# Just saw a car driving with a Hawaiian license plate.....in Minnesota.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2018, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838 "2018-05-26T01:40:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/21 "2018-05-26T23:45:27Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I knew a guy in college who came from a wealthy Hawaii family. He had his Alfa Romeo shipped to California. It had Hawaii plates. So obviously one can get cars shipped here from Hawaii, it just takes money. … So obviously one can [_have just about anything done_], it just takes money. 🙂 There’s not much in the world that can’t be fit between that set of square brackets. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/22 "2018-05-27T01:55:58Z")
My dad shipped his Jaguar from Canada to Finland when he was on sabbatical (and then back again) way back in the mid-70’s. Not sure what he did for registration. IIRC shipping a car is about a thousand or two from an east coast port to Europe. (Google roll-on roll-off) Last year I saw a truck in Canada with a Sonoma license plate. Every so often you see Northwest Territories, or (rarer) Nunavut plates. (How? They don’t even have roads from there…) Funniest was driving in New Zealand. The license plates don’t have anything except the numbers/letters. Since there is ONLY New Zealand, no need to identify the country. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/23 "2018-05-27T02:08:02Z")
I live in Missoula, Montana. Someone who owns a minivan with Hawaiian plates lives on the same street I do, and parks their minivan on that street. I also see Alaska and New Mexico plates fairly often, the New Mexico plates to the point I’ve developed a theory about a strange quasi-mystical connection between Montana and New Mexico, possibly due to ley lines and/or old-folks migration patterns. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/24 "2018-05-27T02:34:39Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > If I wanted to ship my vintage Rolls Royce, with British plates, to the US, would I be able to drive it without registering it in a State, and if so, for how long? To import the car, it would have to be 25 years or older. Less than that and the car would have to be “federalized” to US safety and emission standards; very expensive if even possible. > **[How To Import A Foreign Car... Legally](https://jalopnik.com/how-to-import-a-foreign-car-legally-5892536)** > > Draconian import restrictions make it difficult, but not impossible, to bring lustworthy foreign cars never sold in the U.S. to our shores. Do it wrong and the Feds will take your ride. Here's Mike Solo's instructions for doing it right. — Ed. > **[Here Are The Four Legal Ways To Import A Car To The United States](https://jalopnik.com/here-are-the-four-legal-ways-to-import-a-car-to-the-uni-1682067632)** > > As many of you know, I am currently importing a 1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R to the United States. Well, just to be clear, I am not importing it. That task is being handled by a bunch of sailors, and longshoremen, and dockworkers, and port employees, all... The Feds speak: [Importing a Motor Vehicle | U.S. Customs and Border Protection](https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car) Registration requirements vary state to state. Check the state’s Dept. of Motor Vehicle web site. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/25 "2018-05-27T04:33:49Z")
I rented a car that had Hawaii license plates from Hertz in Chicago a couple of years ago. I rent a lot of cars and it’s common to get out of state cars (one-way rentals and all), but I’m still scratching my head on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/26 "2018-05-27T11:36:26Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > I also see Alaska and New Mexico plates fairly often, the New Mexico plates to the point I’ve developed a theory about a strange quasi-mystical connection between Montana and New Mexico, possibly due to ley lines and/or old-folks migration patterns. There was an ‘incident’ back in the 60s (1962, I think) where a UFO was spotted over the Malmstrom AFB missile fields (Great Falls, MT). Those ICBM warheads were designed in New Mexico, and you have the UFOs. I think the math works out. 😃 Tripler harumph. . . hawfawfaw. . . I mean, ahem, ‘I can neither confirm nor deny a connection.’ ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/27 "2018-05-27T16:35:08Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > I know a number of people, military, who had there cars shipped to Hawaii when being stationed there and shipped back to the mainland when done. I don’t know if the military has a program for that or if they had to pay out of pocket. When I was dating Mr. Brown Eyed, he was stationed at Pearl Harbor. Upon his discharge from the Navy, he had his truck shipped from Oahu to Long Beach harbor, whereupon we picked it up and drove to Ohio. He drove around with Hawaii plates for several months until he registered his vehicle in Ohio. The Navy paid for the cost of shipping all of his belongings, including his truck, back home. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/28 "2018-05-27T16:45:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Just saw a car driving with a Hawaiian license plate…in Minnesota… I would be impressed if it were an [Amphicar](http://www.amphicar.com), otherwise - meh. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/29 "2018-05-28T00:02:19Z")
In one of the seasons of The Great Food Truck Race, one of the trucks was from Hawaii and everywhere they went people from Hawaii would show up. The other contestants were getting a little upset and of course the Hawaii truck won! We Kamaaina (people born or living in Hawaii for a long time) be everywea (everywhere)! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/30 "2018-05-28T02:05:52Z")
> [@sweepkick](#): > > I rented a car that had Hawaii license plates from Hertz in Chicago a couple of years ago. I rent a lot of cars and it’s common to get out of state cars (one-way rentals and all), but I’m still scratching my head on that one. Rentals over here in Hawaii don’t get huge mileages and most get returned to the states rather than be [del]dumped[/del] sold locally. If there is still time on the registration, it makes sense for the rental company to continue using the existing plates. Probably varies state to state regarding their interactions with rental car companies. ---
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/31 "2018-05-28T04:13:46Z")
My family has lived in Livingston Montana for three years now. We’re about an hour north of Yellowstone’s north entrance, and the only entrance near an interstate, so we see a lot of plates. We made a sport of it, seeing how far into the Summer it is before we’ve seen each state’s plate. Last year Rhode Island was the holdout but we finally saw one in late August. So we’ve seen all 50 each year. We also see plenty of foreign plates, British Columbia and Alberta plates being more common than many states’. We saw a Northwest Territories tag two years back. Unfortunately it looks like they added color to what was (maybe still is, tied with Nunavut) the best license plate of all. Besides Canadian plates, we’ve seen many from further afield: a couple Mexican, a Brazilian, a few France, a few Switzerland, Sweden. The weirdest I ever saw was Guinea-Bissau. So yeah, Hawaii: NBD. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/32 "2018-05-28T04:46:09Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Rentals over here in Hawaii don’t get huge mileages and most get returned to the states rather than be [del]dumped[/del] sold locally. If there is still time on the registration, it makes sense for the rental company to continue using the existing plates. Probably varies state to state regarding their interactions with rental car companies. Thanks, I was thinking it must be wildly expensive to ship a car back to the mainland, but it seems it’s not as bad as I had imagined. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/33 "2018-05-28T05:01:24Z")
> [@sweepkick](#): > > Thanks, I was thinking it must be wildly expensive to ship a car back to the mainland, but it seems it’s not as bad as I had imagined. It can be more economical to ship rather than sell and buy new not only for cars but also household items including appliances. One case is where employers are paying for shipping. They’re not going to give you money to buy a new car, but they may pay to move it. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/34 "2018-05-28T05:03:27Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Rentals over here in Hawaii don’t get huge mileages and _ **most get returned to the states** _ rather than be [del]dumped[/del] sold locally. If there is still time on the registration, it makes sense for the rental company to continue using the existing plates. Probably varies state to state regarding their interactions with rental car companies. Aw, c’mon smithsb. You know better, we may be the 50th, but we’re still a State! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/35 "2018-05-28T13:48:30Z")
I have relatives in Albany, NY and we visit them once or twice a year. Once, we saw a car with Hawaii plates parked on the streets there, and for the next few years, we made a point of passing by that house to see if that rare sight was still present (and for at least a few years, it was). I’ve also seen a Puerto Rico plate in the mainland US. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/36 "2018-05-28T14:48:50Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > We Kamaaina (people born or living in Hawaii for a long time) be everywea (everywhere)! 😛 Hey, braddah, don’t forget the okina! ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/37 "2018-05-28T20:38:00Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Aw, c’mon smithsb. You know better, we may be the 50th, but we’re still a State! 😃 There I was, trying to be a nice guy and not throw out an acronym like CONUS that would just confuse the plebes back in the Continental United States. 😉 **We’re special! We’re islands!** (and Las Vegas)🙂 Note on shipping: With the addition of some competition; rates are $850 to/from the states and the bigger companies probably get a much better deal. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/38 "2018-05-28T22:38:24Z")
I once saw a rental truck with Hawai’i plates in Toronto. The rarest one, though, was a Guanajuato plate outside a convenience store in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. I walked past the car and went into the store and heard the driver saying to the cashier that it took a week to drive from their place in Mexico. The plate had GTO MEX on it. I suppose it’s possible to see plates in Toronto from further south, like Honduras or something, but I’ve never seen one. Last week I saw one from Japan on the front of a passing car, but was immensely disappointed to see an Ontario plate at the back. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/39 "2018-05-28T23:42:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Hey, braddah, don’t forget the okina! LOL! Yea, I realized that after I posted. Figured some local boy would call me out on that! :smack: Make me mo’ shame for calling out smithsb for the States thing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838/40 "2018-05-29T09:07:50Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I saw a guy in London driving a US model Mustang with the steering wheel on the left. He was a local , not from the US. Did not ask him where he got it. That’s not uncommon. Within a mile from my house (South of England) there’s a left hand drive Mustang, and a late model Camero. Just around the corner is a right hand drive Mustang. There’s a shop nearby called North American Motors that specializes in restoring old American cars. There’s currently a 1955 Chevy Nomad parked there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-a-car-driving-with-a-hawaiian-license-plate-in-minnesota/814838.md?page=3)