Hawaii License Plates

Hawaii County passenger plate prefix series numbering started in 1991 with range HNA-HZY issued to 2000; shorter/fatter dies found on late-1990s era Hawaii prefixes HWN to HWZ and HUA to HUV. Numbering moved to range HAA-HMZ from 2000-11 followed by ZAA-onwards. See History tab for newer numbering details.

Unlike Kauai, both Hawaii and Maui Counties share letter series with their Motorcycle, Trailer, and Commercial plates. For example, HDP prefix plates were issued to cars and HDP suffix plates were issued to commercial vehicles.

Honolulu County passenger plate numbering started in 1991 at the E series followed by F, G, J up to 2000. Shorter/fatter dies found on late-1990s era prefixes FTR and FTV and ran through GNZ. Plates from GPA on returned to regular dies. HZZ issued in Honolulu County due to a shortage of plates. Letters A, E and U not issued in the second position. See History tab for subsequent numbering to present.

In early 2006, vehicle owners in Honolulu were told that all E series plates (the lowest on the current base) were to be discarded because the reflectorization was failing due to age. Holders of E series plates were given the option of getting new plates (at the time in the N series) or having new plates made with their existing number. All E series plates validated beyond 2006 should have been/are/were remakes of the originals still in use by the original registrant.

Kaua'i County passenger plate numbering started in 1991 with KHx, followed by KJx, KKx, KPx, KRx and KSx up to 2000. Shorter/fatter dies found on late-1990s era prefixes KRD through KRZ. See History tab for subsequent passenger numbering to present.

Kauai also issued county-coded letter SUFFIX plates for KMx series Motorcycle, KXx Trailer, and KBx for Commercial, all tracked elsewhere on this site. Even though these plates use suffixes, the letters are not usually duplicated with car plate prefixes. KBx was issued for both Passenger and Commercial. It takes about 2 years to use up each two letter sequence (for example KAA through KAZ) on Kauai.

Maui County passenger plate numbering started in 1991 with the MTx-MZx range followed by MAx-MSx to 2008.

Shorter/fatter dies were observed on late-1990s era prefixes MZL-MAE, MUB, MUE and MUF. Yet MUA and MUC were observed with the regular dies. Maui trailer plates previously assigned to MUx series, so perhaps they originally omitted some early MUx plates and then issued them after reaching MZZ.

Maui has an interesting way of issuing plates. Large blocks of several thousand plates are issued to rental car companies on the island and then similar large blocks are issued to residents of the county, including those on the islands of Lanai and Molokai. In 2011, the newest rental car plates were LBR through LBT and LBZ. Plates for residents were issued in the LBN-LBP and LBU-LBX blocks. Maui is the only county that issues its plates like this; other counties intersperse their rental and non-rental plates in much smaller blocks. The Maui L series has been active since 2008, see History tab for newer observations.

No validation sticker used.

Changed to 4-digits and no caption in 2015. Previously "Trailer" was stacked vertically along left, followed by C & C and three digits to the right.

Hawaii County Commercial plates started in 1991 at HCA, see History tab for more numbering details.

This series of Honolulu commercial plates started in 1991 at TGA, different dies on TPY through TRC.

This series of Kaua'i Commercial plates started at KBA.

Only about 350 such plates were issued annually between 2011-13.

This 1991 series Maui Commercial plate started at MCA.

Hawaii County Government plates have always been in the CofH pattern, no space between letters and numbers.

Simple prefix up to CK 2099, then CofK2100 and up. The 'of' in CofK is very small and takes up only one space on the plates.

Maui County plates have always been in the CofM pattern, no space between letters and numbers.

"Trailer" stacked vertically on the left. CH and four digits to the right or CofH 1321 format.

"DEALER DEMO" to far left stacked vertically in two columns

ISA embossed before numbers. Handicapped plates are issued only in Hawaii County--none of the other islands--although the vehicles are seen on other islands.

ISA symbol on left, number on right.

Since June 2023, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services ambulances have dedicated EMS M series plates (EMS M01 through EMS M23) that indicate unit "medic" numbers. Only new ambulances in service use the new plate series; older ambulances still use thed old C&C plates at the time. More EMS Mxx plates will emerge as older ambulances are retired and replaced.

On the island of Hawaii, fire department vehicles including county-owned ambulances use HFD plates.

Honolulu Fire Department also uses HFD but only for administrative vehicles (Fire Chief, Fire safety inspectors, etc.) while their fire trucks use C&C plates. In Honolulu, they use one digit, two digit and three digit series for cars and trucks, but the three digits are in the 100s only and found on maintenance trucks.

In Hawaii County they use only three digits.

Red on Yellow, the word FLEET is stacked vertically to left of number, HAWAII across the top of plate, ALOHA STATE across bottom. Issued in blocks by county and sometimes observed on coach type buses.

2011 obs: Fleet cars were in the P12x and P13x ranges in Honolulu County, high P13671. Series P15x in Hawaii County, P16x in Maui County and low P17x on Kauai.

Fleet trailer plates are simple embossed red on yellow with vertically stacked FLEET along left side. Not to be confused with non-commercial private county-coded trailer plates. This series originally used TR prefix, later moved to suffix. Almost all Fleet Trailer plates observed in 2011 were on semis belonging to the Matson Company.

Red on Yellow fully-embossed plate, FLEET stacked vertically along left, HAWAII along the top and ALOHA STATE along bottom.

These plates are observed in blocks that may appear county-based but vehicle movement among islands is a regular, normal occurence. We offer these data for interest with the caveat that these allocations may not be absolutely correct.

Oahu-based companies like Hawaiian Telcom have trucks on all islands, but all have fleet plates in the Honolulu County allocation. UPS trucks also have Honolulu plate series throughout the State.

2011-15 obs: Honolulu Fleet Trucks up to T21x, Hawaii County using T20x, Maui County using T22x, Kauai County using T24x and in 2015 the T25x series was observed on both the Big Island and Oahu.

Issued only to representatives of Taiwan as official members of the "Coordination Council for North American Affairs"

Similar to the BWS plates used on Oahu by the Board of Water Supply, Hawaii County has DWS series plates for the Department of Water Supply.

All Honolulu Board of Water Supply plates use BWS prefix.

Trailer version: TRAILER stacked vertically on left side with BWS and three digits to the right, 2011 high BWS 323.

Issued to officials of consular offices in Hawaii.

Red letters on yellow background; "Permanent" stacked vertically down the left side: "Horseless Carriage" on two separate lines to the left of the numbers.

Started at HNA

Lowest obs XF- series, but likely started much lower.

Numbering started at KMA in 1991.

Numbering started at MVA in 1991.

In Honolulu and Maui, police departments have their own individual dedicated plate series shared among all police cars, trailers and motorcycles not issued blocks separately for each vehicle type..

Honolulu originally ran up through HPD 999 then to 7 digit plates from HPD1000.

Exception: Honolulu Police Trailer: Black on white rainbow graphic, HAWAII across top, ALOHA STATE across bottom, TRAILER stacked vertically to left of "HPD". HPD in smaller size (about 2/3) than numbers in order to fit 7 digits on plate. These are used primarily for the LED radar-based speed notices on roads that say "You are going xx MPH". HPD1181 is the high on this type.

Nearly all police cars on Oahu are 7 digits.

On Kauai and Hawaii, police cars use regular county plates.

MPD used by Maui police vehicles including motorcycles using the smaller size plates.

Black on white, rainbow, HAWAII across top, ALOHA STATE across botton, STATE to left of number stacked diagonally from top left.

STATE to left of number stacked diagonally; TRAILER to the far left stacked vertically.

BUS prefix, number matches the non-sequential vehicle fleet number, so highs for this type not as meaningful.

Starting in 2021, new 7-digit plates were issued for electric buses in the Honolulu transit system.

Probably started at HYA, but nothing lower than HYB observed by Andy in Feb. 2011.

Black on white, rainbow graphic, HAWAII across top, ALOHA STATE across bottom, TRAILER stacked vertically to left of number.

Possibly started at WAA but only WDx and WEx plates up to WEH observed by Andy in 2011.

Probably started at KXA, but nothing under KXM observed by Andy in Feb. 2011.

Probably started at MUA, but nothing lower than MUB observed by Andy in Feb. 2011.

Series started in 2017 with NP, NR-NZ and NA-NK followed by Xx series in 2024.

This series became available January 31, 2022, first in Honolulu, and then gradually spreading to the other islands. The series begain with the "PV" prefix and ascended from there. The first plate issued on Kaua'i was PV01J.

The design depicts the Hokule'a, the double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe, anchored at Kualoa on the island of O'ahu.

Stickers supporting various causes are placed at left of the AA000-format serial. This series was created to give non-profit organizations part of the proceeds from the registration of these plates.

DK series restricted to Kauai; DL and DM series restricted to Maui county and DH series restricted to Hawaii county.

Combat Veteran screened on separate lines before numbers.

Combat Wounded, Purple Heart

Gold Star Family plates GS001 and GS002 issued Oct. 10, 2011. Purple and gold emblem on the left with GOLD STAR printed above and FAMILY below the emblem.

Pearl Harbor Survivor written out in separate lines to the left of the numbers.

Persian Gulf Veteran screened on separate lines before numbers.

"VETERAN" is below the flag. Upon reaching 9999, the series continued with A101 to Z999, then 101A.