A Hawaii learners permit must be obtained before you are able to earn a regular drivers license if you are participating in the Graduated Driver’s Licensing program. Hawaii has implemented the Graduated Driver’s Licensing program in order to help applicants between the ages of 15 and a half and 18 years of age to get the experience that they need before obtaining a full license, and one of the necessary steps of the program is obtaining and holding an instructional permit for a period of 180 days.

There are certain DMV learners permit eligibility requirements that must be met in order for you to successfully get your permit, and that includes being at least 15 and a half years old, passing the required tests and being able to provide the appropriate documentation. However, keep in mind that there are four different counties in Hawaii and each county may have its own specific learning license rules that must be followed in order to get the permit.

Therefore, it is important to contact the county drivers license office directly if you have any questions on county-specific guidelines.

NOTE: Increase your chances of passing your Hawaii written drivers exam for an instruction permit on the first try by taking our driving permit practice test. New drivers who take a learners permit pretest are 5x more likely to receive a passing score on their first attempt at the driving knowledge exam.

Hawaii Learners Permit Eligibility Guidelines

There are several drivers permit requirements that must be met before a permit can be awarded in Hawaii. Understand what these requirements are before you apply for a permit so that you can ensure that you can actually obtain the permit before you make the trip out to the DMV office.

In all of the Hawaii counties, you must be at least 15 and a half years of age in order to get a drivers permit. You must also be able to provide a signed affidavit by a parent or legal guardian, present necessary documentation and pass both a vision and written examination.

Being a U.S. citizen is not a drivers permit requirement in Hawaii, although you do need to provide proof of legal presence in the U.S. You must provide your birth certificate and original Social Security card. If you were born outside of the U.S. additional documentation will be required to prove that you are legally present.

How to Apply for a Learners Permit in Hawaii

Getting a learners permit involves following a series of important steps. First, you must understand where to get a learners permit before you can obtain one. In each county in Hawaii, there is a drivers license division office that you must visit if you want to get an instructional permit. If you are wondering how to get your driving permit online, you must understand that there is no option for getting a permit online because the application must be completed in-person.

Knowing how to apply for a learners permit is crucial before you visit one of the drivers licensing offices in Hawaii. To apply for a learner permit, you must:

  1. Visit the nearest driver license center.
  2. Complete an application and/or affidavit for a type three permit. This must be signed by your parents or legal guardian, and depending on the county, they may be required to be present when you apply.
  3. Provide original documents that provide proof of identity, legal presence and Social Security number.
  4. Provide proof of name change documentation only if your name is not the same on all of your documents.
  5. Pass a written knowledge test.
  6. Pass a vision test.
  7. Pay the applicable permit fee.

Upon completion of all of the above, you will be issued a driving learners permit and you can expect to receive it in the mail within a few weeks.

The Hawaii Drivers Permit Test

To get a permit, you must pass a DMV permit test first. All of the tests are based off of the information found in the most current version of the Hawaii Drivers Manual. The learners permit test has 30 multiple choice questions, and in order to pass the test you will need to get at least 25 of those questions correct. The test is a written knowledge examination that will test you on information about highway signs, traffic laws and more.

There is not an online Hawaii drivers permit test available. The test will be provided for you in person at the driver license office that you visit when you apply for the permit. It is crucial that you study for the test before you take it so that you can get a passing score. Reading through the Hawaii Drivers Manual is the best way to study, although you can also take a DMV practice permit test, as well

Hawaii Driving Permit Rules and Restrictions

There are driving permit rules that must be abided by when you obtain an instruction permit. These Hawaii learners permit rules include regulations regarding who you can drive with when holding a permit and even what hours you are allowed to operate a vehicle. Understand these rules before you get a permit and start driving with it so that you are aware of what you can and cannot do.

There are certain people with whom you can drive with a permit. In Hawaii, in order to drive a motor vehicle with an instruction permit, you must be accompanied by a person 21 years of age or older who is licensed to operate the category of motor vehicle that is being operated. The licensed person must occupy a seat as near to you as practical when the vehicle is being driven. This means that except for if you are driving a motorcycle, the adult must sit in the passenger seat next to you.

If you are wondering, “How long does a learner’s permit last?” the answer is that your permit is valid for a period of one year once you obtain it. It can be renewed for another one-year period once it expires. You must also understand that it can only be used during the appropriate permit driving hours, which are from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. if you are not seated next to a supervising parent or guardian. If you are seated next to a parent or guardian who is 21 years of age or older, you may drive between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Hawaii Learner Permit Fees

Understanding how much does it cost to get your permit is an important component of getting your permit. Also note that the learner permit fee varies depending on the county in Hawaii. The fees are as follows:

  • County of Hawaii: $10.00
  • Honolulu: $5.00
  • Kauai: $10.00
  • Maui: $10.00
Last updated on Wednesday, March 4 2020.