Road Test Information
Road tests are given to first time applicants and other individuals who require a driving test.
The purpose of a driving road test is to determine whether you are able to:
- Safely operate a vehicle
- Use safe driving habits
- Apply your knowledge of traffic laws in real life situations
This page provides important and essential information. Read it carefully to prepare for the road test.
Instructions for Road Test
Preparing for the Road Test
Review the Hawaii Driver’s Manual to prepare for the test. The manual is available online at hidot.hawaii.gov, and at convenience stores and bookshops. Read the instructions, learn the rules and practice the driving maneuvers provided in the manual.
The road test has two parts:
- Vehicle safety pre-check: Determines whether your vehicle meets safety standards and whether you are familiar with the operation of your vehicle. The vehicle must pass the inspection or the test will be rejected.
- Driving performance evaluation or road test: Behind-the-wheel driving test with a licensing examiner who evaluates your driving skills.
Driving Practice Requirements
- Ample supervised driving practice is required and recommended.
- Practice driving for six months if you are 16 – 17 years of age.
- Practice using the vehicle that will be used for the road test.
- Practice on the streets of the test site to be familiar with the area.
Scheduling a Road Test
Appointments are required. Click here to make an appointment online.
Walk-in standby road test service is not offered. Next day road test standby list opens online by 4:30 p.m. for the next business day at all road test locations, except Waianae and the Commercial Driver Licensing Office. You must sign up and pay the road test fee online to get on a Next day road test standby list at the location of your choice.
Be prepared. You’ll need:
- Instruction Permit number
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Pay a non-refundable road test fee of $8. Credit and debit cards with the Visa, MasterCard, or Discover are accepted for online payments.
Estimated time. Plan for up to one hour for the road test, safety and sanitation measures, document review, vehicle inspection and processing. Arrive early and check in. Do not be late for your appointment. If you are late, you will need to reschedule the test.
After making your appointment, you will receive reminder emails and text messages seven days prior to the appointment and the day before the scheduled appointment.
Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. If you are five or more minutes late, it will count as a no-show.
No-show appointments. Applicants who are a no-show for a scheduled appointment will forfeit the prepaid deposit, will be prevented from scheduling another road test for 60 days, and must prepay a new deposit fee for the behind-the-wheels exam. Please reschedule no later than 6 a.m. on the day of your scheduled appointment if you are unable to make it.
If you cannot keep an appointment, cancel or reschedule it before 6 a.m. on the date of the appointment. Applicants who are late or no-show will forfeit the prepaid exam fee and be prohibited from scheduling another test for 60 days.
Driver Licensing Centers offering road tests
- Kapahulu Road Test Office, 1112 Kapahulu Avenue
- Kapolei, 1000 Uluohia Street
- Koolau, 47-388 Hui Iwa Street
- Wahiawa, 330 North Cane Street
- Waianae, 85-670 Farrington Highway
Required Documents
You must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is age 21 or older, has a valid driver’s license, and must be present when you are called for the test and through its completion.
The following items are required to be able to take the road test. Photocopies, facsimile copies and computer-generated documents are not acceptable for any of the required documents below:
- A current and valid Hawaii Instruction Permit
- A current Vehicle Certificate of Registration (Temporary dealer registration is not acceptable)
- Proof of a current Hawaii Motor Vehicle Insurance Card
- A current Vehicle Inspection Certificate. The inspection decal must be on the vehicle and the vehicle must meet all safety inspection standards.
The vehicle identification number (VIN) on the vehicle registration and proof of insurance must match.
Minors (under the age of 18) must ALSO provide:
- A current and valid Instruction Permit that was held for at least 180 days
- A Driver Education Student Completion Certificate
- A Behind-the-Wheel Student Completion Certificate
New Vehicle – If the vehicle you are using for the road test is new, you must have the sales contract, the Certificate of Vehicle Inspection Certificate and decal, a Hawaiʻi motor vehicle insurance card, and the current temporary license plate is attached to the vehicle.
Rental Vehicle – If you are using a rental vehicle for the road test, it must have the original Certificate of Registration, Certificate of Vehicle Inspection, and Hawaii motor vehicle insurance card. The driver’s license applicant must be listed on the rental contract.
Company Vehicle – If you are using a company vehicle for the road test, you will need a letter, on company letterhead, authorizing you to use the company vehicle for the road test that must be signed by an officer or authorized person of the company. The letter must include the applicant’s name, vehicle license plate, make and vehicle identification number and the date that the vehicle will be used for the road test.
Hawaii Motor Vehicle Insurance
- You must have a current Hawaii motor vehicle insurance card. The name and vehicle identification number on the card must be the same as on the vehicle Certificate of Registration.
- Applicant may also provide an electronic version of the motor vehicle insurance identification card that is accessed directly through the license insurer’s website, app or database.
- The mobile phone with the electronic version must be carried by applicant during the road test. The mobile app must be downloaded prior to checking in for the appointment.
Vehicle Safety Pre-check Requirements
The test vehicle will need to pass the vehicle safety pre-check assessment conducted by the examiner before the road test.
The examiner will inspect vehicle’s equipment and condition to ensure the car is safe and can be legally operated on public roadways.
The license examiner will check for the following:
- Damaged or defaced license plates. A license plate that has its color fading or bleached out, has peeling reflective material, or is difficult to read is considered damaged or defaced and must be replaced. This would prohibit a vehicle from passing the road test pre-test assessment or the safety inspection (Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules §19-133.2-27).
- License plate covers. Hawaiʻi state law (HRS §249-7-b) prohibits the covering of a license plate, even with a transparent cover. ANY cover would keep a vehicle from passing the road test pre-test assessment or the safety inspection.
- Tinting on windows. Vehicles MUST meet state law (HRS §291-21.5) on window tinting or they fail the road test pre-test assessment or the safety inspection inspection.
- Passenger compartment. The passenger compartment, seat and floor space must be free of any obstructions.
- Turn signals. All turn signals are working properly.
- Brake lamps. All brake lamps are working properly.
- Brake and turn signal lamp lenses are not cracked or broken.
- License plates. Both front and rear license plates are securely mounted.
- Horn. The horn is audible and in good working condition.
- Lug nuts. All lug nuts are in place and the tire tread depths are at least 2/32 of an inch.
- Warning indicator lights. Vehicle warning indicator lights for the air bag system (SRS), and anti-braking system (ABS) cannot be on.
- Seat belts. Driver and passenger seat belts are clean and in good working condition.
- Door handles, windows and door locks are in good working condition.
- Gas. Must have at least 1/4 tank of gas.
- Vehicle is free of any obnoxious odors, parasites and insects, and animal fur.
- For convertible and Jeep-type vehicles, the canopy top must be engaged in the closed and locked position covering the passenger compartment.
Window and windshield requirements:
- Windshield must not be cracked or chipped in a manner that would adversely affect visibility. Stickers or other nontransparent material are allowed only at the lower right hand corner of the windshield and must be no more than four inches by six inches in size.
- Stickers or other nontransparent material are allowed on side and rear windows if it is in an area that does not obstruct the driver’s clear view of the highway or any intersecting highway.
- Window tinting must be approved by an official safety inspection station and noted on the vehicle’s safety check inspection certificate.
- Tinted windows that appear too dark are subject to tint meter verification to ensure compliance prior to the road test.
- Front windshield shade tint must be above the AS-1 marker or no more than four inches from the top center of the windshield, if there is no AS-1 marker.
Electronic Devices
- Use of a cell phone during the exam is prohibited.
- Use of a dashboard camera during the exam is prohibited.
- Do not rely on a backup camera during the stall reversal or parallel parking maneuver. A proper head check must be performed.
- Use of a vehicle’s self-parking feature is prohibited
Test and License Fees
Road Test Fee: $8
Driver’s License Fees
- 2 year license (age 72 and older): $10
- 4 year license (age 17 through 24): $20
- 8 year license (age 25 through 71): $40
Outstanding Violations
A provisional or full license will not be issued to individuals under age 18 who have pending violations or proceedings that might result in the suspension or revocation of the provisional license, and any pending adjudication of an offense relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.
All road test applicants’ records are electronically checked against the State of Hawaii Traffic Violations Bureau files to ensure compliance. Outstanding violations must be cleared with the Traffic Violations Bureau before a driver’s license can be obtained.
Clearing electronic records of violations may take several days and road test scores are valid for 30 days. If the applicant does not submit a Traffic Violations Bureau clearance letter for the proper violation period or clear the violation record within 30 days of passing the road test, the applicant must retake the road test.
Foreign License Holders
In addition to all of the requirements above, holders of foreign driver’s licenses of a participating country of the “1943 and 1949 United Nations Convention of Road Traffic and Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automotive Traffic” must present a valid foreign driver’s license, along with a valid international driving permit, and a valid passport with an entry date to the U.S. of less than one year at the time of the road test.
After the Road Test
Road Test Debriefing
At the end of the driving test the examiner will:
- Give instructions on returning to the facility and parking the test vehicle
- Conduct a debriefing and explain the test results
- Provide instructions to process your driver’s license or to schedule another road test
Temporary & Permanent License
On successfully passing the driving road test and completing driver’s license processing:
- You are issued a temporary paper driver license valid for 60 days.
- The permanent driver’s license card will be mailed to the address provided on the application and should arrive in about six to eight weeks. It will be in a plain white envelope. Make sure you do not discard it as junk mail.
If you do not receive the permanent driver license after six to eight weeks or before the temporary license expires, call 808-768-9100. Be prepared to provide your name, address, driver license number and issued date.
Helpful Resources
How to Ace the Road Test
Helpful tips to pass the road test include getting to know the streets, speed limits and neighborhoods surrounding the specific driver licensing center where you plan to take the road test. For more useful tips, watch the video.
A Checklist for the Road Test
A reminder of some of the items you need to be prepared to take the Road Test.
Road Test Pre-check Inspection
The vehicle safety pre-check is an important part of the road test. Your vehicle must past the pre-check before you can take the driving test. Learn how your car can pass the pre-check.