Register a Japanese truck in Hawaii.

Where the truck lands

There is no highway from California. The usual path is Los Angeles / Long Beach, then a container or barge to the island where you will register.

CBP entry is at the first US port unless the bill of lading names Honolulu. Neighbor-island delivery (Maui, Hawaii, Kauai) is another leg after Oahu. Budget both. Neither is in the Japan vehicle price.

After it is in Hawaii

Each county registers its own vehicles. Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai are not one DMV. Hawaii requires a safety inspection before registration. Right-hand drive can be titled. Insurers sometimes hesitate. Ask your insurer before you pay the balance.

The office that handles the plate is City and County of Honolulu, Motor Vehicle Registration. Read their current page before you pay the vehicle balance. County rules change, and the page they publish is the one that titles the truck.

How old the truck has to be in Hawaii

NHTSA’s rule is the same in Hawaii as in every other state. A vehicle at least 25 years old, counted from the date of manufacture, can be imported without regard to the full federal safety standards. That entry is HS-7 Box 1. The badge year on the fender is not the clock.

City and County of Honolulu, Motor Vehicle Registration is the office that titles the truck in Hawaii. Their linked page is where the plate is issued after customs release. This page does not add a second age on top of the federal 25-year manufacture date.

The federal file, then the state

The federal gate is the same in every state. NHTSA’s 25-year rule runs from the date of manufacture on the plate, not the badge year. The entry is HS-7 Box 1. EPA is a separate file. CBP’s vehicle page says a vehicle is exempt from EPA standards when 21 years have passed since the original production year and it is still in original condition. Form 3520-1 is filed at entry. A truck can clear one clock and fail the other. Your broker files the entry at the discharge port. CBP’s importing-a-car page prints auto duty at 2.5% and truck duty at 25%. Those printed rates are not in our price. US$500 by card starts the Japan-side order. Ocean freight is quoted after the sailing is booked. State title, use tax, and any inspection come after CBP releases the truck. A federal release is not a state plate.

NHTSA: importing a vehicle · EPA: importing vehicles and engines · CBP: importing a car · United States overview