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HRS §476-26

Removal of a vehicle by a service member

This section lets an active-duty service member who bought a vehicle move it off the island or out of state without the seller's permission, if they were on active duty when they signed the contract and have been reassigned elsewhere. It also allows removal from Hawaii when the lien holder is an out-of-state dealer or lender. The seller and buyer can agree otherwise in a separate written agreement.

buyersmortgage lenders

The statute, as written — Removal; member of armed forces

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 476-25, a member of the armed forces of the United States on active duty who is a buyer of a motor vehicle under a contract, without the consent of the seller, may remove the motor vehicle from the island in which the motor vehicle was first kept for use by the buyer after sale if the buyer was a member of the armed forces of the United States on active duty at the time of execution of the contract and if such buyer has been reassigned to a different county, state, or country by competent government orders, unless the seller and buyer execute an agreement, separate and apart from the contract in respect of which it applies, stating that the motor vehicle may not be removed or stating the terms and conditions under which it may be removed. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 286-57, a member of the armed forces of the United States under contract with an out-of-state dealer or financial institution identified as the lien holder of record on a vehicle registration or vehicle title may remove said vehicle from the State without the consent of the seller.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§286-57 Rules for taking vehicles out of Hawaii

§476-25 When a buyer can move or sell goods before paying in full

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.