City sets public hearing on new rules for personalized license plates

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, May 16, 2023 

HONOLULU – O‘ahu residents will get a say in new rules designed to rein in the offensive language motorists want to affix to their Hawaiʻi license plates.

The Motor Vehicle Registration Branch in the City and County of Honolulu has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed personalized license plate rules for 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 24 at Kapolei Hale.

The proposed rules bring renewed attention to ongoing efforts to ensure that personalized license plates in the City and County of Honolulu comply with statewide rules of decency. 

The proposed rules are aimed at reversing an estimated 6 percent increase over the past three years in the number of applications rejected for license plates that are profane, encourage violence, refer to genitalia or are sexually explicit in some way.

“With license plates being a very visible aspect of any vehicle, we are focused on continuing to apply clear, objective and reasonable guidelines for the number and letter combinations in applications we receive for personalized license plates,” said Department of Customer Services Director Kim Hashiro, whose oversight responsibilities include motor vehicle registration.

The proposed administrative rules and a complete notice of public hearing are available at: https://bit.ly/3L8jkrv

—PAU—

UKDM: Hawaii MAGA supporter sues state for right to keep crude license plate attacking Black Lives Matter which DMV staff have repeatedly tried to retract after insisting it was issued by mistake