State guide
Hawaii
Hawaii does not have a statewide DMV; vehicle registration and titling are handled by the counties, while state law in chapter 290 sets the baseline towing, notice, and sale rules. The biggest practical difference from mainland states is that Hawaii law often leaves the abandonment definition on public roads to county ordinance, while statewide law controls towing from posted private property and the later sale or junking process.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- When a vehicle counts as abandoned
- For public property, Hawaii lets counties define abandonment by ordinance, but if there is no county ordinance a vehicle is abandoned when unlawfully parked on a public highway or other public property for more than twenty-four hours.
- Removing one from private property
- On posted private property, the owner, occupant, or person in charge may order the vehicle towed at the owner's expense, and the tow company must give police notice and then mail owner notice within no more than fifteen days.
- Getting title to an abandoned vehicle
- Under HRS 290-11, if the vehicle is not recovered within thirty days after mailing notice, the tow company may sell it after one public advertisement, and the sale transfers title by operation of law; no statewide Hawaii DMV abandoned-vehicle instructions page was found.
- State agency
- County departments of finance handle vehicle registration and titling in Hawaii; the Hawaii Department of Transportation states that there is no statewide DMV.
Official resources in Hawaii
State law on county custody and disposal of abandoned vehicles on public property, including the statewide fallback definition.
State law for towing vehicles left without authorization on posted private or public property and for later sale or disposal.
Requires a towing business to notify the county police department before towing a vehicle.
State DOT page explaining that Hawaii has no statewide DMV and directing residents to county vehicle offices.
County vehicle-services hub for Oahu residents, including titling, junking, and abandoned-vehicle reporting links.
Key facts for Hawaii
- Hawaii law says counties must take abandoned vehicles into custody within ten business days of abandonment.
- If a county ordinance does not define abandonment, a vehicle is abandoned when left unlawfully parked on a public highway or other public property for more than twenty-four hours.
- A vehicle left on posted private property without authorization may be towed at the vehicle owner's expense by order of the owner, occupant, or person in charge.
- Before a business tows a vehicle, Hawaii law requires notice by telephone to the county police department to check for investigative interest.
- The towing company must notify the legal owner and last registered owner by certified or registered mail within a reasonable period not exceeding fifteen days following the tow.
- If the vehicle is not recovered within thirty days after the mailing of notice, Hawaii law deems it abandoned and allows sale after one public advertisement.
City abandoned-vehicle reporting in Hawaii
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report an Abandoned or Derelict Vehicle Honolulu | Honolulu | Not published* | Official City and County of Honolulu reporting page linked from the Department of Customer Services. |
| Motor Vehicle Control Honolulu | Honolulu | (808) 768-2530 | Honolulu's Department of Customer Services cites this contact for abandoned-more-than-24-hours issues and questions about claiming a vehicle. |
| Abandoned Vehicles and Metals Maui | Wailuku | (808) 270-6102 | County of Maui office page for reporting abandoned vehicles on public property, appointments to claim a vehicle, and online payment of charges. |
| Maui Police Department non-emergency line Maui | Wailuku | (808) 244-6400 | Maui's abandoned-vehicles page says public-property reports may be made through this non-emergency line, selecting 0 for dispatch. |
| KPD Online Reporting - Abandoned and Derelict Vehicle Report Kauai | Lihue | Not published* | Official Kauai Police reporting page for abandoned and derelict vehicles and other non-emergency incidents. |
| Police Dispatch Hawaii | Hilo | Not published* | Hawaii County records page says derelict or abandoned vehicles may be reported to Police Dispatch at this number. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- First determine whether the vehicle is on public property or on posted private property, because Hawaii uses different rules and different county offices depending on where the vehicle sits.
- In Hawaii, county offices handle the practical steps, so check the county reporting page or police reporting channel where the vehicle is located rather than looking for a statewide DMV form.
- If you are a property owner arranging a tow from posted private property, keep photos of the signs and the vehicle location and make sure the tow company follows the police-notification and mailed-notice requirements.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Hawaii's population center, for comparison only):
- Vehicle Abatement Detail, California · about 2403 miles
- Vehicle Abatement, California · about 2415 miles
- Parking Division, California · about 2512 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.HRS section 290-1
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Hawaii page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.