Inside the labyrinth

Ever since my car arrived at Pier 1 in Kahului, I've been slowly making my way through the labyrinth of registering a car in the County of Maui. When you pick your car up, you're given a temporary registration that's good for 30 days...MAX! And you need every one of those thirty days to accomplish the long list of tasks laid out for you by the Motor Vehicle Registration and Drivers Licensing division of the Maui County Department of Finance.

Direct from their online FAQs is the list of "requirements to switch from out of state license plates to Hawaii license plates and obtain Maui registration:"

• Complete and sign an appropriate application for registration form. If the vehicle is registered in joint ownership, both owners must sign.
• Submit the last issued out of state certificate of registration.
• Submit the last issued out of state certificate of title if you are listed as the lienholder.
• Submit a bill of lading or shipping receipt which shows the date the vehicle arrived in Maui.
• Submit a current Hawaii certificate of safety inspection.
• If vehicle’s year model is 2007, 2008 or 2009, submit a G-27 form with any required attachments. This form may be obtained from the State of Hawaii Department of Taxation or from their web site at www.state.hi.us/tax/alphalist.html#g. Questions regarding the G-27 form should be directed to the Maui District Tax Office at 808-984-8500.
• If we do not have the weight of the vehicle as established by the manufacturer, you may be required to have the vehicle weighed at a state certified scale.
• The required fees will be determined by registration personnel.

What's not on the list? In order to get a current Hawaii certificate of safety inspection, you need documentation that you have Hawaii car insurance.

So far I've accomplished the insurance transfer (and found out that insurance in Hawaii is nearly double the cost in Idaho even with a MUCH higher deductible) and the safety inspection. Next up is the scary-looking form G27 - otherwise known as the Motor Vehicle Use Tax Certification, which I gather is intended to prevent residents of Hawaii from purchasing vehicles in another state and importing them so they can avoid paying tax on their purchase. Now considering the hassle and cost I just experienced shipping my car to Hawaii, I would personally be happy to pay the tax instead, but that's just me.

Since I actually purchased my car for use in Idaho and shipped it to Hawaii as part of my household goods, I am happily exempt from the MVUT - you know the roulette wheel has to land on your number once in a while just to keep you in the game.

So I'm ready to make the trip to the registration office, gripping my application form, registration, title, bill of lading, safety inspection form, G27 form, documentation of gross vehicle weight, and checkbook, and as long as I don't lose anything on the way, I think I'm good to go!