Rather than hijack NoSoupForYou's thread, thought I would ask separately. What goes into HI vehicle inspection? Anything of concern for a hardly modified S52 M coupe (exhaust, suspension, little stuff)?

Don't worry about it too much. It is a safety "tax" for the state. $15 and they check to see if your headlights are aimed properly, turn signals, reverse and brake lights are operational, wipers and horn are operational and a check to see if your window tint is no more than 35%. They are supposed to check your brake pads, but they seldom do.

Don't worry about it too much. It is a safety "tax" for the state. $15 and they check to see if your headlights are aimed properly, turn signals, reverse and brake lights are operational, wipers and horn are operational and a check to see if your window tint is no more than 35%. They are supposed to check your brake pads, but they seldom do.

cool, headlights might be an issue since I have HIDs, but I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there. What happens if you don't "pass"?

courtesy of the AIGHawaii website:

Getting Your Wheels
Once your car has arrived in Hawaii, you'll have to register it at any Satellite City Hall location within 10 days. To register your car, you will need your current certificate of registration, bill of landing receipt from the shipping company, a safety inspection certificate and sticker, valid Hawaii automobile insurance card and certificate of ownership. A safety inspection can be obtained from any state-approved gas station. An attendant will check to make sure that you have a valid Hawaii automobile insurance card and that your head-, tail- and brake-lights, horn and windshield wipers work properly. For more information, call:
Oahu Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing (808) 532-7700

I actually think there's a bit more to it than that, but not much more. If your car has mods, especially if they're really obvious, you may have to get a so-called reconstruction permit from HPD (?) before you can get an inspection. Not really sure how it works since my car is bone stock, but it sounds like a PITA. :D

courtesy of the AIGHawaii website:

Getting Your Wheels
Once your car has arrived in Hawaii, you'll have to register it at any Satellite City Hall location within 10 days. To register your car, you will need your current certificate of registration, bill of landing receipt from the shipping company, a safety inspection certificate and sticker, valid Hawaii automobile insurance card and certificate of ownership. A safety inspection can be obtained from any state-approved gas station. An attendant will check to make sure that you have a valid Hawaii automobile insurance card and that your head-, tail- and brake-lights, horn and windshield wipers work properly. For more information, call:
Oahu Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing (808) 532-7700

I actually think there's a bit more to it than that, but not much more. If your car has mods, especially if they're really obvious, you may have to get a so-called reconstruction permit from HPD (?) before you can get an inspection. Not really sure how it works since my car is bone stock, but it sounds like a PITA. :D


sounds straight forward enough....here on the EC when things are done by a gas station attendant there are rarely problems 20-40 dollars can't fix...here's hoping it's the same everywhere ;)

cool, headlights might be an issue since I have HIDs, but I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there. What happens if you don't "pass"?

Don't worry about HIDs.

Here is the manual that the inpectors are supposed to go by. If they followed everything, everybody would most likely always fail :rolleyes

http://www.hawaii.gov/dot/highways/adminrules/PMVI%20Manual%20for%20Inspectors%20of%20Pass%20Car s%20&%20Lt%20Trucks%20Aug%202005.pdf


Oh and here are the recon rules:

http://www.hawaii.gov/dot/highways/adminrules/HAR19-134%20July%2024%201986.pdf

I don't think the time limit is 10 days...I think it's more like 30. When I had my car shipped here, I had to wait a while before going down to the DMV since it was umm...missing the front bumper :D Once I got it here and installed I went to get my safety check and then my registration. You can elect to keep your mainland plates for a year, as long as your mainland registration expires after that. Mine still had more than a year left (lovely 2 year Maryland historical plates that was $60 a year) so I chose to leave the plates on rather than get Hawaii plates. You do have to pay $5 or so to get a big ugly blue sticker to stick on your bumper to keep out of state plates though. If I recall correctly they will give you free registration for the first year if you change to Hawaii plates immediately, though I'm not sure if that was just because my MD registration still had over a year to go.

as for the state safety check...as long as your car isn't insanely modified it should be ok, if not then it's just a matter of who you know ;)

even if you have no safety check... its not that big of a deal. I went for about a year with an expired safety check before someone ticketed me. And I was driving the beat to hell primer black Dodge with no roof, no windows, no carpet, busted windshield, etc....
The main hurdle is getting the safety check so that you can get your registration. If your registration is good, lack of safety check is just a $60 ticket.

+1 on the "nothing a $20-$40" can't fix to a small little shop

just clear corners fail you for a safety inspection... "by the book"

so i always get mine done off nimitz back in the industrial section.. throw him an extra $20 and its all gravy