The System

Hawaii's state legislature recently scrapped the cumulative point system that was designed to give enforcement agencies a quick way to assess driving performance. Each traffic infraction carried a number; the higher the assigned points, the more serious the offense.

If a certain number of points were collected over a specified period of time, then a driver would face the possibility of a suspended license. But the courts became overwhelmed, so the legislature acted by decriminalizing most traffic breaches. Thus, most infractions are now deemed civil rather than criminal offenses and are only assessed a monetary fine that no longer requires a trip to court.

This does not mean that your record will not be damaged by amassing civil traffic infractions. Quite the contrary: All traffic tickets issued, minus parking tickets, show up on your traffic abstract (driving history).

The abstract is available to both employers and insurance companies. Thus, any signs of habitual problems with traffic tickets, especially for serious offenses, will surely send your insurance rates through the roof. And if your profession involves driving, which is true for many in Hawaii, you may have trouble getting or keeping a job.

So even though Hawaii no longer uses a point system, the effects of getting traffic tickets are still the same: You'll pay fines, your driving record will show you're not the safest of drivers, and your license may be suspended.

Checking the Status of Your License

Whenever you need or want to check the status of your driver’s license, you can order a driving record report.

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