Suspended License

Check Your License Status

Whenever you 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 suspended or revoked, the report will indicate that according to what's on record at the DMV. The report will also show points against your license and, in some cases, information on any accidents you have had.

Suspension vs. Revocation

Neither possibility is very appealing, but if there is a lesser evil, it would be the suspension.

A suspension is a temporary invalidation of your driver's license. Generally the span of loss is between 90 days and a year, depending on the offense. But after the days pass and the penalty time is served, the license can reinstated and your driving privileges returned.

Revocation is an entirely different matter, and you have to really mess up to face this consequence. This penalty relinquishes you of the privilege of driving by taking away the driver's license―for good.

Civil Infractions

Hawaii would rather keep you out of the court system than in it. Thus, you are mostly likely to encounter a hefty fine for the majority of judgment lapses committed on the roadways that result in a traffic ticket. This is opposed to heading to court, facing the judge, trying to plea bargain, and paying the fine afterward.

The state of Hawaii decided that sending drivers to court for civil infractions (which most moving violations are) simply was costing too much money. Plus, going to court didn't necessary deter problem offenders anyway. So now even offenses like speeding (in most cases) will just result in a fine that can be paid without a day in court.

How to Lose Your License

There are a few traffic violations that still fall into the category of a crime, and committing these will result in your license being suspended or revoked. At the top of the list is the DWI―driving while intoxicated.

If you are pulled over and refuse a requested sobriety test, your license will be suspended on the spot until a court hearing is set. If you are arrested on suspicion of DWI, it won't even matter if you refused a test: The officer will take your license anyway, and it most likely will be suspended for up to a year.

If you can't seem to stop getting DWIs, the length of your license suspension will increase on the second offense. On the third offense, your license will be revoked for up to five years.

There are situations under Hawaii's DWI laws that will allow defendents to have a restricted license. However, you will generally have this option only if you can prove that you must drive in order to keep your job.

Other Reasons for Suspension

Other traffic crimes that result in your driver's license being suspended include leaving the scene of an accident, failure to show proof of insurance (second offense), racing in the streets, and reckless driving.

You can also have your license suspended for things that have nothing to do with driving. For example, like many states Hawaii may suspended someone's driver's license for failing to pay child support.

Whatever the cause, upon receiving notice that your license has been suspended, you must surrender it at once to a license examiner or to the District Court. The license will be held until the suspension date expires, at which time it will be reinstated and mailed to you.

Conditional License

Hawaii law allows an individual with a revoked or suspended license to obtain a conditional driver's license upon meeting some necessary provisions.

First, you must provide evidence of employment and show that losing your license will jeopardize your job. Second, you must present evidence that alternative transportation is not an option. Furthermore, if you lost your license due to a DWI and you refused a breath test, you are not eligible for a conditional license.