Getting a Hawaii driver's license is perhaps the most important step that officially says you are a kamaʻaina (resident) ... or more precisely, malihini (newcomer or guest). Your Hawaii license will also qualify you for kamaʻaina discounts which are plentiful and often save you significant money with local merchants.- Review the Hawaii drivers manual (PDF) and look over the practice test (PDF)
- Collect documents necessary (web page)
- Go to driver's license agency in the Lihue Civic Center to apply
Getting your license
Before you go to apply for your license be sure you have the right documents to prove your identity and social security number as well as permission to reside in the country. Generally this will be a birth certificate or valid US passport (or visa or Green Card if non-US citizen) and social security card (or W-2 form) ... but other documents can be used if you don't have these; it's complicated so see here (Kauai county) or here (state) for details about proof of legal presence. The document requirement is federally mandated so while the clerks had plenty of aloha they are subject to very strict regulations checking identification.
The Kauai County Department Of Finance handles driver and vehicle licensing for Kauai.
- Location: Moʻikeha Building, 4444 Rice Street, Suite 280, Lihue, HI 96766 (map)
- Hours: 7:45am to 4:00pm (arrive before 3:30pm)
- Phone: (808) 241-4200
- Fax: (808) 241-6529
- Web: http://www.kauai.gov/finance
What to expect
Fill out the application forms on the table to transfer out-of-state an license. (If you are getting your first license including driving test it is more involved.) I went today mid-morning and there was no line. It took ten minutes at the counter.
You get a paper test with thirty questions to work on in the exam room - you need 24 correct to pass. When you have done the test get back in line to get graded. (I got one wrong about solid double white lines which I have never seen in Kauai: they mean you can't cross them, under any circumstances.) There is a quick vision exam and then you sit on benches until your name is called.
When the cashier calls your name you pay $40 (check or cash) and then get your photo taken. They had you a flimsy temporary license (and they keep your old license if transferring) and you are done. The whole thing took less than an hour.
Driver license review
Here are some points from reading the driver's manual that may vary by state or are worth reviewing.- Driving
- After a complete stop you can turn right.
- Signal all turns and lane changes 100 feet (30m) ahead.
- Turn signal indicates intent, it does not give you the right to turn or change lanes.
- Turn from the lane nearest the direction of the turn and into the nearest lane.
- Do not use the road shoulder to get around a car stopped turning left.
- Do not enter an intersection or crosswalk unless there is space to get through to the far side.
- Entering a congested highway onramp if necessary stop early, not at the end of the merge lane.
- Road signs
- The diagonal stripes on a barricade indicate the direction to which traffic is to pass. Stripes sloping downward to the right mean bear right; downward to the left mean bear to the left.
- Red lane marking reflectors mean you are going the wrong direction in the traffic lane.
- A Red Arrow has the same meaning as a red light for the indicated lane of traffic.
- Parking
- Hill parking: downhill = turn wheels right; uphill = left if curb or right if no curb.
- Parallel parking: at least two feet from other parked vehicles unless marked, within 12 inches (30 cm) of curb.
- Emergencies
- Heavy rain: hydroplaning begins at 35 mph and at 55 mph you have no control of the vehicle.
- Never drive through a flooded area where water over one foot deep (30 cm) is moving swiftly.
- Skid recovery: ease off gas, turn in the direction the rear end is going, avoid sudden actions and over-correction.
- Wheels off road while driving: do not jerk back onto road, reduce speed going straight, return to road when going at a slow safe speed.
- Tire blowout: do not slam on brakes, stay in your lane, only use brakes after reducing speed to get off the road and stop.
- Brake failure: pump brakes, downshift, warn others (horn, lights), hand brake slowly, get off the road.
- Accelerator stuck open: slap accelerator hard, turn off ignition, brake to slow, then get off the road.
- Auto fires: do not use water on gasoline fire. Use extinguisher or smother small fire, get away from large fire.
- Hazard warning flasher should not be used while moving.
- Accidents (involving any injury or over $3000 damage) must be reported to police and insurance by law.
- Stop. Do not leave the scene.
- Aid the injured.
- Warn passing traffic.
- Exchange information or leave information on unattended vehicle.
- Intoxication: blood level over 0.08 (under 21, 0.02). In Hawaii there is implied consent to testing.
- Speed reduces your field of vision: 20mph = 2/3, 40mph = 2/5, 60mph = 1/5, approximately.
- Hawaii law prohibits leaving a child (under 9) unattended in a motor vehicle for 5 minutes.
- Motorcycles are entitled to the entire width of the lane.
Thank you!! Had a hard time finding the answers.
ReplyDeleteLink for the manual doesn't work--new link is http://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2015/11/mvso-HawaiiDrivers-Manual09.2015.pdf
only added 5 more questions -- new book answers for questions 85 and 86 are different but everything else looks the same.