Hawaii was a sovereign constitutional monarchy until this government was overthrown in January 1893, but many of its laws were already modeled after those of the United States, including (for example) registering dogs and issuing metal tags for them since the 1870s.

The Republic of Hawaii which replaced the previous government was annexed as a Territory by the United States in August 1898, and the first automobiles to be shipped to the Hawaiian Islands arrived in 1899.

Despite its status as a territory, Hawaii's vehicle registration laws and license plates were the same as the rest of the United States.

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.

[3] Since 1969, all Hawaii passenger plates have featured a round mounting hole at the top right and horizontal slots in the other three corners.