plate?

Yes. Passenger vehicles registered in Hawaii must display plates on the front and the rear.

What does a Hawaii plate number look like?

Three letters and three numbers, like ABC 123. The first letter shows the county that issued the plate.

Do I need to replace a Hawaii plate without the ʻokina?

No. Plates issued before 2025 that spell HAWAII without the ʻokina are still valid. New and replacement plates now include it.

How long is a Hawaii temporary plate good for?

For a new car bought from a dealer, 30 working days after you take possession. The dealer writes the expiration date on the plate.

Can I get a VIN from a Hawaii license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with Hawaii selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a Hawaii license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Hawaii vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

Hawaii License Plate Lookup

Enter a Hawaii plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

Hawaii has no statewide DMV. Each of the four counties registers vehicles and issues plates, and the first letter of a plate number shows which county issued it. The rainbow design dates from 1991, and plates issued since January 2025 spell the state name HAWAIʻI, with the ʻokina.

Hawaii plate to VIN

A Hawaii platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

Hawaii license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
ABC 123	Three letters and three numbers on the rainbow plate. The first letter shows the county, and plates issued since January 2025 spell HAWAIʻI with the ʻokina.

Hawaii requires plates on the front and the rear.

Who issues plates in Hawaii

Plates and registrations in Hawaii come from the county governments, such as the City and County of Honolulu, and people go in person to satellite city halls on Oʻahu and county motor vehicle offices on the neighbor islands. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the county motor vehicle offices or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in Hawaii

Dealers selling new cars issue temporary number plates, which under state law are valid for 30 working days after the buyer takes possession, through a date the dealer writes on the plate.

Personalized and specialty plates

In Honolulu and on Kauaʻi, personalized plates are limited to six letters and numbers, counting spaces, with one hyphen allowed. A lookup tool on the City and County of Honolulu’s website shows whether a combination is available.

The first letter tells the county

H and Z mean Hawaiʻi County, M and L mean Maui County, and K means Kauaʻi County. Honolulu uses the other letters in the series, including A through D, which it added in late 2023.

What a Hawaiiplate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

Hawaii plate lookup questions

Does Hawaii require a front license plate?: Yes. Passenger vehicles registered in Hawaii must display plates on the front and the rear.
What does a Hawaii plate number look like?: Three letters and three numbers, like ABC 123. The first letter shows the county that issued the plate.
Do I need to replace a Hawaii plate without the ʻokina?: No. Plates issued before 2025 that spell HAWAII without the ʻokina are still valid. New and replacement plates now include it.
How long is a Hawaii temporary plate good for?: For a new car bought from a dealer, 30 working days after you take possession. The dealer writes the expiration date on the plate.
Can I get a VIN from a Hawaii license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with Hawaii selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a Hawaii license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Hawaii vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.