Hawaii Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The Hawaii rules and numbers to know for the DMV knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official Hawaii driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The Hawaii test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- 30
- To pass
- 24 of 30 correct (80%)
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the Hawaii knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 15½ years old
- Hold the permit for
- 180 days for ages 15.5-17 (90 days for adults)
- Alcohol limit under 21
- 0.02% BAC
Hawaii rules and numbers
From the official Hawaii handbook (2023 (copyright line '1977, 2006, 2018, ); PDF page numbers in brackets.
Road signs
- Slow-moving vehicle emblem: vehicles designed for 25 mph or less. [p.30]
- Double solid yellow: cross only to turn left into or from an alley, private road or driveway. [p.33]
- Two-way left turn lane: left turns only, from either direction - never for passing. [p.36]
- Yellow obstruction markings: pass only on the right. White: either side. [p.37]
- Flashing yellow X over a lane: use it only to prepare for a left turn. [p.42]
- Barricade stripes sloping down to the right mean bear right. [p.50]
Rules of the road
- Provisional license, 11 p.m.-5 a.m.: only with a licensed parent or guardian, or for work/school activity. [p.14]
- Provisional night limit exceptions: driving to or from work or a school-authorized activity. [p.14]
- No driving on the left half within 100 feet of an intersection or railroad crossing. [p.26]
- Signal at least 100 feet (about five car lengths) before turning, changing lanes or stopping. [p.27]
- At a railroad warning, stop no less than 15 feet from the nearest rail. [p.27]
- Stop at a crossing when a train within 1,500 feet sounds a warning. [p.27]
- Near a hill or curve, do not pass without 700-1,000 feet of clear distance ahead. [p.30]
- It is illegal to increase your speed while being passed. [p.30]
- Funeral processions have the right of way at intersections; never drive between them. [p.29]
- Left on red is allowed only from a one-way street into a one-way street moving left. [p.39]
- Report a crash to police at once if there is injury, death or $3,000+ in damage. [p.52]
- Parallel parking: curbside wheels within 12 inches of the curb. [p.73]
- Parallel parked: keep bumpers at least two feet from other vehicles. [p.72]
- Reduced Speed Ahead: start slowing; the new limit begins at the next speed limit sign. [p.45]
- Divided highway: opposite-direction traffic need not stop for a school bus. [p.96]
- Always stop for a blind pedestrian (white cane or guide dog), whatever the signal. [p.95]
- Hold an instruction permit 180 days before applying for a provisional license. [p.13]
- Hawaii: on any hill, turn the wheels to the right (toward the curb). [p.71]
Safe driving & emergencies
- All front and back seat occupants must wear seat belts. [p.19]
- First rain makes roads slick; allow at least twice the normal following distance. [p.75]
- Partial hydroplaning can begin at 35 mph; at 55 mph tires may lose all road contact. [p.75]
- Can't see 2 car lengths (40 ft) in fog? Pull completely off the pavement and use hazards. [p.76]
- Never drive through swiftly moving water more than one foot deep. [p.76]
- Never leave a child under 9 alone in a vehicle for 5 minutes or longer. [p.64]
- Brake failure: pump the pedal fast, downshift, then apply the parking brake gradually. [p.81]
- Give bicyclists at least 3 feet when passing. [p.97]
- Trailer of 3,000+ lb or over half the tow vehicle's weight: brakes and breakaway needed. [p.87]
Rules learners miss most
The rules behind the most-missed questions on our practice tests. Some details, such as parking distances, can differ by state - your handbook has the final word.
- At 60 mph a car travels about 88 feet per second.
- Measure following distance in seconds, counted from a fixed roadside object.
- Most states: no parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- A yellow curb signals a stopping or parking limit - check signs and local rules.
- Uncontrolled T-intersection: the terminating road yields to the through road.
- Most states: no parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant (a few use 10 feet).
- KEEP RIGHT: pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction.
- Point of no return: past it you cannot stop safely on yellow, so proceed.
- Zipper merge: use both lanes up to the merge point, then alternate.
- In heavy rain use low beams, slow down and increase following distance.
- Parallel park close to and parallel with the curb, within your state's limit.
- Yellow pennant on the left side of the road: a no-passing zone begins.
- Car with skid marks: the road is slippery when wet.
- Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs.
- 4-way stop tie: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- ABS keeps wheels from locking in hard braking so you can still steer.
- A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.
- Merging onto a highway: yield to traffic already on the highway.
- An upward-pointing pentagon marks a school zone or school crossing.
- Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
- Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for conditions, even under the limit.
- Use high beams on open roads; dim them for oncoming or followed vehicles.
- Arrows pointing up and down warn of two-way traffic ahead.
- Orange diamond signs warn of construction and work zones.
- Adult (21+) BAC limit is 0.08% in most states.
- Implied consent: by driving you agree to chemical tests if arrested for DUI.
Now test yourself
Reading rules is a start; answering questions is what makes them stick.