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Seabrooks's avatar
Seabrooks
Explorer
Jan 31, 2017

Registration with Hawaii domicile?

Aloha and thanks or any help. Been planning to pick up a B or small A for a few road trips, but I am not going full time and need to maintain my Hawaii drivers license, domicile etc. I can't register the vehicle here without submitting for a state safety check, which would entail prohibitive shipping costs. Any suggestions?

7 Replies

  • DownTheAvenue wrote:
    There is no law that says you must register your vehicle in your domicile state, or that your drivers license and vehicle registration must be from the same state. South Dakota will let you register and insure a vehicle with a South Dakota address. Dakota Post is a mail service in Sioux Falls that can guide you through the process.


    If the OP owns a home in Hawaii its possible that having vehicles or drivers license in other states can cause them to lose their homestead exemption in Hawaii if they have one. If done thru a LLC, then that is quite possible and would not affect the individuals homestead.

    Charles
  • The only state that cares about a Hawaiian inspection would be the Hawaiian police and they will not be where you are > maybe !
  • K Charles wrote:
    If you go Here the AAA has a write-up of every state if you can or can't, and how.


    That's a useful write-up
  • There is no law that says you must register your vehicle in your domicile state, or that your drivers license and vehicle registration must be from the same state. South Dakota will let you register and insure a vehicle with a South Dakota address. Dakota Post is a mail service in Sioux Falls that can guide you through the process.
  • I suspect you would not be the only resident of Hawaii that maintains a vehicle on the mainland. Try giving the motor vehicle department a call to see what they suggest? Perhaps they'll accept a CA inspection? Other than that, a possibility that comes to my mind would be to setup a Limited Liability Corporation, possibly in Montana. Then title and register the RV through the LLC. There are lawyers in MT that specialize in handling that sort of thing.