Free Hawaii Trailer Bill of Sale Template

A Hawaii trailer bill of sale records a private trailer sale. Hawaii is the one state with no central motor vehicle department, so the document goes to a county office rather than a statewide agency.

Often, yes. The County of Hawaii requires a Manufacturer Certificate of Origin or Manufacturer Statement of Origin signed and notarized by the dealer when a trailer is registered for the first time. Where that document is not notarized, a notarized bill of sale executed by the dealer must be supplied instead.

The same county applies the rule down the chain, so each re-assignment must either be notarized or come with a notarized bill of sale.

Because each county runs its own office, confirm the position with yours before you sign anything. What Hawaii County requires is not automatically what Maui, Kauai, or Honolulu require.

Weight, safety, and timing all come into a Hawaii trailer registration, and the deadlines carry money attached.

Proving the weight

The certificate or statement of origin also validates the trailer’s weight. Where the weight cannot be determined from it, the trailer has to be weighed at an official weigh station.

What will not be accepted

A printout of the manufacturer’s warranty registration taken from their website is not sufficient, so do not rely on one as your origin document.

Homemade trailers

A trailer built rather than bought needs an appointment with a Motor Vehicle Control inspector for a vehicle identification number, then a weigh station visit, then a certificate of safety inspection.

The transfer deadline

In Hawaii County the endorsed certificate of title, the current certificate of registration, and a current safety inspection certificate must be submitted within 30 days. A transfer fee of $5.00 applies, and a late transfer fee of $50.00 is assessed after 30 days.

The seller’s notice

Maui County directs the seller to detach and complete the Notice of Transfer at the top of the certificate of title and mail it within ten days to the county office where the trailer was last registered.

Safety inspection timing

A failed safety check certificate issued for registration purposes is valid for only 30 days in Hawaii County, so leaving it too long means paying for another.

Federal safety standards

Everything registered in Hawaii County must comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that applied on its date of manufacture, under section 286-42 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Sequence it around the notary, since that is the step most people discover too late.

1. Ask your county office which documents it needs notarized for your particular trailer.
2. Complete the bill of sale and have it notarized where the county requires it.
3. Have the seller endorse the certificate of title and hand over the current registration.
4. Obtain a current safety inspection certificate.
5. Submit everything to the county office within 30 days to avoid the late transfer fee.

Fees vary by county and change from time to time, so confirm the current amounts with your county motor vehicle office before you go.

Record the trailer’s year, make, and identification number, the licence plate number, the price, the date, and both parties’ full names and addresses.

Leave room for the notarial block if your county wants the document notarized, and sign in front of the notary rather than beforehand.

Both sides should hold a signed original, since the county may want to see the seller’s copy if the chain is questioned.