Līhue DMV kiosk now accepts cash for vehicle registration

Cash has arrived at the self-serve DMV kiosk inside the Līhue office, giving Kauai drivers a new way to renew vehicle registration without a card. The County of Kauai said on April 29 that the kiosk now accepts cash, a change aimed at residents who were shut out by card-only payment rules and now can finish a routine renewal without standing in line.

The Līhue machine is the only kiosk on Kauai that can take cash. Other kiosk locations still accept only card payments, so the change matters most for unbanked residents, people who prefer cash, and kupuna who want a quicker stop at the county office. The kiosk still carries a $4 user fee on each transaction, and the renewal process itself has not changed: drivers still enter a license plate number or scan the renewal barcode, then the kiosk prints the registration and license plate tabs immediately after payment.

That new payment option comes on top of Kauai County’s existing renewal rules. Annual registration fees are set under HRS 249 and depend on vehicle weight and usage. Drivers must register by the last working day of the expiration month, and the county assesses a penalty of 20% of the County Weight Tax and 20% of the State Weight Tax if fees are not paid on time. In county offices, renewals can also be paid by cash or check, money order, or cashier’s check.

The cash upgrade builds on Kauai’s push to spread self-service registration across the island. On February 2, county officials opened a kiosk at Western Motor Service in Hanapēpē, at 1-3680 Kaumuali‘i Highway, saying it would reduce travel time and ease congestion at central offices. That kiosk joined the machines at Princeville Foodland, Kapaa Safeway, Līhue Safeway and the Kapule Līhue DMV lobby, part of a broader effort to make registration easier for residents who live far from town or cannot spend much of the day at the office.

For many island drivers, the practical payoff is simple: one less trip to the counter, one less barrier at the kiosk, and a faster way to stay legal on the road. Kauai County’s DMV page also notes special kūpuna hours at the Līhue office Monday through Friday, with a morning check-in deadline for those 65 and older, underscoring how heavily the office still serves residents who rely on face-to-face service.