DMV Practice Lab · Car practice sample

Hawaii printable driving practice

20 questions · Choose one answer for each question. Check your choices against the answer key after you finish.

A short sample of car driving questions. Read the handbook to cover the other topics you need.

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Practice questions

1. A first-time car applicant is 15 years and four months old. What minimum age must the applicant reach before applying for a Hawaii instruction permit?
1. 16 years.
2. 15 years and three months.
3. 15 years and six months.
4. 17 years.
My answer:
2. An adult holds a car instruction permit. Which accompanying person satisfies the ordinary supervision requirement?
1. A person at least 21, licensed for that vehicle category, sitting beside the permit holder.
2. A licensed 19-year-old sitting beside the permit holder.
3. A qualified adult following in another car.
4. A person at least 21 who holds only a motorcycle license.
My answer:
3. A non-emancipated 16-year-old permit holder plans to drive at midnight. Who must occupy the seat beside the driver?
1. Any licensed friend who is at least 21.
2. Any family member who holds an instruction permit.
3. No supervisor if the trip is directly home.
4. A parent or guardian licensed for the same vehicle category.
My answer:
4. A teen has just turned 16 but has held an instruction permit for only 90 days. What prevents an immediate provisional license?
1. A provisional license cannot be issued before age 18.
2. The permit must have been held for at least 180 days.
3. The teen must hold a permit for two full years.
4. Turning 16 automatically removes the permit-holding requirement.
My answer:
5. Before an applicant under 18 can be examined for a provisional license, what training proof is required?
1. A parent's statement that the applicant has driven often.
2. Completion of certified driver education and behind-the-wheel training.
3. A passing score on a commercial practice website alone.
4. Enrollment in a future course, without completing it.
My answer:
6. A provisional driver wants to carry two unrelated 17-year-old friends who are not household members or household members' foster or hanai children. What is required?
1. No adult is needed if both friends sit in back.
2. Any licensed 18-year-old friend may supervise instead.
3. The restriction ends after the first month of the provisional license.
4. A licensed parent or guardian must accompany and supervise the driver.
My answer:
7. A provisional driver must drive home from work after 11 p.m. without a parent. What documentation supports the work exception?
1. A signed employer statement verifying employment and work hours, with the employer's contact details.
2. Only the driver's verbal explanation that the trip is work-related.
3. A note from a friend who works at a different business.
4. Any school identification card, regardless of the trip's purpose.
My answer:
8. A 17-year-old has satisfactorily held a provisional license for six months, has no pending suspension or revocation proceeding and meets all other requirements. What may the driver apply for?
1. Only another six-month instruction permit.
2. A regular license only after turning 21.
3. A regular driver's license.
4. A regular license only after two years on the provisional license.
My answer:
9. You arrive for the car road test in a vehicle with defective brakes. Its registration and insurance are current. What should happen?
1. Take the test because current paperwork substitutes for mechanical condition.
2. Take the test if you promise to drive below 20 mph.
3. Correct the safety defect before taking the test.
4. Take the test because the examiner's vehicle-safety check is only advisory.
My answer:
10. Your Hawaii license expired yesterday. Does the period allowed for renewal give you permission to keep driving?
1. No; an expired license is not valid driving authority.
2. Yes, for 30 days after expiration.
3. Yes, while any renewal appointment is pending.
4. Yes, if the vehicle registration has not expired.
My answer:
11. You change your residence address. What does the handbook direct you to do about your Hawaii driver's license record?
1. Wait until the license expires.
2. Notify only your insurance company.
3. Report the change only if you move to another island.
4. Notify the county examiner of drivers in writing within 30 days.
My answer:
12. Your license requires corrective lenses. You are making a short daytime drive. What must you do?
1. Wear them only when driving after dark.
2. Wear the required corrective lenses.
3. Ignore the restriction if you know the route.
4. Use them only for the next license examination.
My answer:
13. You are planning a Class 3 test after moving to a different Hawaii county. Where should you confirm the applicable appointments and test-document procedures?
1. Assume every county accepts every other county's online test certificate.
2. With the driver licensing agency for that county.
3. Use another county's appointment confirmation at any office.
4. Treat a practice-site completion certificate as statewide test approval.
My answer:
14. You are stopped at a red light with the engine running. May you hold your phone to read a routine message?
1. Yes, because the wheels are not moving.
2. Yes, if you hold the phone below the steering wheel.
3. Yes, until the light turns green.
4. No; the prohibition also applies while temporarily stopped for traffic.
My answer:
15. A 17-year-old driver wants to make an ordinary hands-free phone call while driving. What does Hawaii law require?
1. Do not make the call while operating the vehicle.
2. Use hands-free mode and keep the call short.
3. Have a passenger dial, then continue hands-free.
4. Wait until the car is stopped at a traffic light.
My answer:
16. An adult plans to leave an 8-year-old in a parked car with an 11-year-old for ten minutes. How does Hawaii's unattended-child rule apply?
1. It is allowed because another child is in the vehicle.
2. It is allowed whenever a window is partly open.
3. This is prohibited; the 8-year-old is considered unattended with a child under 12.
4. It is prohibited only after 30 minutes.
My answer:
17. For an ordinary adult car driver, what blood alcohol concentration itself meets Hawaii's alcohol-concentration offense threshold?
1. 0.10% or higher.
2. 0.15% or higher.
3. 0.08% or higher.
4. 0.20% or higher.
My answer:
18. A 20-year-old drives with a measured BAC of 0.03% and says the adult 0.08% threshold makes it legal. Is that correct?
1. No; the under-21 rule prohibits this measurable amount of alcohol.
2. Yes, unless the driver caused a crash.
3. Yes, if the driver holds a full license rather than a permit.
4. Yes, if the alcohol was consumed with a meal.
My answer:
19. A medicine significantly impairs your ability to drive carefully, but you have consumed no alcohol. What is the correct decision?
1. Drive because the law applies only to alcoholic beverages.
2. Drive if the medicine was lawfully prescribed.
3. Drive as long as your BAC is below 0.08%.
4. Do not drive; drug impairment can violate the impaired-driving law.
My answer:
20. After drinking, a driver takes a cold shower and drinks coffee. What has this accomplished for the alcohol already in the blood?
1. It has reduced the alcohol level enough for a short trip.
2. It has not removed the alcohol or made the driver sober.
3. It has cancelled the alcohol's effects if the driver feels awake.
4. It has made additional drinking safe before driving.
My answer:

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Answer key & explanations

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Hawaii · 20-question sample · Mark one correct answer for each question.

1. C — 15 years and six months.
The statewide minimum instruction-permit age is 15 years and six months. The applicant must also satisfy the other eligibility and examination requirements.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-110(a)
2. A — A person at least 21, licensed for that vehicle category, sitting beside the permit holder.
A car permit does not authorize solo driving merely because the learner is an adult. The qualified licensed supervisor must occupy the passenger seat beside the learner.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-110(e)
3. D — A parent or guardian licensed for the same vehicle category.
Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., a minor car permit holder must have the licensed parent or guardian beside them. The ordinary daytime adult-supervisor rule is not enough.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-110(e)(1)–(3)
4. B — The permit must have been held for at least 180 days.
A provisional applicant must be at least 16 and under 18 and have held the permit for at least 180 days, with the other requirements satisfied.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-102.6(a)
5. B — Completion of certified driver education and behind-the-wheel training.
The examiner must require proof of the certified driver education program and behind-the-wheel course. Informal practice does not replace those certificates.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-108(b)
6. D — A licensed parent or guardian must accompany and supervise the driver.
Without the licensed parent or guardian, the ordinary limit is one passenger under 18 outside the listed household-related exceptions.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-102.6(b)(3)
7. A — A signed employer statement verifying employment and work hours, with the employer's contact details.
Necessary work travel is a limited nighttime exception. The driver must carry the employer's signed statement with name, address, telephone number and verification of employment and hours.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-102.6(c)(1)
8. C — A regular driver's license.
For a driver still under 18, eligibility includes being at least 17, satisfactorily holding the provisional license for six months, no disqualifying pending proceeding and compliance with the other requirements.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §286-102.6(f)
9. C — Correct the safety defect before taking the test.
The test vehicle must be safe and have current registration, safety inspection and insurance identification. Safety defects must be corrected before testing.
Source: Hawaii Driver's Manual, HMG 5/2023, current HDOT-linked PDF; printed/PDF p. 15 — Driver Performance Test · page 15
10. A — No; an expired license is not valid driving authority.
The handbook states that a Hawaii license is void after its expiration date and there is no driving grace period. A renewal opportunity is not permission to drive on the expired credential.
Source: Hawaii Driver's Manual, HMG 5/2023, current HDOT-linked PDF; printed/PDF p. 15 — License Renewal · page 15
11. D — Notify the county examiner of drivers in writing within 30 days.
Give the county examiner the old and new addresses, your name and driver's license number within 30 days. REAL ID address evidence is a separate documentation requirement.
Source: Hawaii Driver's Manual, HMG 5/2023, current HDOT-linked PDF; printed/PDF p. 16 — Change of Address or Name on Driver's License · page 16
12. B — Wear the required corrective lenses.
A corrective-lens restriction applies while driving; a short or familiar trip does not remove it.
Source: Hawaii Driver's Manual, HMG 5/2023, current HDOT-linked PDF; printed/PDF p. 16 — Restricted License — code B · page 16
13. B — With the driver licensing agency for that county.
Hawaii driver licensing is administered by county agencies. Confirm the relevant county's procedures instead of assuming that test certificates or appointments transfer statewide.
Source: HDOT, Hawaii State Driver's License Program — county driver licensing contacts; read September 29, 2026
14. D — No; the prohibition also applies while temporarily stopped for traffic.
Operating includes temporary stops at a signal or in traffic. The roadside exception requires a complete stop, engine off and a safe location out of traffic.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §291C-137(a), (d)(4), (e)
15. A — Do not make the call while operating the vehicle.
Drivers under 18 may not use even a hands-free mobile electronic device while operating. The statutory exception is solely for a 911 emergency communication.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §291C-137(c)
16. C — This is prohibited; the 8-year-old is considered unattended with a child under 12.
The law covers children under nine left for five minutes or longer. A companion under 12 does not prevent the child from being considered unattended. Never treat a shorter period as a safe childcare plan.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §291C-121.5(a), (d)
17. C — 0.08% or higher.
A blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more is an offense threshold. It is not a safe-drinking target: impairment can make driving unlawful below it.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §291E-61(a)(3)–(4)
18. A — No; the under-21 rule prohibits this measurable amount of alcohol.
For the under-21 offense, a measurable amount starts at 0.02% and is below 0.08%. Higher concentrations can implicate the separate impaired-driving offense.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §291E-1 — measurable amount of alcohol; §291E-64(a) under-21 prohibition
19. D — Do not drive; drug impairment can violate the impaired-driving law.
The law separately prohibits operating under a drug that impairs careful and prudent driving. A prescription or zero BAC does not make impaired driving safe or lawful.
Source: Current Hawaii Revised Statutes — §291E-61(a)(1)–(2)
20. B — It has not removed the alcohol or made the driver sober.
Coffee or a cold shower may make someone feel more awake but do not sober the person. The body needs time to eliminate alcohol; arrange a sober ride.
Source: Hawaii Driver's Manual, HMG 5/2023, current HDOT-linked PDF; printed/PDF p. 55 — Alcohol — elimination from the body · page 55

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DMV Practice Lab · Hawaii practice sheet · Read your handbook alongside these questions.

Practice questions

1. A first-time car applicant is 15 years and four months old. What minimum age must the applicant reach before applying for a Hawaii instruction permit?

2. An adult holds a car instruction permit. Which accompanying person satisfies the ordinary supervision requirement?

3. A non-emancipated 16-year-old permit holder plans to drive at midnight. Who must occupy the seat beside the driver?

4. A teen has just turned 16 but has held an instruction permit for only 90 days. What prevents an immediate provisional license?

5. Before an applicant under 18 can be examined for a provisional license, what training proof is required?

6. A provisional driver wants to carry two unrelated 17-year-old friends who are not household members or household members' foster or hanai children. What is required?

7. A provisional driver must drive home from work after 11 p.m. without a parent. What documentation supports the work exception?

8. A 17-year-old has satisfactorily held a provisional license for six months, has no pending suspension or revocation proceeding and meets all other requirements. What may the driver apply for?

9. You arrive for the car road test in a vehicle with defective brakes. Its registration and insurance are current. What should happen?

10. Your Hawaii license expired yesterday. Does the period allowed for renewal give you permission to keep driving?

11. You change your residence address. What does the handbook direct you to do about your Hawaii driver's license record?

12. Your license requires corrective lenses. You are making a short daytime drive. What must you do?

13. You are planning a Class 3 test after moving to a different Hawaii county. Where should you confirm the applicable appointments and test-document procedures?

14. You are stopped at a red light with the engine running. May you hold your phone to read a routine message?

15. A 17-year-old driver wants to make an ordinary hands-free phone call while driving. What does Hawaii law require?

16. An adult plans to leave an 8-year-old in a parked car with an 11-year-old for ten minutes. How does Hawaii's unattended-child rule apply?

17. For an ordinary adult car driver, what blood alcohol concentration itself meets Hawaii's alcohol-concentration offense threshold?

18. A 20-year-old drives with a measured BAC of 0.03% and says the adult 0.08% threshold makes it legal. Is that correct?

19. A medicine significantly impairs your ability to drive carefully, but you have consumed no alcohol. What is the correct decision?

20. After drinking, a driver takes a cold shower and drinks coffee. What has this accomplished for the alcohol already in the blood?

Answer key & explanations

1. C — 15 years and six months.

2. A — A person at least 21, licensed for that vehicle category, sitting beside the permit holder.

3. D — A parent or guardian licensed for the same vehicle category.

4. B — The permit must have been held for at least 180 days.

5. B — Completion of certified driver education and behind-the-wheel training.

6. D — A licensed parent or guardian must accompany and supervise the driver.

7. A — A signed employer statement verifying employment and work hours, with the employer's contact details.

8. C — A regular driver's license.

9. C — Correct the safety defect before taking the test.

10. A — No; an expired license is not valid driving authority.

11. D — Notify the county examiner of drivers in writing within 30 days.

12. B — Wear the required corrective lenses.

13. B — With the driver licensing agency for that county.

14. D — No; the prohibition also applies while temporarily stopped for traffic.

15. A — Do not make the call while operating the vehicle.

16. C — This is prohibited; the 8-year-old is considered unattended with a child under 12.

17. C — 0.08% or higher.

18. A — No; the under-21 rule prohibits this measurable amount of alcohol.

19. D — Do not drive; drug impairment can violate the impaired-driving law.

20. B — It has not removed the alcohol or made the driver sober.

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