Hawaii HDOT road test: what to expect

What the examiner checks

• Start and drive through a business district
• Parallel parking
• Proper signaling, turning, starting and stopping
• Starting on a slight grade without rolling backward
• Knowledge of and obedience to traffic laws and safe practices

Your car

• Clear passenger compartment and floor
• Working turn signals and brake lamps; lenses not cracked
• Front and rear plates securely mounted
• Working horn
• Current registration, inspection decal and insurance card

After you pass

Drivers under 17 (after 6 months on the provisional license) get a provisional or junior license first. Its restrictions:

• No more than one passenger under 18 who is not a household member unless a licensed parent or guardian is with you
• No driving 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. unless a licensed parent or guardian sits in the front passenger seat, or you are driving to or from work or a school-authorized activity with a signed statement (still no more than one passenger under 18)
• All occupants must use safety belts or child restraints
• Penalties: 1st violation of the provisional rules, 3-month suspension; 2nd or later, 6-month revocation. Traffic conviction: 6 months for the 1st, 1-year revocation for the 2nd or later
• Provisional license expires on the 19th birthday

How to prepare

• Practise in the car you'll take the test in, including parking and backing up.
• Drive the kinds of roads near the test site with your supervising driver: intersections, lane changes, school zones.
• Check the car the day before: lights, signals, horn, brakes, mirrors, tires, seat belts, and current registration and insurance documents.
• On the day, signal every turn and lane change, check mirrors and blind spots visibly, and come to full stops behind the line.