Veteran Specialty Plates - To apply for Veteran Specialty Plates you must present an original or certified copy of your DD Form 214 and eligibility certification from the Office of Veterans' Services.  Veteran Specialty License Plates cannot be issued without this certification.  To obtain your eligibility certification please contact the Office of Veterans' Services, at (808)369-3538.  Your vehicle's current license plates must be turned in to our office at the time of your appointment in order to obtain veteran specialty license plates.  We are unable to exchange or replace license plates without the current license plates.  All applications must be signed by the Veteran.   Available plates includes:

• Veteran                            
• WW II Veteran
• Purple Heart
• Combat Veteran
• Persian Gulf Veteran
• Korean Veteran
• Vietnam Veteran
• Prisoner of War
• Pearl Harbor Survivor

Make an appointment under Specialty License Plate.

 Organization Plates - Are available for certain non-profit entities.  An additional $25 fee is assessed annually at the time of your vehicle registration renewal.  A portion of this proceed is given to the organization.  Your vehicle's current license plates must be turned in to our office at the time of your appointment in order to obtain organization specialty license plates.  We are unable to exchange or replace license plates without the current license plates.  Application must be signed by a registered owner.  Available plates includes:

• Aloha Pregnancy Care and Counseling Center
• America United
• Bishop Museum
• DLNR - Division of Forestry & Wildlife
• Haleakala National Park
• Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education
• Hawaiian Humane Society
• HPU Sharks
• Honolulu Fire Department Fireman's Fund
• Honolulu Police Relief Association
• Hui Ho'ona'auao
• Ke Ali'i Pauahi Foundation
• Kahiau - A Tennis Foundation
• Polynesian Voyaging Society
• University of Hawaii Foundation
• Volcanoes National Park

Make an appointment under Specialty Plates.

Special (Vanity) License Plates - To apply for special (vanity) license plates you must appear in person to apply.  You may wish to check Special Personalized Plate Order to see if the characters you select is available.

VRL staff will complete an application for you at the time of your visit.  If we receive more than one application for the same vanity plate, the application we processed first will have priority.

The cost is $25.00 upon initial application and is not prorated.  After the vanity plate is issued a $25.00 annual charge will be added to your registration fees upon each renewal of the vehicle registration.  The plates are valid until the design of the license plates is changed. 

Effective June 1, 2022, fees for special (personalized) license plates will increase to $60 from $25 under Hawai'i Revised Statutes Section 249-9.1.  This fee applies to initial applications and annual renewal of a vehicle registration.  For further information call (808) 961-8351 or email vehiclerl@hawaiicounty.gov .

You will be notified by mail when the plates are ready for pickup.  At that time, you will be asked to:

• Submit the vehicle's certificate of registration.  Pay an emblem replacement fee of 50 cents.  If the registration has expired or will expire within 45 days, you must also pay for the renewal fees.
• Submit the vehicle's current license plates.
• Submit a current certificate of safety inspection.

Please adhere to the following guidelines when ordering special license plates:

• Limited to six letters, numerals, or combination thereof.  A space between a letter and number is counted as one of the six letter-numeral combinations.
• Only one hyphen is allowed in addition to the six letter-number combinations.  The hyphen may be used to replace a letter or number.  No other punctuation marks are allowed.
• The letter "O" will be used as a "zero".

All requested numbers, letters or combinations that are misleading, publicly objectionable, or letter-number combination of regular issued plates, will be denied.

The vanity plates will take approximately 60 to 90 days to manufacture. During this period you will need to purchase regular license plates (if you don't have any currently) and emblem for a fee of $5.50.

Applications can be obtained at any Vehicle Registration & Licensing Office.  Please make an appointment under Specialty Plates.

To obtain a vanity plate replacement:

• Complete and sign an application for replacement special number plate form.
• Submit your current motor vehicle registration. (If you are within 45 days of vehicle registration renewal, you must renew your vehicle registration before a replacement special license plate will be issued.)

If your special license plates have been mutilated or defaced, you must surrender both your front and back plates. If only one plate has been lost or stolen, you must bring in your one remaining plate.

The replacement fee is $20.

Vehicle Registration & Licensing Personnel will provide you additional information when the application for replacement is received.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer