Can you ship a car to Hawaii? Yes. Thousands of vehicles make the crossing every year, and the process is more straightforward than most people expect. The car travels by ocean vessel from the West Coast to the Islands, and a broker handles the booking, coordination, and logistics so the owner does not have to manage carriers directly.
What follows is the complete picture: how to book, which service options exist, what preparation the car needs, how long the crossing takes, and what happens on both ends.
How to Book and Choose a Service When You Ship a Car to Hawaii
Booking starts with a free instant quote online. The quote accounts for the route, the vehicle dimensions, and the service type. Once the owner accepts the quote and pays the booking deposit, the sailing is reserved.
Two service options cover most situations:
1. Port-to-port service. The owner drives the car to Long Beach Port or Oakland Port. This is the least expensive way to ship a car to Hawaii because no overland carrier is involved. Owners who live within a few hours of either port often choose this option.
2. Door-to-port service. A licensed, cargo-insured overland carrier picks the car up at the owner's address and delivers it to the departure port. This suits anyone who lives far from California or who cannot make the drive themselves. Door-to-port service adds an overland leg, but the ocean crossing is the same either way.
Both services use Matson as the ocean carrier. The car sails to Honolulu Port on Oahu. If the destination is Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island, the vehicle continues on a neighbor-island barge to Kahului Port, Nawiliwili Port, or Hilo Port.
"I tell people the hardest part is usually deciding whether to drive to the port themselves or have a carrier pick the car up," says Camilo Jaime, owner of Car Shipping Hawaii. "Once that choice is made, the rest is paperwork and prep, and westbound there is no paperwork at all."
Preparing the Vehicle Before Drop-Off
Matson publishes specific preparation requirements, and the port gate enforces them. A car that does not meet these rules will be turned away.
Fuel level. The tank must be above one-eighth and below one-quarter full. Not empty: the car has to move under its own power at the port.
Clean exterior and interior. Wash the outside and vacuum the inside. Leave the interior dry. Vehicles go through a condition survey at the load port, and a dirty car complicates that survey. The USDA also inspects for agricultural hazards: mud caked in wheel wells, grass, seeds, or dirt inside. A car that fails the agricultural check is held until cleaned at the owner's expense.
Remove everything that is not bolted down. Personal belongings are not permitted. The only exceptions are up to two factory-installed child car seats and accessories the manufacturer installed. Remove: • Roof cargo carriers, non-factory roof racks, bike racks, attached tents • Loose electronics, toll tags, extra batteries • Fire extinguishers (federal rules forbid them in a shipped car) • Ignition interlock devices • Car covers
Disable the alarm system. Leave one key on a single ring.
Operational requirements. The car must start, steer, roll, and brake under its own power. The emergency brake must work. Vehicles showing a check-engine, airbag, or tire warning light are refused. Ground clearance must be at least six inches.
No EVs or plug-in hybrids. Battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are not accepted on the Matson service Car Shipping Hawaii arranges. Regular non-plug-in hybrids require exact year, make, model, and battery-system verification before acceptance can be confirmed.
A detailed walkthrough of drop-off day is in the complete drop-off guide.
Documents for the Westbound Crossing
Shipping a car from the mainland to Hawaii requires no documents at all. At the port gate, the person dropping off the car shows a government-issued photo ID and provides the booking number. The name on the ID must match the name on the booking.
That is it. No title, no registration, no additional forms. This surprises many first-time shippers who assume they will need a folder of paperwork.
Eastbound shipments, Hawaii back to the mainland, do require documents. The title, registration, and for financed vehicles a lienholder authorization letter must be emailed at least 24 hours before drop-off. But westbound, the process is simpler.
How Long Does It Take to Ship a Car to Hawaii?
Matson publishes a transit window of 9 to 45 days from the West Coast to the destination port. That range accounts for: • 5 to 8 sailing days on the ocean • 3 to 5 days for loading and unloading at each end • For neighbor-island destinations (Kahului Port, Hilo Port, Nawiliwili Port), an additional 14 to 32 days of barge time after arrival in Honolulu
The exact timeline depends on the sailing schedule. A car that hits the next available sailing moves faster than one that just missed it. Summer months and peak relocation seasons can create backlogs, so booking early helps.
Never count on a specific arrival date for something time-sensitive. The window is a window, not a promise. For a deeper breakdown, see the transit time guide.
What Happens on Arrival in Hawaii
When the car reaches its destination port, it clears the agricultural inspection. This typically takes about one business day. Once cleared, the owner receives notification that the vehicle is ready for pickup.
Pickup requires the booking number and a government-issued photo ID matching the booking name. Pick the car up promptly. Ports charge storage fees after their free days expire. Those are port fees, not charges from Matson or the broker.
Walk around the car before signing the release paperwork. If anything looks different from when the car left the mainland, note it on the paperwork before leaving the lot. Dated photos taken at drop-off and at pickup make any future claim provable. Report new damage to Car Shipping Hawaii the same day.
What Car Shipping Hawaii Handles in the Process
Car Shipping Hawaii is a vehicle transportation broker with 18 years of experience. The company arranges both the ocean leg with Matson and, for door-to-port shipments, the overland leg with licensed, cargo-insured motor carriers.
The step-by-step process works like this:
1. Owner gets a free instant quote online. 2. Owner books with a deposit and selects port-to-port or door-to-port service. 3. Car Shipping Hawaii confirms the sailing and, if needed, dispatches an overland carrier. 4. Owner prepares the car according to Matson's rules. 5. Car is dropped off (port-to-port) or picked up (door-to-port). 6. Car Shipping Hawaii provides tracking information. 7. Car arrives, clears inspection, and owner picks it up.
Car Shipping Hawaii ships standard personal vehicles only: cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. The company does not ship motorcycles, RVs, trailers, boats, or commercial vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you ship a car to Hawaii if you live far from California? Yes. Door-to-port service covers any mainland address. An overland carrier picks the car up and delivers it to Long Beach Port or Oakland Port, where it boards the same Matson vessel used for port-to-port shipments. The exact departure port is confirmed at booking based on the vehicle's dimensions and the pickup location.
Do I need any paperwork to ship a car to Hawaii? No documents are required for westbound shipments. A government-issued photo ID and the booking number are all the port gate needs. The ID name must match the booking name. More detail is in the documents page.
How much does it cost to ship a car to Hawaii? Pricing depends on the route, the service type, and the vehicle. The cost factors page explains what drives the quote, and the instant quote tool generates an exact figure for any specific shipment.
What if my car has a cracked windshield? A chip or crack in the front windshield should be repaired before transport. We strongly recommend having Safelite or another qualified glass shop fix it and keeping the receipt. A car taken to the port unrepaired may be refused, and a refusal could result in unexpected expenses.
Can I put anything in the car? No personal items are allowed. Vehicles with visible belongings are rejected at the gate. The only exceptions are up to two factory-installed child car seats and manufacturer-installed accessories. Anything else needs to come out.
Ready to ship? Get a free instant quote at carshippinghawaii.com and see the exact cost for your vehicle, route, and service type. Booking takes a few minutes, and there is no obligation until you confirm.
About Car Shipping Hawaii: Car Shipping Hawaii is a vehicle transportation broker with 18 years of experience, arranging door-to-port and port-to-port vehicle shipping between the US mainland and the Hawaiian Islands. Instant online quotes available at carshippinghawaii.com.
