Hawaii paperwork
Vehicle Release & Authorization Form
Ocean terminals require the registered owner at drop off. If you cannot be there, this notarized letter authorizes someone else to release the vehicle on your behalf.
When you need this form
- The registered owner cannot be present at the ocean terminal for drop off
- A spouse, family member, friend or dealership is releasing the vehicle
- A military member is deployed and a designated adult is handling the drop off
- Someone other than the owner is picking the vehicle up at destination
How to complete it
- Print two copies — one for the terminal, one for your records
- Fill in the date, booking number and registered owner name — Enterprise Auto Transport is already named as the authorized party, so there is nothing to write there
- List the year, make, model, license plate and VIN exactly as on the title
- Sign in front of a notary — the stamp or seal is required
- Bring a copy of the owner's photo ID with the notarized form
- Have the title, bill of sale or current registration with you at drop off
Letter of Authorization / Vehicle Release Form
Required when the registered owner cannot be present at drop off or pickup. Complete, sign in front of a notary, and bring it to the terminal with a photo ID.
Letter of Authorization from the owner to allow shipment of this automobile / motorcycle to or from Hawaii.
Date
Booking #
Registered owner (full legal name)
Authorized party releasing / receiving the vehicle
Enterprise Auto Transport
and its assigned carrier or terminal agent · (239) 273-4649
This letter will serve as authorization that I, the registered owner named above, give permission to Enterprise Auto Transport — and the carrier or terminal agent assigned by Enterprise Auto Transport — to drop off, release and receive the vehicle described below for ocean shipping on my behalf.
Year
Make
Model
License plate #
VIN
Authorized signature of registered owner
Notary stamp or seal
Enterprise Auto Transport · (239) 273-4649
Why ocean terminals require this form
Domestic truck transport is looser about who hands over the keys. Ocean freight is not, and the reason matters.
A vehicle bound for Hawaii is handed to an ocean carrier that takes legal custody of it for the entire voyage. Before that carrier accepts the unit, it has to establish that the person releasing it has the right to do so — the same way a title office will not transfer ownership on a stranger’s word. Terminals verify identity against the registration and title, and if the name on the paperwork is not the name on the ID standing in front of them, they need a notarized document connecting the two.
The same applies on the receiving end. Whoever picks the vehicle up in Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo, Kona, Nawiliwili or Kaunakakai must either be the registered owner or be named on an authorization. Sending the form ahead of time is the difference between driving away the same day and paying storage while paperwork gets sorted out from the mainland.
If there is an active lien on the vehicle, the lienholder’s written permission to ship is a separate requirement on top of this form. Banks and credit unions typically issue that letter within a few business days, so request it as soon as you have a sail date. Leased vehicles usually need the leasing company’s authorization as well.
Reasons terminals reject a release form
Almost every rejection we see traces back to one of these. Ten minutes of checking saves a wasted trip to the port.
Missing notary seal
A signature alone is not enough. The form needs the notary's stamp or embossed seal, their signature and the commission expiration date. A photocopy of a notarized page is often refused — bring an original.
VIN does not match the title
Transposed digits are the single most common error. Copy the VIN character by character from the title or registration, not from memory or a dealer window sticker.
Name mismatch
The owner name must match the title exactly, including middle initials and suffixes. If the title still shows a maiden name, bring the marriage certificate or updated registration.
No photo ID for the authorized person
The person releasing or receiving the vehicle presents their own unexpired government ID, and it has to match the name written on the authorization.
Co-owner did not sign
If the title lists two owners joined by 'and' rather than 'or', both signatures are required and both must be notarized.
Stale or altered form
Cross-outs, correction fluid and pencil entries invalidate the document. Reprint and start over instead of editing. Terminals also question forms notarized many months before the sail date.
Getting it notarized
A notary confirms the signature is genuine. Do not sign before you get there.
Notaries are available at most bank branches, UPS Store locations, shipping and print shops, county tax collector offices, real estate and title companies, and many public libraries. Banks often notarize free for account holders; retail notaries typically charge a small per-signature fee. Florida caps notary fees at $10 per signature, and most states have a similar limit.
Bring an unexpired government photo ID and the unsigned form. The notary watches you sign, then applies the stamp or seal along with their commission expiration. Remote online notarization is legal in Florida and many other states and is a practical option for a deployed service member or an owner who is already out of the country — terminals generally accept a printed RON certificate, but confirm with your coordinator first.
If the registered owner is active-duty military, base legal assistance offices notarize at no cost. A power of attorney issued through the JAG office also works in place of this form and is worth requesting before a deployment rather than during one.
Release authorization questions
What owners ask us most about this document.
Do I need this form for a normal mainland truck shipment?
Usually not. On domestic door-to-door moves the driver simply needs an adult present to sign the bill of lading at pickup and delivery. This notarized form is specific to ocean terminals, which take legal custody of the vehicle.
Can I email a scanned copy to the terminal?
Send a scan ahead so the file is on record, but plan on the person at the terminal carrying an original printed copy with the notary seal. Most ports will not release a vehicle on a scan alone.
How long is the authorization valid?
It is tied to the shipment described on it, not to a fixed expiration. If your sail date moves by a few weeks the same form is fine; if the booking is cancelled and rebooked months later, execute a fresh one.
What if the vehicle is financed?
You still need this form, plus a separate written authorization from the lienholder allowing the vehicle to leave the mainland. Request that letter early — lenders commonly take three to five business days.
Can a dealership or auction release the vehicle for me?
Yes. Name the business and the specific employee on the form. The employee brings their own photo ID, and the terminal matches it to the name written on the authorization.
Who signs the bill of lading at drop off?
The person you authorized. They should photograph the vehicle from all four corners and note every existing scratch, chip and dent on the condition report before signing, because that document is the baseline for any future claim against the carrier.
Questions about Hawaii paperwork? Call us.
Open and enclosed semi-truck carriers, door-to-door delivery and a coordinator who answers the phone.