Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Hawaii, driver’s ed is required if you are under 18 and want a provisional license. You must finish a state-certified driver education course and bring both the classroom and the behind-the-wheel completion certificates to your road test. This page explains what the course involves, how to find an approved school and how it fits with the 180-day permit period.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- Who: anyone under 18 applying for a Hawaii provisional license.
- What: a state-certified course with two parts, classroom and behind-the-wheel. You get a certificate for each.
- Hours: HDOT has described the course as 30 hours of classroom instruction spaced over a 6-week period plus 6 hours behind the wheel (2020 HDOT notice). Confirm with your school.
- Providers: HDOT publishes a list of approved driving schools and virtual schools.
- Legal basis: Hawaii Revised Statutes 286-108.4 and Hawaii Administrative Rules 19-139.
- Adults 18 and over are not covered by the requirement, which is part of the under-18 graduated licensing program.
Is driver’s ed mandatory in Hawaii?
Yes, for under 18s. The Hawaii Driver’s Manual, HDOT’s GDL brochure and the City and County of Honolulu all list it as a condition of the provisional license. Honolulu’s road test page asks applicants under 18 for both a Driver Education Student Completion Certificate and a Behind-the-Wheel Student Completion Certificate. They must be originals.
How many hours is Hawaii driver’s ed?
| Part | Hours | Notes from HDOT |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom | 30 | Spread over a 6-week period; no class longer than 5 hours. Can be in person, virtual or a mix. |
| Behind-the-wheel | 6 | Can be taught at the same time as the classroom part or after it |
These figures come from an HDOT notice issued when in-person classes resumed on August 1, 2020. HDOT’s current driver education page does not repeat them, so check the current requirement with your school or HDOT before you enroll.
Supervised practice on top of driver’s ed
Six instructor hours is not much driving. Hawaii’s manual sets no logged-hours total for parents. Honolulu says ample supervised practice is required, and advises applicants aged 16 to 17 to practice for six months, in the car they will test in and around the test site. Your supervisor must be licensed and at least 21. Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. it must be a parent or guardian. Compare states: supervised driving hours by state.
How to find an approved Hawaii driving school
- HDOT keeps a list of approved driver education providers by island (Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui and Oahu) and a separate list of approved virtual driving schools. Being listed is not an HDOT endorsement.
- Ask the school whether it covers both the classroom and behind-the-wheel parts, and which certificates it issues.
- Students in public high schools can ask their school’s driver education coordinator, as the GDL brochure suggests.
- Problems with an instructor or school certified through HDOT can be reported with HDOT’s online complaint form.
Prices are set by each school, so ask the school for its fee.
A sample timeline for a Hawaii teen
- 15 years 6 months: pass the written and vision tests and get your instruction permit (permit test guide).
- Months 1 to 2: classroom course. Keep practicing with a parent.
- Alongside or after: 6 hours behind the wheel with a certified instructor.
- Day 180 or later, and at least 16: road test with both certificates (road test guide).
- Pass: provisional license (provisional rules).
Common questions
Can I take Hawaii driver’s ed online?
The classroom part can be taught virtually by approved instructors, and HDOT lists approved virtual schools. The behind-the-wheel part is in a car with an instructor.
Do I need driver’s ed if I am 18?
The requirement is part of the graduated licensing program for drivers under 18. At 18 you can test for a Class 3 license without the course certificates.
Can I start driver’s ed before I have a permit?
Ask your school. Each school sets its own enrollment rules, and HDOT’s pages do not set a starting age for the classroom part.
What if I lose a certificate?
Ask the school that issued it for a replacement. Honolulu wants original certificates at the road test.
Does driver’s ed shorten the 180-day permit period?
No. The 180-day holding period still applies.
Does it lower insurance?
Ask your insurer about any discount. See car insurance for new drivers in the US.
Related guides
- Learning to drive in Hawaii: complete guide
- Hawaii provisional license rules for teens
- Hawaii road test for a Class 3 license
Sources
- Hawaii Department of Transportation, “Driver Education” (hidot.hawaii.gov)
- Hawaii Department of Transportation, “In-person Driver’s Education classes approved to resume Aug. 1” (hidot.hawaii.gov)
- Hawaii Department of Transportation, “What you need to know about Hawaii’s Graduated Licensing Program” (hidot.hawaii.gov)
- Hawaii Department of Transportation, “Hawaii Driver’s Manual” (2023 edition), Driving by Minors (hidot.hawaii.gov)
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, “Road Test” (honolulu.gov)
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, “Graduated Driver Licensing Program (GDL)” (honolulu.gov)