Hawaii Phones & Distraction practice test

Practice phone rules and other distractions: 19 questions based on the Hawaii Driver's Manual, 12 of them on Hawaii's own rules.

Key Hawaii facts: Phones & Distraction

  • No one may operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device; using means holding it. HRS §291C-137(a), (e)
  • Operating includes being temporarily stopped in traffic, at a traffic light or at a stop sign. HRS §291C-137(e)
  • Using a device only to make a 911 emergency call is an affirmative defense to the mobile electronic device law. HRS §291C-137(b)
  • A driver under 18 may not use even a hands-free mobile electronic device while driving, except to call 911. HRS §291C-137(c)
  • Drivers are exempt when fully stopped with the engine off, in a safe location beside the road out of the way of traffic. HRS §291C-137(d)(4)

Sample Phones & Distraction questions

Is a hands-free phone conversation free of distraction?

  • No, it still takes your attention
  • Yes, because your hands stay free
  • Yes, if you use a good headset
  • Yes, as long as the call is short
Show the answer

No, it still takes your attention

If you need to talk, pull over in a safe place until you finish.

Source: Hawaii Driver's Manual, Chapter X, Distracted Driving, PDF p. 59

What penalty can a driver face for negligently causing a crash (inattention to driving)?

  • Up to $500, 30 days in jail, or both
  • A $5 fine and nothing more
  • Only a warning letter in the mail
  • A lifetime ban from driving
Show the answer

Up to $500, 30 days in jail, or both

A surcharge of up to $100 may also apply.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291-12

What is the fine for using a hand-held phone while driving through a school zone?

  • $100
  • $300
  • $2,000
  • $400
Show the answer

$400

Outside school zones and construction areas, the fine is $300.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(f)

A 17-year-old driver wants to make a hands-free call. Is it legal?

  • Yes, hands-free is always legal
  • Only on the freeway
  • Yes, if a parent approves
  • No, except to call 911
Show the answer

No, except to call 911

Drivers under 18 may not use any mobile device while driving, even hands-free.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(c)

May an adult driver hold a phone while driving in Hawaii?

  • No, it is against the law
  • Yes, but only for short calls
  • Yes, while driving at low speeds
  • Only when driving on rural roads
Show the answer

No, it is against the law

Hawaii law defines using a device as holding it while operating a vehicle.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(a), (e)

Which device does Hawaii's mobile electronic device law not cover?

  • A laptop computer on the seat
  • A handheld video game player
  • A built-in navigation unit
  • A digital camera held by the driver
Show the answer

A built-in navigation unit

Audio equipment and installed navigation or emergency equipment are left out.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(e)

What is the fine for holding a phone while driving in Hawaii?

  • $50
  • $1,000
  • $25
  • $300
Show the answer

$300

The fine rises to $400 in a school zone or construction area.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(f)

You see a serious crash and grab your phone to call 911 while driving. How does the law treat this?

  • It requires a hands-free device
  • It is always a violation
  • It is a defense to the phone charge
  • It is allowed only for passengers
Show the answer

It is a defense to the phone charge

The call must be made only for the emergency.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(b)

When may you lawfully hold your phone in a car on the road?

  • While waiting your turn at a stop sign
  • Whenever you are driving under 10 mph
  • Parked safely aside with the engine off
  • When creeping along in stop-and-go traffic
Show the answer

Parked safely aside with the engine off

The car must be in a safe spot out of the way of traffic.

Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS §291C-137(d)(4)

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About these questions

We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Hawaii Driver's Manual (State of Hawaii Driver's Manual, Hagadone Media Group-Hawaii edition 'HMG 5/2023' (copyright years 1977, 2006, 2018, 2020 and 2023), digital file 2023-Hawaii-Drivers-Manual_5.375x8.375_Final-r3-Digital-071924web.pdf (132 PDF pages), posted on hidot.hawaii.gov in November 2024 and linked as the English manual from the HDOT Motor Vehicle Safety Office page, read 2026-11-10. (The file named Hawaii-Drivers-Manual_2026_V2.pdf on the same page is the Chuukese translation, not a newer English edition.) Page numbers cited are PDF pages, which match the printed page numbers; the PDF's text layer repeats many passages on two consecutive pages (for example 64 and 65), and the first of the two is cited. The test-question appendix (PDF pp. 100-127) was not used as a source. Hawaii licensing is run by the four counties under HDOT rules, so the exam format comes from HDOT's Online Learner's Permit Test page and Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 19-122, and legal rules were checked against the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS chapters 286, 291, 291C, 291E and 431:10C) on data.capitol.hawaii.gov, read 2026-11-10 (current through the 2025 session laws; the capitol.hawaii.gov host blocks plain requests, the data.capitol.hawaii.gov mirror does not). A web search for 2026 session laws touching these rules found only CDL, e-bike and mobile driver's license acts, none affecting a tested rule. Questions follow the statute where the manual differs. Out-of-date or inconsistent manual statements and how they were handled: (1) insurance minimums of $20,000/$40,000 bodily injury and $10,000 property damage (PDF p. 54) were raised by Act 138, SLH 2024, to $40,000/$80,000 and $20,000 (HRS 431:10C-301(b)) for new and renewed policies from January 1, 2026; questions use the new limits; (2) test refusal revocation of one, two or four years (PDF p. 56) differs from HRS 291E-41(c): two, four or eight years; questions use the statute; (3) child restraints (PDF p. 20: restraint under 4, booster under 8 if under four feet and 40 pounds; the 2006 GDL brochure linked from PDF p. 13 says boosters for ages 4-7) are out of date: HRS 291-11.5 (amended 2022) covers children under 10, rear-facing under 2, and a belt only for ages 7-9 taller than 4 feet 9 inches; questions use the statute; (4) school bus (PDF p. 96: a $1,000 fine; only opposite-direction traffic on a divided highway is excused) differs from HRS 291C-95: stop at least 20 feet away in the bus's lane and all adjacent lanes regardless of direction, the rule does not apply on a different roadway, and the fine is up to $500, or up to $1,000 on a state highway; questions use the statute; (5) the manual's 'impaired' band of more than .05 but less than .08 (PDF p. 56) is not in current HRS 291E-61, which uses .08 plus impairment; not tested; (6) phones: the manual (PDF pp. 58-59) only advises against phone use, but HRS 291C-137 bans holding a mobile electronic device while operating, bans even hands-free use under 18, and sets $300/$400 fines; questions use the statute; (7) parking: the manual's list (PDF pp. 28-29) has no distances near crosswalks or hydrants; HRS 291C-116 (L 2025, c 171) now bars parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk or intersection even without signs, and is used; hydrant distances are county ordinances, so hydrant_parking_ft is left open; (8) hill parking: PDF p. 70 says both to turn the wheels to the right whether uphill or downhill and to turn the front wheels toward the curb; HRS 291C-121 requires turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway on any grade, so no question asks the uphill-with-curb case and the common question on it is excluded; (9) the line 'The minimum age to obtain a driver's license is years' (PDF p. 14) is missing its number; the age of 17 comes from PDF p. 12 and HRS 286-104(5) and 286-102.6(f); (10) 'You must be at least 21 years old before applying for' larger class licenses (PDF p. 12) differs from HAR 19-122-3(3) (commercial learner's permit or category 4 at 18); not tested; (11) moped registration is described two ways (registered as bicycles, and inspected, registered and licensed; PDF p. 28); not tested; (12) the 2024 rule that slow drivers on two-lane roads must pull off for five or more trailing vehicles (HRS 291C-41(d)) and the 200-foot return distance for passing (HRS 291C-45) are not in the manual; questions cite the statute. The crash report threshold of $3,000 (PDF p. 52) matches HRS 291C-16, and the 100-foot signal distance, 15-foot railroad stop, 3-foot bicycle passing distance and .02 under-21 limit match HRS 291C-84, 291C-91, 291C-43 and 291E-64/291E-1. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Hawaii Department of Transportation and county driver licensing offices, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.