Hawaii Car Dealer Forms
These are the Hawaii DCCA forms a licensed dealer needs to buy, sell, and title vehicles in Hawaii. From the Hawaii title and registration application to the bill of sale, odometer disclosure, title reassignment, and temporary tag paperwork, each links to the official source where available. Download the current version straight from the Hawaii Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board (DCCA, Professional & Vehicle Licensing Division) or the federal agency, never a copy that's gone stale.
Which Hawaii form goes with which deal
A form list on its own does not tell you what to grab on a Saturday afternoon. Here is the same set arranged by the deal in front of you.
- Retail sale to a customer in state
- Application for Registration, CS-L(MVR)1 (Honolulu County), Odometer Disclosure (Section A of the Certificate of Title), the FTC Buyers Guide, and a bill of sale. This is the stack behind almost every deal jacket you build.
- Retail sale to an out-of-state buyer
- Same paperwork, but the buyer titles in their home state, so the Hawaii title has to be assigned cleanly and the odometer reading has to match on every document. A correction later means a duplicate title and a delayed deal.
- Wholesale to another licensed dealer
- No Buyers Guide is required on a dealer-to-dealer sale, but the title assignment and odometer disclosure still are. Keep the invoice with the jacket, it is what proves the unit left your inventory.
- Taking a trade-in
- You need the customer's signed title assignment and odometer disclosure, plus a lien payoff quote in writing if the trade is financed. Take the trade in your books at actual cash value, not at the number you allowed on the deal.
- Title is not in hand at signing
- Buyer / Seller Power of Attorney, CS-L(MVR)38A / 38B (Honolulu) covers the assignment and mileage disclosure until the title arrives. Track the promise: an unresolved title is the single most common reason a deal unwinds.
- Customer pays more than $10,000 in cash
- IRS Form 8300 is federal and applies in Hawaii like everywhere else. It covers cash and cash equivalents in one transaction or in related transactions, and it is due within 15 days.
Hawaii state forms
| Form | What it's for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application for Registration, CS-L(MVR)1 (Honolulu County) ↗ | County application for vehicle registration; titling and registration are county-run. | Every deal |
| Form G-45, Periodic General Excise/Use Tax Return ↗ | Hawaii GET on dealer gross receipts (no sales tax); Form G-49 reconciles annually. | Every deal |
| Buyer / Seller Power of Attorney, CS-L(MVR)38A / 38B (Honolulu) ↗ | Title assignment when the title isn't present at sale. | As needed |
Federal forms (every state)
| Form | What it's for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Odometer Disclosure (Section A of the Certificate of Title) | Federally required mileage disclosure, captured on the title itself for vehicles 20 years old or newer (correction form CS-L(MVR)70 exists separately). | Every deal |
| Buyers Guide (FTC) ↗ | As-is vs. warranty window sticker required on every used vehicle offered for sale. | Every deal |
| IRS Form 8300 ↗ | Report cash payments over $10,000 in a single transaction. | As needed |
Temporary tags and dealer plates in Hawaii
Temp tags and plates are handled by the counties (Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai), not the state Board. Buyers must transfer title and register within 30 days of purchase; licensed dealers process transfers through the county 'Dealer Express' channel and operate on county-issued dealer plates. Point buyers to their county DMV for specifics.
Where Hawaii dealer forms come from
Most dealers search for Hawaii DMV forms, and in Hawaii there is no DMV. The forms come from the Hawaii DCCA. Same paperwork, different letterhead, which is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon on the wrong website.
- DCCA, Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board ↗
- DCCA, Motor Vehicle Forms & Publications ↗
- Motor Vehicle Statutes & Rules (HRS Ch. 437 / HAR Ch. 86) ↗
Paperwork mistakes that cost dealers money
None of these are exotic. They are the four that turn up again and again in audits and in unwound deals.
- Assuming an older car is odometer exempt. The federal rule changed for model year 2011 and newer: those vehicles carry a 20 year disclosure window, not 10. Dealers who learned the old rule skip disclosures they still owe.
- A Buyers Guide that is not on the car. The Used Car Rule wants it displayed on the vehicle while it is offered for sale, not produced at signing. It also has to match what you actually agreed to sell, and the copy the buyer takes home governs over the contract if the two disagree.
- A title assigned in the wrong hand. Reassignments are limited, the signature has to match the name printed on the title, and a correction fluid fix voids it. That is a duplicate title application and weeks of delay.
- Paperwork that lives in a drawer. A form you filed but cannot find is a form you did not file, as far as an auditor is concerned. Store documents against the VIN, not in a filing cabinet by month.
Hawaii dealer forms FAQ
What forms do car dealers need in Hawaii?+
Hawaii dealers use Application for Registration, CS-L(MVR)1 (Honolulu County), Form G-45, Periodic General Excise/Use Tax Return, Buyer / Seller Power of Attorney, CS-L(MVR)38A / 38B (Honolulu), plus federal forms every dealer needs like the FTC Buyers Guide and the odometer disclosure. Each is listed below with its purpose and official link.
Where do I get official Hawaii dealer forms?+
Download current forms directly from the Hawaii Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board (DCCA, Professional & Vehicle Licensing Division). Third-party copies go out of date, always pull the latest version from the official source linked on this page.
Is it the Hawaii DMV that handles dealer forms?+
Not exactly, and this trips up new dealers. Hawaii does not call it the DMV: the agency is the Hawaii DCCA. Searching for "Hawaii DMV forms" is how most dealers look for them, but the official source is the Hawaii DCCA.
Do I need an FTC Buyers Guide on every used car in Hawaii?+
Yes. The federal Used Car Rule requires an as-is/warranty Buyers Guide displayed on every used vehicle offered for sale, in Hawaii and every other state.
Does an old car still need an odometer disclosure?+
Usually, yes. The federal exemption changed for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, which now require disclosure for 20 model years instead of 10. A 2011 model still needs a disclosure through 2031, so treat "it's an old car" as a reason to check, not to skip.
How long should I keep Hawaii deal paperwork?+
Keep the complete deal jacket, not just the forms you filed. State record-retention rules run for years and an audit or a customer dispute can land long after the sale. Loturn stores every document against the VIN so the jacket rebuilds itself.
Let the paperwork build itself
Loturn fills and stores your deal documents against each vehicle and customer, a complete, audit-ready deal jacket without the filing cabinet.
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