Hawaii car shipping has two parts, and most people only plan for one. First your vehicle has to reach a West Coast port, usually in the Long Beach, Oakland or Tacoma area. Then it rides a roll-on, roll-off vessel across the Pacific to an island port. Sahara Auto Transport puts both legs under a single booking, so you have one point of contact from your driveway to the dock in Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo, Kawaihae or Nawiliwili.
We pick up your car anywhere in the lower 48 with an open or enclosed carrier, deliver it to the departure port on the right day, and coordinate the ocean leg with licensed ocean carriers. While your car is on the water, our team keeps you posted on progress and arrival timing. When it lands, you pick it up at the island port with your ID and release paperwork, and you are back behind the wheel.
Heading the other way? We also ship cars from Hawaii to the mainland. Military families, students finishing school, and residents moving back to the continent use the same route in reverse, with Sahara meeting the vehicle at a West Coast port and trucking it to your new address in any of the other 49 states. Call 888-509-8666 and we will map out both directions with you.
Who ships a car to or from Hawaii
- Families relocating to Oahu, Maui, Kauai or the Big Island
- Service members with PCS orders to or from Hawaii bases
- Snowbirds and seasonal residents who want their own car on the island
- Students heading to or leaving a Hawaii college
- Island residents moving back to the mainland
- Buyers who purchased a vehicle on the mainland for use in Hawaii
What you get
Why customers choose Sahara for this
One booking, two legs
We arrange the inland truck move and coordinate the ocean voyage, so you are not juggling a car hauler and a shipping line separately.
All major island ports
Ship to or from Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo, Kawaihae or Nawiliwili, depending on which island you call home.
Paperwork guidance up front
We walk you through title, registration, ID and lienholder letters before pickup so nothing holds your car at the dock.
Licensed ocean partners
Sahara coordinates the sea leg with licensed ocean carriers that run regular roll-on, roll-off service between the West Coast and Hawaii.
Updates across the Pacific
Our team tracks your vehicle from pickup to port to island arrival and keeps you informed along the way.
Step by step
How Hawaii Car Shipping works
Mile 01
Quote and paperwork check
Call 888-509-8666 or request a quote online. We confirm your pickup city, island destination and vehicle details, then send a checklist of the documents the port will ask for.
Mile 02
Inland pickup to the West Coast
A Sahara carrier collects your car at your door and trucks it to the departure port in the Long Beach, Oakland or Tacoma area, timed to the vessel booking.
Mile 03
Port drop-off and ocean crossing
The vehicle is inspected at the terminal, checked for fuel level and personal items, and loaded onto a roll-on, roll-off ship bound for your chosen island port.
Mile 04
Island pickup
When the ship arrives and the car is cleared for release, you collect it at the island port with your photo ID and release paperwork.
Pricing
What shapes your price
- 01Distance from your pickup address to the West Coast departure port
- 02Which island port you are shipping to, since each has its own ocean rate
- 03Vehicle size and weight, which affect both the truck and the ocean leg
- 04Open or enclosed carrier for the inland portion
- 05Season, with summer moves and military PCS peaks filling vessels faster
- 06Whether the car runs and can be driven on and off the ship
Preparing your car for the trip to Hawaii
Ocean carriers have their own rules for vehicles on board, and the port will check them at drop-off. Plan to run the fuel down to a quarter tank or less, remove personal belongings and loose items, take off aftermarket racks or accessories that could shake loose, and wash the car so it arrives clean, including the undercarriage. The vehicle should be in safe running condition with no major fluid leaks. Requirements change, so we confirm the current rules for your sailing when you book.
Bring your current registration, the title or a copy as directed, and a valid photo ID. If the car is financed or leased, the ocean carrier usually requires a notarized letter from the lienholder authorizing the vehicle to leave the mainland, and that letter can take time to obtain, so request it early. After arrival, Hawaii has its own safety inspection and registration steps for vehicles coming from the mainland, and Sahara can point you to the right county office for your island.