To ship your car to Hawaii is a two step process, first you have to get it to the port, and then a ship will transport your vehicle to Hawaii. There are two major cargo companies that ship cars from ports on the west coast to Hawaii, Matson and Horizon. Once the vehicle is in Hawaii you can pick it up at the port yourself. What makes Hawaii different then other states is that there are highly enforced rules that must be obeyed.

To Hawaii

1. ¼ of fuel or less.

2. No personal effects left in the vehicle.

3. Vehicles must be clean inside and out.

4. No chips or cracks in any of the glass.

5. Must be a running vehicle.

From Hawaii

1. ¼ of fuel or less.

2. No personal effects left in the vehicle.

3. Vehicles must be clean inside and out.

4. No chips or cracks in any of the glass.

5. Must be a running vehicle.

6. Either the vehicle’s title itself or a loan authorization form from the bank allowing the car to be shipped to the mainland.

Travel time on the ship is 2-3 weeks; the shipping companies will start charging storage fees about four days after the vehicles arrive in Hawaii so you don’t want to ship your vehicle too early.

When you make arrangements with an auto transport company be sure to mention which company they will be delivering the vehicle to. This is because delivering to the port is harder then delivering to a dealer or private party as they are closed on the weekends, for lunch, and they tend to close early. Some companies will charge extra fees to deliver to the port, so it is important that you tell them upfront where the car will be delivered.

Don’t ship vehicles with mechanical problems to Hawaii. If they get to the port and they do not run the carrier will deliver them to an auto repair shop of your choosing, but you still will have to hire someone to bring the car to the port and that will usually cost at least another $150.

Matson Port Locations:

• Mainland

Long Beach, Oakland, Portland and Seattle

• Hawaii

Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului, Kawaihae, and Nawiliwili

Horizon Locations:

Mainland

Tacoma, Oakland Los Angeles

Hawaii

Honolulu and

• Hilo and Kawaihae, Hawaii

• Kaunakakai, Molokai

• Kahului, Maui

• Nawiliwili, Kauai

• Kaumalapau, Lanai

Contact phone numbers

Matson

800-462-8766

Horizon

877-678-7447