Vehicle Code

Access the Vehicle Code

Hawaii's dense vehicle code comprises just a few chapters of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, which you can peruse in the archives of the state legislature's Web site. Often esoteric in the first place, seeing how the statutes are presented on the site may only serve to cause more confusion.

The best way to approach the statutes is to know what you are looking for. Browsing is not much of an option unless you have a mountain of time and patience. If you bring up the statutes as a whole, you will quickly discover nothing is labeled with any sort of description or heading, but only with a chapter number.

This is helpful only if you know exactly which chapter, section, or subsection you are looking for. Once you mange to locate the chapters housing the vehicle code, going into the subsections will bring about even more distress. Again, nothing is labeled.

But if know what information you need, you can use the search feature and type in keywords. This allows you to hone in on specific bills related to the current session, find information in the most recent version of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, or rummage around the entire site for bits of data on your members of state congress.

The Statutes as Assets

The statutes become an asset for those looking to avoid any misinterpretations and cut to the chase regarding a vehicle or traffic law. If you find that you must appear in court for a traffic infraction, regardless of whether it is of a criminal or civil nature, the code can assist you in preparing your case.

Again, finding specific information with the legislature's database can take some effort. So here is basic section guide to get your search off on the right foot (you'll often need to click "Next" at the bottom of each page to move to the next subsection).

Statutes on Driver's Licenses

• Chapter 286, Sections 101-139: Laws covering driver's license application procedures, the graduated licensing system, renewals, change of address, duplicates, and suspensions.

Motor Vehicle Registration Laws

• Chapter 286, Sections 41-69: Details all current and applicable laws pertaining to motor vehicle registration.

• Chapter 286, Sections 21-30: Laws for vehicle inspections.

Statutes on Driving While Intoxicated

• Chapter 291E, Use of Intoxicants While Operating a Vehicle; Sections 1-65: If you are facing a DWI charge, this will outline what you will be up against.

Traffic-Related Statutes

• Chapter 291, Traffic Violations; Sections 1-59: A list of definitions and penalty assessments for infractions.

• Chapter 291C, Statewide Traffic Code; Sections 1-227: Traffic laws uniform across the four counties.

Check Your License Status

Whenever you need or want to check the status of your driver’s license, you can order a driving record report. This record will spell out if your driver’s license is currently valid. Should your license have been revoked or suspended, the report will indicate that according to what’s on record at the DOT. This report will also show points against your license and, in some cases, information on any accidents you have had.