These Colorful Specialty License Plates Raise Money for Hawai‘i National Parks

Ten thousand specialty plates depicting Haleakalā National Park and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park were released in August.

By Jayna Omaye

photos: courtesy of the national park service

Yes, that was a volcano gushing lava you just spotted on the license plate of the car in front of you.

Ten thousand specialty license plates depicting colorful scenes of Haleakalā National Park and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park were released in August to mark the parks’ 101st anniversaries.

More than 2,000 plates were sold statewide as of early November, including 1,127 on the Big Island. The plates cost $35.50, $18 of which is used to support Hawai‘i’s national parks. There is a $25 annual renewal fee.

“A license plate is a very special way for kama‘āina to show off their support and love for their parks,” says Jessica Ferracane of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. “Nonresidents can’t get them like a T-shirt or postcard.”

Designed by local graphic design company Sae Design, the plates were released as part of a 2015 state law seeking to raise money for resource protection and education projects at our national parks. They are available at each county’s Division of Motor Vehicles and cannot be personalized.

Other specialty license plates in other states depict Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Crater Lake and Yosemite national parks.

hawaiiparkplates.com