Shipping to Hawaii? You need no documents at all
This is the question we answer more than any other, and the answer is a relief. If your car is heading from the mainland to Hawaii, there is no document package to gather, nothing to email us, and no forms to fill out. Bring your booking number and a government-issued photo ID to the port, and you are done.
No title. No registration. No bill of sale. People arrive expecting a folder of paperwork and are genuinely surprised, so if you have been putting off your booking because you thought you needed to hunt down a title, you can book today.
The ID matters for one reason only: the name you show at the gate should match the name on the booking. That is the entire requirement going west.
Shipping from Hawaii? Two documents, sent ahead of time
Leaving the islands is different. Hawaii requires proof that the car is yours before it can go off-island, so we need two things by email before your drop-off date:
Your title, photographed front and back. Both sides, both readable.
Your current vehicle registration.
Put your booking number in the subject line and send them at least 24 hours before you drop the car off. Earlier is better. The reason for the 24 hours is simple and human: people forget, then they are standing at the port with a car they cannot drop.
Do not email us your ID. That one is a gate item, covered below.
If you are still making payments on the car
A financed car means the bank holds your title, so there is no title for you to photograph. That is completely normal and it does not stop your shipment.
Instead of the title, we need a lienholder authorization letter: written permission from your bank or finance company saying the vehicle may be shipped. Send that along with your current registration, same 24-hour window.
Call your lender and ask for a letter authorizing vehicle transport off-island. Most have a standard form for it. Start this early, because it is the one document that depends on somebody else's turnaround time rather than yours.
If the title has two names on it
Plenty of titles are in two names, most often a married couple. When that is the case, either both people come to the drop-off together, or one of you signs a power of attorney authorizing the other to handle it alone.
The power of attorney needs to be notarized, and you can attach it to the same email as your title and registration. No separate errand.
If someone else is dropping the car off for you
This comes up constantly and it is entirely workable. Maybe you have already flown to the mainland and your mother is handling the drop-off, or a friend is taking the car down for you.
Whoever physically drops the car off needs a notarized power of attorney from the registered owner. Attach it to your document email with the title and registration, and the person dropping off brings their own government-issued photo ID to the gate.
If your situation is messier than that, call us. We have almost certainly seen your exact version of it before.
Your ID at the gate
A government-issued photo ID is presented in person at the guard gate when the car arrives at the port. Never email it to us or to anyone else.
The name on that ID should match the name on the title and registration, and the name on the booking. When those three agree, the drop-off is quick. When they do not, tell us in advance so we can sort it out before you make the trip rather than while you are standing there.
One extra item at Hilo
If you are dropping off at Hilo, the port additionally asks for a current safety check certificate, the yellow or blue paper from your inspection.
Honolulu, Kahului, and Nawiliwili do not ask for it. If your Hawaii registration is current you have almost certainly passed a safety check already, since renewal requires one, so this is usually a matter of finding the certificate rather than getting a new one.
Getting the car itself ready
Separate from paperwork, a few things make the drop-off smooth:
Empty the cabin and the trunk. Personal belongings cannot ride along.
Give it a wash, undercarriage included. Every car arriving in Hawaii goes through a Department of Agriculture inspection looking for soil, seeds, and insects, and a clean car clears faster.
We recommend just under a quarter tank of fuel.
Check your windshield. Chips and cracks are the single most common reason a car gets turned away, and a chip is usually a same-week fix at a glass shop. Many comprehensive policies cover it at no cost. Tell us if you spot one and we will work around your repair.
Still not sure what applies to you
Every shipment has its own wrinkle, and the document list depends on which direction you are going, who owns the car, and whether a bank is involved.
Call us at (808) 378-7540 and we will tell you exactly what your shipment needs, in about two minutes. We would much rather answer the question now than have you discover a missing document at the gate.
