Beginning July 1, Hawai‘i drivers to pay more for annual vehicle safety inspections

Starting July 1, 2025, the fee for a Hawai‘i vehicle safety inspection will increase by 75 cents to $25.75 for automobiles and trucks and to $17.75 for motorcycles and trailers. This is the first fee increase for vehicle safety inspections since 2017, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation.

The department reports that the increase is needed to cover the vendor costs to administer and manage the safety check program, also known as the Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection program. Under the new fee structure, the share that goes to the contractor, Parsons Corporation, to operate the PMVI program will increase from $1.34 to $2.09.

The state will continue to collect $1.70 for administrative and enforcement purposes. The inspection station that conducts the safety check will retain the balance of the fee paid for each inspection.

The fee for replacement of a destroyed or lost inspection sticker or certificate also will increase by 75 cents, from $6.34 (with $1.34 provided to the PMVI contractor) to $7.09 (with $2.09 provided to the contractor).

Required vehicle safety inspections are intended to identify potential safety issues that can help prevent equipment failure that may result in a crash or stalled vehicle. On average, 1.2 million safety inspections are conducted each year in Hawai‘i.

Currently, there are approximately 500 permitted inspections stations statewide. A list of safety inspection stations can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/library/motor-vehicle-safety-office/ (scroll down to the last section titled Periodic Inspection of Motor Vehicles).

The HDOT conducted a public hearing on the proposed fee increase in December 2024 to get public input. Interested parties may review the updated rules here: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/home/doing-business/hawaii-administrative-rules/ .

For more information, contact the Motor Vehicle Safety Office at 808-692-7650.