Question: Do they still discount vehicle registration for the National Guard, etc.? If so, that’s what they should get rid of — those guys make a good living and a lot of them drive big pickups.
Answer: Yes, state law exempts one noncommercial vehicle from motor vehicle weight taxes if the vehicle is registered to a “member of the National Guard, military reserve, or armed service, including the Coast Guard,” who is a member in good standing of a unit assigned to Hawaii, per Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 249-6.5.
Because state law bestows this perk, it would be up to the Legislature and governor to end it; we know of no current effort to do so.
For nonexempt vehicles, county and state motor vehicle weight taxes are paid annually as part of the vehicle’s registration, distinct from state and county fees. Depending on the vehicle’s size and type (commercial or noncommercial), weight taxes may run several hundred dollars a year.
You mentioned trucks. For example, a nonexempt owner of a 5,000-pound noncommercial pickup truck registered on Oahu would have paid about $450 in motor vehicle weight taxes last year ($100 to the state and $350 to Honolulu County), according to a summary of vehicle tax rates posted by the Tax Foundation of Hawaii at 808ne.ws/tfhvwt.
As for exercising the exemption, Hawaii residents on active duty and members of the National Guard and Reserve assigned to units in Hawaii who want to do so “must submit a properly completed Hawaii Resident Certificate, Form CS-L (MVR)50A,” which they can obtain from their military personnel office or military unit, according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services. See 808ne.ws/mvreg for more information.
Q: Is it still possible to get the COVID-19 vaccine brought to an infirm person at home, or was that only at the beginning? My grandfather is not in a nursing home and doesn’t have a caregiver at home, but he has limited mobility in terms of going to a drugstore or someplace like that for a booster shot.
A: Yes, people who are homebound, medically fragile or have special needs may be eligible to have the COVID-19 vaccine brought to them, according to the state Department of Health; this service has not ended yet. Your grandfather can call 808-586-8332 or 833-711-0645 to see whether he qualifies, or you can call on his behalf. Interpreters are available for people not fluent in English, the department says. Calls are taken from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Q: What a relief that graduates can have more than four guests at the UH graduation. We’ve waited a long time for this day and want to be there. Do you know what time Stan Sheriff will open for the audience?
A: The university’s commencement website says that for guests, the doors to Stan Sheriff Center will open at:
>> 3:45 p.m. for the May 13, 5 p.m. ceremony
>> 7:45 a.m. for the May 14, 9 a.m. ceremony
>> 2:15 p.m. for the May 14, 3:30 p.m. ceremony
Guests are encouraged to arrive early; doors will close when the arena reaches maximum capacity, it says.
Q: Is there a list somewhere of all the high school graduations?
A: For public schools, yes, there’s a list on the state Department of Education’s website, hawaiipublicschools.org/.
Q: Can I renew my car registration at Safeway if it’s overdue?
A: Yes, self-service DMV Now kiosks available in some Oahu grocery stores (mainly Safeways) can process a motor vehicle registration renewal up to 10 months past its expiration date, with a $16 late fee, according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the kind lady who returned my credit card to Foodland Aina Haina, saving me a lot of hassle. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
