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Ship it or sell it: what's worth bringing to Hawaii

A living room at a mainland home mid-pack: a sofa and a tall piece wrapped in navy moving blankets with orange straps, labelled cartons stacked by the fireplace, an armchair and a lamp left unwrapped, and a mover in a navy uniform wrapping a side table.
Illustration

Households moving to Hawaii land on both sides of this question. One, moving a three-bedroom home to the Big Island, asked whether “is it worth it to bring lots of big ticket items or just take the irreplaceables and truly start over”. Another, moving back to Maui, said: “I still regret we didn't take many things with us when we moved off island last time.”

Start with what you cannot replace. Then weigh each large item against what it would cost to replace in Hawaii and how soon you need it once you arrive. The choice does not have to be all or nothing:

  • Air freight: a few boxes, starting from a single box.
  • Sea freight: some furniture in a shared container, typically from about 100 cubic feet; or your whole home in a full container.
  • Storage: at origin, in Hawaii or both while you decide, charged separately.

Tell us roughly what you want to bring, and we'll show you the options for your move.

What sets the price of your move

One household moving to Maui asked: “In general, what are some hidden costs for all of them that are not typically included in those initial quotes?” At Ruby International, your quote is based on the volume of your goods, and it lists what it leaves out.

What affects your priceHow it works
Volume and how your goods travelVolume is measured in cubic feet. In a shared container (consolidated cargo), your goods travel in a container with other shipments, so you pay for the space you use.
When the measured volume differsWe tell you. For a shared container, we send a revised invoice before your shipment goes on, so you can take items out. For a full container, we tell you during loading.
The ocean crossingUnder the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. 55102(b)), merchandise may move by water between US points covered by the coastwise laws only on a vessel wholly owned by US citizens for the coastwise trade and documented with a coastwise endorsement, or exempt from documentation but otherwise eligible for it.
Carrier surchargesCarrier surcharges, such as fuel, war risk and congestion, can be added after booking. We tell you as early as we can.
The inter-island fuel adjustmentGoods for a neighbor island may go on with the inter-island water carrier, which publishes a quarterly fuel price adjustment; the latest took effect in November 2026.
What the quote includes and excludesDoor to door includes delivery to your new home under normal access. Your proposal lists its exclusions, such as destination terminal handling, port charges, storage, difficult access and a shuttle (a smaller truck where a large one can't reach the home). These are billed on the final invoice if they apply.

Where a shuttle or difficult access is common, we check with our destination agent before you book and tell you the likely costs.

How your goods get there: mainland door to island door

Your move has four legs, and the third depends on your island and the carrier.

  1. Pickup: We collect your goods at your mainland home.

  2. Sailing: Your shipment sails to Hawaii from a mainland port.

  3. Island leg: Goods for a neighbor island either sail on a carrier that calls there directly or land in Honolulu and go on with the inter-island carrier, depending on the carrier and the island. One ocean carrier on the route lists direct calls at Honolulu, Kahului (Maui), Hilo (Big Island) and Nawiliwili (Kauai).

  4. Island delivery: Our destination agent delivers to your home under normal access. Full-service door to door generally includes furniture reassembly and taking away the packing materials; unpacking your boxes is an optional extra.

If you don't have a home yet

If your home on the island isn't ready, we can store your goods at origin, in Hawaii or both, charged separately. Shipping lines usually allow some free days at the port, but that is not warehouse storage, and the days vary by line and port.

When to expect your goods

Some households moving to Hawaii say nobody could tell them when their goods would land. When we quote, we give you an estimated transit window for your route. It's an estimate, not a guaranteed date. Unforeseen storage or charges are generally yours to pay, and we tell you about them as early as possible.

The agriculture inspection: what Hawaii checks on arrival

Your move from the mainland to Hawaii is a move between two States, so your shipment does not go through customs. One household moving to Honolulu was told a self-packed container is likelier to be stopped by customs. Whether you pack it yourself or our crew packs it, what your shipment can meet on arrival is Hawaii's agriculture inspection, and it applies to the agricultural items packed in it.

Hawaii's rules for agricultural items (checked November 2026)

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity sets these rules:

  • What counts: all plants and plant parts, including fruits, vegetables, cut flowers and foliage; animals such as dogs, cats, live fish and live seafood; microorganism cultures; soil; and the containers and packing materials holding them.
  • Inspection on arrival: these items require inspection on arrival and must be checked before the shipment can be released. The carrier must notify a Plant Quarantine inspector and keep the items available until the inspection is completed.
  • Plants: most plants and plant parts are permitted after inspection if they are free of insects, diseases, soil or other pests. Plants do not need to be bare-rooted, but the growing media cannot contain soil.
  • Restricted plant families: coconut plants, seednuts and green parts are prohibited. Palm-family plants from the mainland are not allowed. The grass family (sugarcane, bamboo and grass) requires a permit and quarantine. Myrtle-family plants, parts and seeds, such as eucalyptus, guava or bottlebrush, cannot be imported without prior arrangements for permits, quarantines, treatments or certification, as applicable.
  • Marking and list: all plant material must be free of soil, insect pests and signs of disease. A parcel of plant material must be marked outside with words to the effect of "Contains Agricultural Material – May Be Opened for Inspection" and must hold a list of the type of plant material inside.
  • Food: cooked, canned, frozen or commercially processed or packaged foods are in general allowed when they arrive from within the US. Manufactured food products do not need to be declared or inspected.

Preparing your shipment for Hawaii's agriculture inspection

  • Outdoor items: clean soil off outdoor furniture, bikes, garden tools and planters before packing, because the department counts soil itself as an agricultural item.
  • Pets: the state has an animal quarantine program, so check its requirements separately from your household goods.
  • Plants and other agricultural items: tell us what you plan to ship. Our agents coordinate the agriculture inspection and its paperwork, and tell you what applies to your shipment's contents.

Source: Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Quarantine Branch pages, and Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 4-70 (compilation of 27 August 2019), checked November 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Shipping your car to Hawaii

Ruby International ships your car with your household goods in a full container, in its own container or by roll-on/roll-off (the car is driven on and off the ship). For a car on its own, a dedicated container is often the practical choice. Cover for the car can be arranged as part of the overall shipment insurance, depending on the policy and the vehicle. Carriers set their own rules for the car itself: one ocean carrier on the route requires it delivered clean, with no more than a quarter tank of fuel and no personal belongings inside.

Once the car arrives on Oahu, the City and County of Honolulu requires the following:

  • Permit or registration: an out-of-state permit or a Hawaii vehicle registration within 30 days of the car's arrival on Oahu.
  • Safety inspection: take your vehicle to any official Hawaii Safety Inspection Station.
  • Out-of-state plates: to keep them, you need the valid out-of-state registration, the title or lienholder's address, and the bill of lading showing the vehicle identification number (VIN), among other documents.

Maui, Hawaii County and Kauai may set their own steps, so we recommend checking with your county's motor vehicle office before the car sails.

Source: City and County of Honolulu, Motor Vehicle Registration, https://www.honolulu.gov/csd/motor-vehicle-registration/ (undated page), checked November 2026.

Insurance and damage claims

One household shipping its own container to Maui was told: “No one wants to insure household stuff - insurance is only available only for commercial shipments.” Household goods can be insured for the crossing. We offer the same options from the mainland to Hawaii and from Hawaii to the mainland.

CoverWhen it appliesCost and deductible
All-Risk transit insuranceOptional on any shipment that you have not packed and loaded entirely yourself3.5% of your declared value (the value the insurance is calculated on), with a $500 deductible (the first $500 of a claim)
Your own insuranceInstead of ours, if you prefer to arrange itYour insurer's terms
Total Loss coverWhen you pack and load everything yourself; it pays only if the whole shipment is lostAsk us when you request a quote

What affects a damage claim:

  • Boxes you pack: if we pack your home and you pack some boxes yourself, leave them open so our crew can check them before sealing. They can then be considered for All-Risk cover, subject to the insurer's terms.
  • Delivery damage: our transit insurance generally covers door to door, so damage during the final delivery by our destination agent goes through the same claim, subject to the policy.
  • Deadlines: note visible damage on delivery, and report any damage within 30 days of delivery to start a claim.
  • Decisions: we help you through the claim and answer your questions. The insurance company assesses it, decides what is covered and settles it, and you deal with the insurer directly.
  • Timing: we can't promise how long a claim takes.

Choosing a moving company for Hawaii: what to get in writing

Your goods pass through several hands on the way to Hawaii: the mainland crew, the ocean carrier, often the inter-island carrier, and the island delivery. One household moving to Honolulu distrusted a quote that handed its move to three companies, all "very capable of pointing the finger at each other if something should go wrong."

We recommend comparing written quotes on these seven points:

  1. Accountability: one company answerable to you from your mainland door to your door in Hawaii.
  2. Volume: the volume in cubic feet the price is based on, and what happens if the measured volume differs.
  3. Inclusions and exclusions: what door to door includes, and which charges are listed as excluded.
  4. Island leg: how your goods reach your island.
  5. Storage: where your goods can wait until your home is ready.
  6. Transit: an estimated transit window for your route.
  7. Insurance: the options, the declared value and the deductible.

Ruby International offers a free, no-obligation moving survey.

Moving from Hawaii to the mainland

When you leave Hawaii, federal rules from USDA APHIS decide which agricultural items you may ship to the mainland. APHIS prohibits or restricts many agricultural products from Hawaii, including these:

Agricultural items not allowed from Hawaii to the mainland

  • Most fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Any plants in soil
  • Cactus plants
  • Sugarcane
  • Live insects and snails
  • Soil

Agricultural items allowed from Hawaii to the mainland after USDA inspection

  • Coconut and coffee
  • Commercially canned or processed foods
  • Fresh pineapple
  • Certain plants and cuttings
  • Beach sand and rocks
  • Seashells other than land snail shells
  • Dried seeds and arrangements
  • Wood, including driftwood

APHIS last modified this information on September 16, 2026, and says it is subject to change without notice.

Hawaii's Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity states that all agricultural items shipped to the mainland must be inspected before they are presented to airline cargo offices, the post office or other courier services. Under federal rule 7 CFR 318.13-3, the articles it regulates must be free from plant debris. If you intend to move articles that may be certified, you must contact the local Plant Protection and Quarantine office as far ahead of your shipping date as you can to request an inspection.

Ruby International moves households from Hawaii to the mainland, arranges an international move to or from Hawaii, and ships vehicles with your goods or separately.

Sources: USDA APHIS, Information for Travelers From Hawaii to the U.S. Mainland, Alaska, or Guam (last modified September 16, 2026); Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Shipping from Hawaii to the U.S. Mainland; 7 CFR 318.13-3 (eCFR, up to date as of November 4, 2026). All read November 6, 2026.

Sources and review date

Everything this page says about the rules comes from these pages: the official ones and, where marked, one secondary source. Last checked: .

  1. Import ProgramHawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Quarantine BranchUndated page. Inspection on arrival and the carrier’s duty to notify an inspector.Accessed .
  2. Plant GuidelinesHawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Quarantine BranchUndated page. Plants, growing media and the restricted plant families.Accessed .
  3. Traveling and Shipping from the U.S. Mainland to HawaiʻiHawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Quarantine BranchUndated page. What counts as an agricultural item, marking and list, food.Accessed .
  4. Hawaii Administrative Rules, chapter 4-70 (Plant and Non-Domestic Animal Quarantine)Hawaii Department of Agriculture and BiosecurityCompilation of 27 August 2019. Palm and myrtle-family plants.Accessed .
  5. Shipping from Hawaiʻi to the U.S. MainlandHawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Quarantine BranchUndated page. Inspection before shipping agricultural items to the mainland.Accessed .
  6. Information for Travelers From Hawaii to the U.S. Mainland, Alaska, or GuamUSDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)Last modified September 16, 2026. What may not leave Hawaii, and what may after inspection.Accessed .
  7. 7 CFR part 318, subpart Hawaiian Fruits and Vegetables (318.13-1 to 318.13-3)Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)Up to date as of November 4, 2026. Regulated articles free from plant debris; requesting an inspection.Accessed .
  8. Motor Vehicle RegistrationCity and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer ServicesUndated page. A car arriving on Oahu: permit or registration, safety inspection, out-of-state plates.Accessed .
  9. 46 U.S. Code § 55102, Transportation of merchandiseLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (reproduction of the U.S. Code)Secondary source, not official.The coastwise rule for the ocean crossing.Accessed .

Rules and fees change. Before acting, confirm with the official source. This page is a summary, not legal advice.

Plan your Hawaii move

Send us where you're moving from and to and roughly what you want to bring, and we'll come back with your options and a quote that lists what it includes and what it excludes.

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