Gov. Josh Green and the four county mayors have announced the availability of a new online option to take the written learner’s permit test.
Hawaii residents meeting the minimum age to test for a learner’s permit for a driver’s license can take a Home Driving Knowledge Test at https://knowtodrive.com/hawaii.
“For many young people, receiving your learner’s permit is a rite of passage,” Green said in a press release. “We’re excited to bring this government function into the 21st century by allowing prospective drivers to prove in an online test that they know what to do to be safe drivers on our roadways.”
In Hawaii County, information about the test can be found at www.vrl.hawaiicounty.gov/driver-s-licensing/online-written-test.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this kind of cutting-edge service that allows our DMV to be more responsive to residents,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda in the release.
The state’s new online driving knowledge test requires no appointment and can be taken anywhere at any time as long as the applicant has access to a desktop or laptop, internet access and a working webcam.
Mobile devices, such as cell phones or tablets, cannot be used to take the Home Driving Knowledge Test due to system requirements for identity verification, which ensures the person taking the Home Driving Knowledge Test is the same person receiving the learner’s permit.
Previously, aspiring drivers had to schedule an in-person visit to take the written test or do so through a driving school. Counties will continue to offer in-office service for the written permit test on a limited, appointment-only basis on certain days of the week.
The digital service will largely service the state’s growing 15-to-19 age group, which makes up 3%, or more than 26,000, of all licensed drivers in Hawaii.
Next steps for applicants that have passed the Home Driving Knowledge Test are to make an appointment to visit a driver licensing center to complete the application process, be photographed and fingerprinted, and pay for the instruction permit.