Is the Hawaii Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

The HDOT asks 30 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 24 right answers. That leaves a margin of 6 wrong. That places Hawaii near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.

Hawaii lifts driving restrictions before most states

In Hawaii, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15½, holds it for 6 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16, and earns a full unrestricted license at 17.

On Hawaii's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Hawaii, 3.8 die in a crash each year - one of the lowest rates in the country (the U.S. average is 16.8). In Mississippi the figure is 44; in Montana, 34.

Across all drivers, Hawaii's road network sees 0.87 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

What Hawaii bans behind the wheel.

Hawaii scores 3.5 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 38th of 51). The state bans handheld phones for all drivers and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Hawaii's seat-belt law is primary enforcement - an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 95%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Hawaii, the average driver pays about $888 a year, less than the $1,282 a typical American pays. Here is where that sits next to the national average and the cheapest and priciest states.

About 9.6% of Hawaii drivers carry no insurance at all (the national figure is 15.4%), and the least coverage the state lets a driver carry is $40,000 for injuries to one person, $80,000 total for injuries per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Hawaii lands 50th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

Hawaii does not require insurers to discount for a defensive-driving course, though some may still offer one.

On two wheels.

Hawaii's motorcyclist fatality rate is 11.00 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - well above the 6.87 U.S. average. Hawaii's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

HDOT's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the HDOT road test is not something we have verified for Hawaii, so check with HDOT before you count on it. Required for riders under 18.

On bigger rigs.

The Hawaii CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Hawaii is $15. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the HDOT.