PCS Car Shipping FROM Hawaii - Return to the Mainland, All Branches
Rotating back to the mainland from Hawaii? Whether you are a service member ETS-ing, retiring, rotating to a CONUS assignment, or a dependent leaving the islands, we ship cars from Oahu and every neighbor island (Maui, Big Island, Kauai) back to any state. Return port-to-port from Honolulu starts at $1,122. We coordinate your Matson return booking around your final out-processing date - not a generic window.
PCS Vehicle Shipping — Free Quote
Military rate · All-inclusive
🗺️Direction
📋 Docs required for this route
Title, Registration, Inspection, Photo ID — we'll walk you through it.
⚓Origin island
🛬Destination type
⚓Select port
The Hawaii-to-mainland return uses the same Matson vessels as the inbound, with 14-17 day ocean transit Honolulu to Long Beach or Oakland, but with a different documentation set and a different pickup experience. You drop off at the Honolulu Auto Terminal (1411 Sand Island Parkway, Honolulu HI 96819), we book the Matson return sailing, and you pick up at the CONUS port. Neighbor island vehicles (Maui, Big Island, Kauai) require an inter-island barge transfer from the originating island to Honolulu first - we coordinate that leg as part of your single booking so you are not arranging two separate shippers.
Five documents are required at the Honolulu terminal for a Hawaii-to-mainland shipment: (1) Hawaii vehicle title (or current out-of-state title if the vehicle was brought inbound and never retitled in Hawaii), (2) Hawaii safety inspection certificate, (3) lien release if the vehicle has a loan, (4) the original Matson Bill of Lading, and (5) a government photo ID. Missing any one of these documents delays your sailing. We send you a complete checklist at booking and confirm receipt of each document before the sailing cutoff.
The return timeline in three moves. First, you give us your final out-processing date (the day you must be CONUS-side, or your family's fly-out date) and we work backward to pick a Matson sailing that arrives on the mainland in time. Second, neighbor island vehicles are scheduled on the inter-island Young Brothers barge to Honolulu 5-7 days before the Matson sailing cutoff, with all barge and Matson legs on a single booking. Third, you pick up at the CONUS port (Long Beach or Oakland) and drive to your destination. We have run this exact sequence for hundreds of service members, retirees, and dependents leaving the islands.
Report-date-first scheduling
We build your entire pickup and sailing calendar backward from your reporting date. No guessing, no buffering.
Base housing coordination
We contact your gaining installation's housing office on your behalf to align your vehicle arrival with in-processing.
SCRA honored
Active duty members may cancel without penalty if orders change. No questions asked.
Direct Matson booking
We book directly on the Matson sailing calendar — no broker markup, no third-party delay.
Common Questions
How much does it cost to ship a car from Hawaii to the mainland?
Return port-to-port from Honolulu to the mainland starts at $1,122. Neighbor island origins (Maui, Big Island, Kauai) start at $2,140+ due to the Young Brothers inter-island barge transfer to Honolulu (the barge is included in your single booking). Door-to-port from the CONUS side to any state is available - get a quote for your specific route.
How do I get my car to the mainland-bound Matson vessel?
Drop off at the Honolulu Auto Terminal, 1411 Sand Island Parkway, Honolulu, HI 96819. Gate hours are Monday-Friday 8am-4pm (closed weekends and federal holidays). We send you the exact drop-off appointment time with your booking confirmation, plus the gate-entry procedure for non-DoD civilians.
How long does the return trip take?
Ocean transit from Honolulu to Long Beach or Oakland is 14-17 days (the same Matson crossing as the inbound, eastbound). Add overland delivery time if you chose port-to-door. Total to most CONUS destinations: roughly 18-28 days from drop-off depending on your state, with exact dates at booking.
Can I leave personal items in my car for the return trip?
No. Matson prohibits personal items in vehicles for all transits, including return. Remove all personal belongings (including paperwork, floor mats with personal items, aftermarket electronics not bolted in) before drop-off. The Honolulu terminal will reject vehicles with visible personal items at the gate.
What documents do I need for the return trip?
(1) Hawaii vehicle title (or out-of-state title if never retitled in Hawaii), (2) Hawaii safety inspection certificate, (3) lien release if there is a loan on the vehicle, (4) the original Matson Bill of Lading, and (5) government photo ID. We send you the complete checklist at booking and confirm receipt of each document before the sailing cutoff.
Can I ship my car from a neighbor island (Maui, Big Island, Kauai) back to the mainland?
Yes. We coordinate the Young Brothers inter-island barge from the originating island to Honolulu (5-7 days before the Matson sailing) and the Matson mainland sailing as a single end-to-end booking. You drop off at the originating island terminal (Kahului, Hilo, or Nawiliwili); the barge and Matson legs are both on one booking with one tracking number.
What if my out-processing date changes or my family is leaving on a different date?
Contact us immediately. We reschedule the Matson sailing and the inter-island barge (if applicable) at no penalty. Military out-processing changes (terminal leave, family travel arrangements) are common and we have handled every scenario. The only constraint is the Matson sailing cutoff - we need at least 5 business days before the cutoff to reschedule without a fee.
Does TMO cover the return shipment cost for my PCS?
Depends on your orders type and entitlement. Retirees and those separating may have partial or no TMO coverage; those rotating to a CONUS assignment typically have full POV shipping entitlement. Consult your TMO. For out-of-pocket portions, we offer all-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees.
PCS Rates
Port-to-Port (Oahu)
Deposit $200
Door-to-Port
Deposit $600
Neighbor Islands
Includes inter-island leg
Military hotline
(808) 378-7540