Driving Tests

Hawaii Online Permit Test: Webcam Rules, Time Limit, Languages

informational·how to guide·Published September 24, 2026

Can I take the Hawaii permit test online, and what do I need?

Yes. Hawaii residents who need the Class 3 (car) written test can take it online on a desktop or laptop with a working webcam. Phones and tablets do not work. The test has 30 questions and a one-hour limit, in English or Spanish. In Honolulu (Oahu) it costs $12 (U.S. dollars). After you pass, book a licensing center visit within 60 days.

Where these test rules come from

The rules come from the City and County of Honolulu online permit test page and Honolulu news releases of 2025 and 2026, plus other Honolulu driver license pages (procedures, FAQ, fees, graduated licensing, motorcycles). The Hawaii Department of Transportation manual library lists the Hawaii Driver's Manual by language. Each county runs its own driver licensing, and these pages are Honolulu (Oahu) pages. If you live on Hawaii Island, Kauai or Maui, check with your county. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with your county driver licensing office or the Hawaii Department of Transportation (hidot.hawaii.gov) before you drive.

Hawaii online permit test at a glance

Hawaii online permit test at a glance
Item	What Honolulu says
Who can take it	Any Hawaii resident who needs the written test, for the Class 3 (car) license only. It does not cover Class 2 (motorcycle).
Device	Desktop or laptop with a mouse or mouse pad, keyboard and working webcam. No phone, tablet or touchscreen.
Questions	30
Time limit	One hour. The clock starts when the test starts after registration.
Languages	English and Spanish, with a read-aloud option if speakers are connected
Fee in Honolulu	$12, paid online by credit card only
When	No appointment needed. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
After you pass	Book a driver licensing center visit within 60 days

How many Oahu drivers take the permit test online?

Honolulu started the online service on Dec. 9, 2024. In the year up to January 2026, more than 45,200 permit tests were taken in the City and County of Honolulu, and 66% of them were online. In the first year of the service, the online pass rate was higher than the in-person pass rate by a 2-1 ratio.

How to take the online test, step by step

1
Get the right device
Use a desktop or laptop with an internet connection, a mouse or mouse pad, a keyboard and a working webcam.
2
Register with your identity details
Start the test from the Honolulu online permit test page. Enter your first and last name, street address, city, state, zip code, date of birth and the last five digits of your Social Security number. Software checks these details. If they do not match, you must take the test in person.
3
Choose the correct county and pay
Select your own county when you register, or you can lose your test result. Pay online by credit card. The test cannot start until the webcam takes your photo.
4
Take the test within one hour
Answer 30 questions in English or Spanish within one hour. You can check yourself on the online test time limit with a free practice question.
5
Book your licensing center visit
After you pass, book an appointment on AlohaQ.org within 60 days of passing.

Webcam and screen rules during the test

Do not look to the side or move away from the test screen. Keep the cursor inside the red box on the screen at all times. When the cursor leaves the red box, the software may decide that you opened another tab to look for answers.

The program gives two warnings for looking away or leaving the test screen. On the third time, it stops the test and you fail the attempt. The webcam also takes photos at random during the test, so that nobody else can give you answers. At your appointment, the licensing clerk compares those photos with you at the counter.

If you are under 18

An adult over 21 must be with you for registration. The adult gives a first and last name, date of birth, the last five digits of a Social Security number and a valid driver's license number.
During the test, the adult must stay out of view of the webcam.
At your licensing center visit, bring the Parental Consent Form (CS-L (DL) 239). Both parents listed on the birth certificate must submit one.
The supervisor rules for a permit are in the guide to the instruction permit at 15½ and who can ride with you.

Test languages, read-aloud and the oral exam

The online test is offered in English and Spanish. With speakers connected to your computer, the test can read the questions aloud in either language. The test is based on the Hawaii Driver's Manual, which the Hawaii Department of Transportation lists in 14 languages, including Hawaiian, Ilocano, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Our free practice tests and question pages are in English only.

If you cannot read, write or understand English, Honolulu can arrange an oral exam (restrictions may apply). Call (808) 768-9100 or email dl@honolulu.gov. The oral test costs $10 at Kapalama or Wahiawa.

What if you fail or want to retake the test?

You can take the online test as many times as you need, but only twice in one day. In Honolulu, each retake costs another full fee of $12. If you fail because of your knowledge, you must wait seven days before you retake it. Honolulu does not refund the fee after a fail for knowledge or for fraud.

The online fee is the county fee plus a $10 transaction fee: Hawaii County $11, Kauai County $20 and Maui County $25. For more on fees, see permit test fees by county and the retake wait.

What to bring to your licensing center visit

The Certificate of Completion that the online test creates at the end, and a completed Driver's License Application Form.
Your certified birth certificate from a state or local government, and two documents that prove your Hawaii address.
At the visit you are photographed and fingerprinted, you take an eye test, and you pay the permit fee ($5 in Honolulu).

Online or in person: which one fits you?

You have a laptop or desktop with a webcam and want to test any time

Take the test online. No appointment is needed for the test.

You only have a phone or tablet

You cannot use it for the online test. Use a computer with a webcam, or book an in-person written test.

You prefer to test in person on Oahu

Book a written test at a driver licensing center on AlohaQ.org. Since Aug. 4, 2026, Honolulu offers in-person permit tests on selected days only, for example Tuesdays and Thursdays at Kapalama. Bring all your permit documents, because you must show them before the test. The in-person test fee is $2, and the instruction permit fee is $5.

You want a Class 2 motorcycle permit

The online test does not cover it. On Oahu, the motorcycle written test is in person only, at a driver licensing center. On other islands, ask your county.

Key takeaways

The online permit test is for the Class 3 (car) license. You need a desktop or laptop with a webcam, not a phone or tablet.
It has 30 questions and a one-hour limit, in English or Spanish. In Honolulu it costs $12.
Keep your eyes and cursor on the screen. Two warnings are allowed, and the third stops the test and fails the attempt.
After you pass, book a licensing center visit within 60 days and bring the Certificate of Completion.
Next step: practice on the free Hawaii Class 3 learner's permit practice test.

Hawaii online permit test: common questions

Can I take the Hawaii permit test on my phone?

No. A phone, tablet or other touchscreen device will not work with the Hawaii online permit test. You need a desktop or laptop computer, a mouse or mouse pad, a keyboard and a working webcam. If you have no computer, book an in-person written test on AlohaQ.org instead.

Can someone help me during the online permit test?

No. The webcam takes your photo before the test starts and again at random times during it. If you are under 18, the adult who registers with you must stay out of view of the webcam during the test.

Who do I contact if the online permit test has a technical problem?

Contact the testing provider, Intellectual Technology Inc., at HIK2DOnlineSupport@iti4dmv.com for questions about the testing system. For questions about your permit, your appointment or your documents, contact your county driver licensing office. On Oahu, that is the City and County of Honolulu.

How long is my online permit test result good for?

You have 60 days after you pass. Within those 60 days, you must have your licensing center appointment, complete the permit requirements and show all the needed documents. Bring the Certificate of Completion that the test creates at the end.

Do I have to take the Hawaii permit test online?

No. You can book an in-person written test at a driver licensing center on AlohaQ.org. On Oahu, in-person tests run on selected days only, and you must show all your permit documents before the test.

Is the Hawaii online permit test free?

No. In Honolulu it costs $12: a $2 city and county fee plus a $10 transaction and credit card fee, paid online by credit card only. Hawaii County charges $11, Kauai County $20 and Maui County $25. A failed knowledge attempt gets no refund.