By Staff Reports
(HONOLULU) – With car ownership transfers on the rise in the City and County of Honolulu, sellers and buyers are being urged to follow a few helpful tips for ensuring that the transaction goes smoothly.
The double-digit increase in vehicles changing hands across Oʻahu has led the city’s Motor Vehicle Registration Branch to highly recommend that buyers and sellers go together in person to a satellite city hall to transfer the title and ownership.
Buyers are also encouraged to research sellers, especially when they don’t know them, and to be wary of unlicensed car dealers disguised as private-party sellers.
In addition, buyers are urged to ask to see the seller’s official photo, preferably on a driver’s license or state identification card, and to verify that the identification matches the information on the registration and title of vehicle changing owners.
Last year, 171,386 car ownership transfers were completed in the City and County of Honolulu, representing a 17 percent increase from the previous year.
“The increase in vehicle title transfers has prompted us to highlight important information to assist parties in properly transferring a title from the seller to the new owner,” said Kim Hashiro, director of the city’s Department of Customer Services.
To transfer a vehicle title on Oʻahu, make an appointment online at alohaq.org. Transferring ownership of a single vehicle can be processed in the same appointment at any of the nine satellite city halls across Oʻahu.
For more information on how to transfer a vehicle title in the City and County of Honolulu, visit www.honolulu.gov/csd