Hawaii DMV Practice Test 2026

1. The road ahead has loose gravel, reducing tire grip
2. The shoulder ends ahead
3. The road ahead becomes especially slippery when it is wet
4. The shoulder ahead is lower than the surface of the road

Correct answer: The road ahead has loose gravel, reducing tire grip. This warning sign means the road ahead has loose gravel, reducing tire grip. Be ready to react safely as you approach this part of the road.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 2C (Warning Signs)

1. Because green lights sometimes malfunction or break
2. Because green lights only apply to the far right lane
3. Because green lights change too fast to be fully reliable
4. Because someone still crossing legally may not be clear yet

Correct answer: Because someone still crossing legally may not be clear yet. A green light allows you to proceed, but anyone who legally entered the intersection while it was still clear to do so may still be finishing crossing, and you must yield to them.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.41-42, Solid Green: give right-of-way to any vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian still in the intersection

1. The railroad crossing ahead has been permanently removed and closed
2. A railroad crossing is ahead; slow down and prepare to stop if needed
3. A train station is ahead with parking available
4. The road curves sharply just past the tracks

Correct answer: A railroad crossing is ahead; slow down and prepare to stop if needed. This is the advance warning sign for a railroad crossing, giving drivers time to slow down before reaching the tracks.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 8B.06

1. 1 second
2. 8 seconds
3. 2 seconds
4. 5 seconds

Correct answer: 2 seconds. Hawaii recommends at least 2 seconds between the two vehicles passing the same fixed point under normal conditions.

1. False
2. True

Correct answer: True. Hawaii's minor-specific phone rule (banning even hands-free use for drivers under 18) is: True.

1. One year
2. Ten years
3. Six months
4. Three years

Correct answer: Three years. A driver convicted of certain vehicle offenses must maintain proof of financial responsibility for three years.

Source: Hawaii Driver Handbook, p.53, Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law

1. Because the inside lane of a roundabout is always faster
2. Because roundabouts always post stop signs for entering traffic
3. Because pedestrians always outrank circulating vehicles inside
4. It keeps circulating traffic flowing without forcing stops inside

Correct answer: It keeps circulating traffic flowing without forcing stops inside. Requiring entering traffic to yield avoids forcing vehicles already inside the circle to stop, which keeps the roundabout flowing and lowers crash risk.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.48, if you miss your exit, continue around

1. Wait; do not begin crossing
2. Cross quickly before traffic arrives
3. Cross only if no cars are visible
4. Cross if you are in a hurry

Correct answer: Wait; do not begin crossing. A steady DON'T WALK signal means it is not legal to begin a new crossing; a pedestrian should wait for the WALK signal.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.42, Walk or Walking Person means it is legal to cross

1. High beams are illegal to use anywhere near a commercial truck
2. It causes the truck's taillights to shut off automatically
3. It has no effect on the truck driver at all
4. The bright light reflects off the truck's large mirrors and blinds the truck driver

Correct answer: The bright light reflects off the truck's large mirrors and blinds the truck driver. A truck has large side mirrors, and high-beam headlights from a following vehicle can reflect off them directly into the truck driver's eyes, blinding them. Low beams should be used when following a truck at night.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch9 Share the Road with Trucks-Following a Truck, p.57

1. Each drug cancels out the effects of the others
2. Only the strongest of the drugs will have any effect
3. The effects can add up, and alcohol can hide the warning signs
4. Combining substances has no more effect than taking one alone

Correct answer: The effects can add up, and alcohol can hide the warning signs. Taking more than one drug at the same time, especially combined with alcohol, can create a cumulative effect that is more dangerous than any single substance alone, and alcohol can mask the warning signs that a drug is impairing the driver.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch10 Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability, p.55

1. Any pedestrian walking on that sidewalk must be allowed to go first
2. A horn tap lets the pedestrian know to step aside
3. The driver may continue if no one is very close yet
4. Yielding is only required when the pedestrian is a child

Correct answer: Any pedestrian walking on that sidewalk must be allowed to go first. Pulling across a sidewalk toward a driveway, an alley, or a parking lot entrance puts a driver directly in the path of anyone walking there. The driver has to come to a stop and give that pedestrian priority before moving on.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Laws and Rules of the Road-Pedestrians, p.34 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. Enter the lane anyway, since it sits in the center
2. Follow whichever car is ahead of you into that lane
3. Check the overhead signal before entering the lane
4. Assume the lane always flows toward downtown areas

Correct answer: Check the overhead signal before entering the lane. Because a reversible lane's direction changes with the overhead signal, you should confirm the current direction before entering, rather than guessing.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Lane Control, reversible lane

1. Slow down before the stop line
2. Signal an intended turn
3. Enter the intersection at all
4. Check the mirrors for other traffic

Correct answer: Enter the intersection at all. A driver must never enter the intersection at all once the light has already turned red.

Source: Hawaii Driver Handbook, p.39, Standard Three-Color Signals

1. Wait for a police officer to wave them through
2. Wait for the light to turn green
3. Sound the horn before proceeding
4. Come to a full stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic first

Correct answer: Come to a full stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic first. In Hawaii, a driver may turn right at a red light only after stopping completely and making sure pedestrians and crossing traffic are clear, unless a sign specifically bans the turn.

1. 24 inches
2. 9 inches
3. 12 inches
4. 6 inches

Correct answer: 12 inches. In Hawaii, your wheels should be no more than 12 inches from the curb when parked, so your vehicle doesn't stick out into traffic.

1. Checking mirrors before changing lanes
2. Eating or drinking while driving
3. Signaling before a turn
4. Adjusting the seat before starting to drive

Correct answer: Eating or drinking while driving. Eating or drinking while driving takes a hand off the wheel and attention off the road, making it a recognized distraction on its own, separate from cell phone use.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch9 Highway Safety Tips, p.60

1. Only stop if you are behind the bus; oncoming traffic may proceed
2. Slow down and pass carefully
3. Stop only if children are visible outside the bus
4. Stop, regardless of which direction you are traveling

Correct answer: Stop, regardless of which direction you are traveling. On an undivided road, traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop-arm, and must remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch3/Sharing the Road-School Buses, p.97: "On a two-way street or highway, all drivers moving in either direction must stop"

1. On a bridge or inside a tunnel
2. In a large parking lot
3. On a residential street with no signs
4. Next to a business with a public lot

Correct answer: On a bridge or inside a tunnel. Parking on a bridge, overpass, or inside a tunnel blocks traffic and hides your vehicle from approaching drivers, so it's prohibited almost everywhere.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Parking-Illegal Parking p.68-77 (tunnel or bridge)

1. Zero
2. Three
3. Two
4. One

Correct answer: One. A Hawaii provisional license allows its holder to transport only one non-household passenger under 18.

Source: Hawaii Driver Handbook, p.13, Driving by Minors

1. Stop as usual since the light will change soon anyway
2. Edge forward slowly until the car ahead moves
3. Stop farther back so the crosswalk stays completely clear
4. Straddle the crosswalk since pedestrians can walk around

Correct answer: Stop farther back so the crosswalk stays completely clear. A vehicle should never block or overhang a crosswalk while stopped. If the line of traffic extends that far, stop short of the crosswalk instead, so pedestrians have a clear path and can be seen by other drivers.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch6 Traffic Signals-Steady Signal Lights #2, p.59

1. Proceed right away, since the pedestrian is no longer in your own lane
2. Honk to hurry the pedestrian along
3. Continue waiting until the pedestrian has completely crossed
4. Only wait if the pedestrian is elderly or a child

Correct answer: Continue waiting until the pedestrian has completely crossed. A driver must continue to yield until the pedestrian has fully and safely crossed, not just moved out of the driver's own lane.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.36, yield to pedestrians within any crosswalk

1. No, only time allows the body to eliminate alcohol
2. Yes, coffee removes alcohol from the bloodstream quickly
3. Yes, but only a cold shower works, not coffee
4. Yes, if combined with exercise right before driving

Correct answer: No, only time allows the body to eliminate alcohol. Coffee, cold showers, and exercise may make a person feel more awake, but none of them speed up how quickly the body eliminates alcohol. Only time allows blood alcohol concentration to drop.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch10 Myths about Drinking Alcohol, p.62

1. at least 100 feet before the turn
2. at least 50 feet before the turn
3. at least 300 feet before the turn
4. at least 150 feet before the turn

Correct answer: at least 100 feet before the turn. Signaling early gives other drivers time to react; in Hawaii the minimum distance before a turn is 100 feet, unless the intersection is closer than that.

1. Use high beams, follow closely to keep the car ahead in sight, and maintain normal speed
2. Use low-beam headlights, reduce your speed, and increase your following distance
3. Use your parking lights only and follow the car ahead closely
4. Turn off your headlights so the fog doesn't reflect light back at you

Correct answer: Use low-beam headlights, reduce your speed, and increase your following distance. In fog, use low beams (high beams worsen visibility by reflecting back), slow down, and increase your following distance since stopping distance and reaction time are harder to judge.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Driving Hazards-Driving in Fog or Heavy Smoke, p.98-99 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. Yield to pedestrians and traffic present
2. Flash the headlights as a friendly courtesy
3. Wait for another driver to signal them through
4. Sound the horn briefly before turning ahead

Correct answer: Yield to pedestrians and traffic present. Before completing either turn, the driver must yield to all pedestrians and vehicles in the intersection.

Source: Hawaii Driver Handbook, p.39, Standard Three-Color Signals