HONOLULU — Aspiring drivers on Oʻahu are showing signs of embracing the online option to take the written test to obtain a learner’s permit for a Hawai’i driver’s license.
Of the 45,200-plus learner’s permit tests taken in the past year, 66% were done online. By comparison, the other 34% were done in person at a driver licensing center in the City and County of Honolulu.
The online passing rate also has been higher than the in-person rate for the written test by a 2-1 ratio in the first year of the service.
“It’s encouraging to see the online written permit test catching on with residents and to help us reduce wait times for other appointments, as well as free up slots for more complicated transactions that cannot be done online,” said Kim Hashiro, director of the city’s Department of Customer Services, whose oversight responsibilities include driver licensing and motor vehicle registration functions in the City and County of Honolulu.
Launched in December 2024, the online option for the driving knowledge test requires no appointment and can be taken anywhere at any time as long as the applicant has internet access and a working webcam. A mobile device, such as a cellphone or tablet, will not work with the online system.
A recent change in procedure now allows aspiring drivers 60 days after passing the test to visit a driver licensing center to complete the process to obtain a learner’s permit. That visit, which requires an AlohaQ appointment, enables applicants to complete necessary paperwork, get photographed, fingerprinted, and pay for the permit.
For more information, visit the online permit test page at www.honolulu.gov/csd
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