Department of Customer Services

You must have a motorcycle instruction permit issued by the City and County of Honolulu when learning to operate a motorcycle, moped or motor scooter on Oahu’s public roadways. Motorcycle manual and procedures can be downloaded here.

Motorcycle Drivers

Application Process:

• Schedule an appointment at any full-service driver licensing center on Oahu.
• Refer to the required Real ID documents online interactive guide or download this document to make sure you have all of the required Real ID documents that you need to bring with you for your application appointment.
• Download, complete and print a State of Hawaii Driver’s License Application to apply for a Class 2 Instruction Permit.
• Bring your completed application and all required documents with you to your appointment.
• You will also need to pass a vision screening test and submit to fingerprinting during your appointment.
• Take the motorcycle written test and, if you do not currently have a Class 3 Driver’s License, you will also need to take and pass the general driver knowledge examination.

Upon satisfactory completion of the following, you will be issued an instruction permit that is valid for one year:

• Submission of all required documents;
• Completion of the vision test and fingerprinting;
• Successfully pass knowledge examination(s);
• Fee payment of $2 per each written test and $5 permit fee; and
• Photographing

The driver licensing center will issue a temporary permit and the permanent plastic permit will be mailed to you in six to eight weeks.

Motorcycle Instruction Permit Restrictions:

• You are not allowed to carry passengers.
• You are not allowed to operate a motorcycle during the hours of darkness while learning to ride with a permit.
• Your permit may be renewed if you have taken a skill test prior to the expiration of the motorcycle instruction permit.
• If your permit expires before you take a skill test at least once, you must wait three months before applying for another motorcycle instruction permit.
• If your instruction permit is lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated/illegible, you may order aduplicate permit online.

Driver’s Education Certificate Requirements:

• Drivers under 18 are required to take driving lessons at a driver’s education program certified by the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
• If you are 16 to 18 years old, you must earn a Driver Education Student Completion Certificate and a Behind-the-Wheel Student Completion Certificate, and you are required to practice driving on your motorcycle instructional permit for at least 180* days before you can take the skills test.
  • Effective 3/21/2022, the Hawaii Department of Transportation announced a correction to the Hawaii Motorcycle Manual (scroll to “Minors: Under 18 years old” information section under “In state” and “Under the permit phase”.)
  • As of 4/17/2023 an updated Hawaii Motorcycle Manual with the corrected 180-day permit period requirement has not yet been published, but the requirement is 180 days.
  • The City and County of Honolulu enforces the 180-day permit period requirement.

  Driver Performance Test:

  • You are required to successfully complete an off-street skill test to get a motorcycle or motor scooter license in Hawaii.
  • The skills test may be waived if you have a motorcycle skills test Certification for Waiver issued by the Hawaii Motorcycle Safety Education Program or a valid motorcycle license or endorsement from another state.
  • Off-street skills testing is conducted on a walk-in basis on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Commercial Driver Licensing Office, 897 Second St. in Pearl City; a limited number of skills tests are administered on those days, and sign up for same-day testing is from 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • For the off-street skills test, you must provide a motorcycle in safe operating condition with a current registration, current safety inspection certificate and liability insurance identification card.
  • The Hawaii Motorcycle Manual lists motorcycle and safety equipment requirements.

  Application Process:

  • Schedule an appointment at any full-service driver licensing center on Oahu.
  • Refer to the required Real ID documents online interactive guide or download this document to make sure you have all of the required Real ID documents that you need to bring with you for your appointment.
  • Download, complete and print a State of Hawaii Driver’s License Application to apply for an out of state license transfer.
  • Bring your completed application and all required documents with you to your appointment.
  • You will also need to pass a vision screening test and submit to fingerprinting during your appointment.

  Upon satisfactory completion of the following, you will be issued a temporary license:

  • Submission of all required documents;
  • Completion of the vision test, fingerprinting, and photo;
  • Fee payment:
    • Four year license, ages 17 – 24, $20 fee
    • Eight year license, ages 25 – 71, $40 fee

    The driver licensing center will issue a temporary Class 2-3 (motorcycle/car) driver’s license. The permanent plastic license will be mailed to you in six to eight weeks.

    Additional Information:

    • Motorcycle endorsements on driver’s licenses issued by Alabama and U.S. territories are not transferrable to Hawaii.
    • You will be required to surrender your valid out-of-state license, which will be returned to the issuing jurisdiction.
    • An expired out-of-state license is not transferable and requires the successful completion of:
      • Hawaii general driver knowledge written test
      • Hawaii special motorcycle written test
      • Driver performance test (off-street skill test)