How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pet from the USA to Hawaii?
Hawaii is a domestic move with an international personality. There is no customs clearance and no USDA endorsement, but Hawaii is rabies free and is the only US state with its own rabies quarantine program, so the State of Hawaii charges fees that no other domestic route has.
Prepared correctly, your pet is released at the airport the day they land. Prepared incorrectly, the law allows quarantine of up to 120 days. Almost all of the cost difference on this route comes down to paperwork timing, so the fee table below matters more than the flight.
The State of Hawaii fees, line by line
These are the Animal Quarantine Branch charges, from the state’s own fee schedule. Current version checked August 2026.
| Cost | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Airport Release, Honolulu | $185 | Documents received 10 days or more before arrival |
| Direct Airport Release, late documents | $244 | Documents received less than 10 days before arrival |
| 5 Day Or Less program | $244 | Pets qualifying for the short quarantine |
| Neighbor Island Inspection Permit | $165 | Direct release at Kona, Kahului or Lihue, plus the private vet’s inspection fee |
| Arriving early, before eligible | $14.30 per day early, plus $244 | Arriving before the 30 day post test wait is complete |
| Re-entry, returning Hawaii pets | $98, or $130 with late documents | Pets that already completed a Hawaii program |
| Overnight hold pickup after 10:00 am | $59 | Late arriving pets held to the next morning |
The $59 difference between $185 and $244 is the cheapest lesson on this page: submit the paperwork at least 10 days before the flight. We build that margin into every Hawaii move we plan.
The vet work that makes your pet eligible
Direct release rests on a sequence that takes months, not weeks. Your pet needs an ISO microchip, two rabies vaccinations, and a passing OIE FAVN rabies antibody test at an approved laboratory, most commonly Kansas State University, which sets its own lab fee. After the passing result there is a mandatory 30 day wait before your pet can land in Hawaii, and labs have recently been running 1 to 2 months to return results, so the realistic runway is 3 to 4 months.
Your own vet prices the exam, the blood draw and the health certificate, so ask your clinic for a quote. The certificate must be issued within 14 days of arrival, and since June 2026 it must also carry a statement that the animal was found free of New World Screwworm.
Airline freight, quoted per booking
Mainland to Hawaii freight is quoted per booking rather than from a published tariff, and your crate size drives the number more than your pet’s weight does. Read our domestic cost guide for the full picture of what a mainland move costs; a full service move with professional coordination typically lands in the $1,500 to $3,000 range before the state fees above, and West Coast departures are the cheapest lanes.
Timing matters twice on this route. Inspections at Honolulu run 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily, and pets need to land by about 3:30 pm to be released the same day. A late flight means an overnight hold and a morning pickup.
What is not included here
Your vet’s fees are set by your clinic. The FAVN lab fee is set by the laboratory. Ground transport at either end is quoted per route. On the neighbor islands the inspecting veterinary clinic charges its own fee on top of the state’s $165 permit. Our coordination is itemised on your invoice.
What moves the price
Paperwork timing is the whole game. Late documents raise the state fee, an early arrival adds a daily charge, and a failed or missing FAVN result can mean the full 120 day quarantine at substantially higher cost.
Island of arrival matters. Honolulu needs no permit; Kona, Kahului and Lihue require the $165 permit, a contracted private vet, and confirmation before the airline will board your pet.
Puppies and kittens cannot finish the sequence before roughly 6 months of age, so very young pets either wait on the mainland or face quarantine.
Figures and sources
Figures verified August 2026 against the State of Hawaii’s published schedule. Fees change, so check the source if you are reading this much later.
- Hawaii Animal Quarantine information and fee schedule
- Checklist 1: Direct Airport Release and 5 Day Or Less
- Kansas State FAVN testing
See our Hawaii destination guide for the step by step process, and our Honolulu pet transportation page if you are landing on Oahu.
Want this priced for your pet and dates?
Tell us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemised plan, a timeline and clear next steps, usually within two business hours.