CDL Requirements in Hawaii (2026): Steps, Cost & Testing

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Hawaii county driver license offices (Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai) under Hawaii DOT oversight

Hawaii has no statewide DMV — CDLs are issued by the four county driver license offices (City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui County, and Kauai County) under the oversight of the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT). You get a CDL instruction permit (valid one year), hold it at least 14 days while completing ELDT, then pass a three-part skills test at a county CDL office. Hawaii is unusual in requiring you to be 21 for the CDL itself. Oahu (Honolulu) fees run about $30 for the permit, $15 for the general knowledge test, $50 for the skills test, and $5 per year for the license (roughly $40 for an 8-year card) — but fees and scheduling vary by county, so confirm with your county office.

Hawaii is different from most states in how it licenses drivers: there is no single statewide DMV. CDLs are issued by the four county driver license offices — City & County of Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii County, Maui County, and Kauai County — under the oversight of the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT). Because the counties administer licensing directly, fees and scheduling can vary from island to island, so you apply at, and verify details with, the office for the county where you live.

The path itself is familiar: hold a valid Hawaii license, pass the vision and knowledge tests to get a CDL instruction permit (valid one year), complete FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training, hold the permit at least 14 days, then pass a three-part skills test in a truck you provide at your county CDL office. One notable quirk is age — Hawaii requires you to be 21 for the CDL itself (a permit is available at 18), which is stricter than the federal intrastate minimum of 18.

On Oahu, county fees run about $30 for the permit, $15 for the general knowledge test, $50 for the skills test, and $5 per year for the license (roughly $40 for an 8-year card). The other counties set their own amounts, so treat these as a guide and confirm your county's fees. Hawaii is not a TSA self-managed hazmat state, so the hazmat endorsement uses the standard TSA/IdentoGO Universal Enrollment fingerprinting process after you pass the hazmat knowledge test.

Eligibility and documents in Hawaii

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Completed CDL application (DOT form 4-764) with a current passport-style color photograph
• Your valid Hawaii basic (Class 3) driver license
• Proof of Social Security number (Social Security card) — presentation of the physical card has been optional since June 18, 2021 on Oahu; confirm with your county
• Certified U.S. birth certificate (or other proof of legal name, date of birth, and lawful presence)
• Two documents proving Hawaii principal residence
• A valid DOT medical examiner's certificate (Form MCSA-5876) showing you meet medical/driver qualifications
• Passing vision and knowledge test results

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. Get your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Pass the required knowledge tests: General Knowledge (all applicants); Combination Vehicles (Class A); Air Brakes (if applicable); Any endorsement tests you need (P, S, H, N, T).
2. Complete ELDT training. For a first Class A/B CDL or a first hazmat, passenger, or school-bus endorsement, you must train with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. County CDL staff confirm your ELDT completion electronically through the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before scheduling your road (skills) test. Hawaii has no separate state training portal — your provider must be listed on the federal registry. Honolulu's office states ELDT confirmation must be received and verified before a road-test appointment is set. ELDT has been required since February 7, 2022. Drivers who held a valid CDL or the relevant S/P/H endorsement before that date are grandfathered. ELDT is not required just to get the instruction permit.
3. Hold your permit 14 days. Federal rules require at least 14 days before the skills test.
4. Pass the skills test. It has 3 parts: Pre-trip inspection, Basic control skills, On-road driving test. Skills (road) tests are administered in person by the county CDL offices — Oahu's is the Honolulu Commercial Driver Licensing Office in Pearl City; Hawaii County, Maui County (Kahului, plus neighbor-island sites like Hana, Molokai, and Lanai), and Kauai County (Lihue) run their own. Appointments can be booked 14+ days after the permit is issued; on Oahu, no rescheduling is allowed once the appointment is made and the $50 fee is paid. Third-party skills testing is not a general option in Hawaii — confirm current scheduling with your county office.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 8 years). Hawaii licenses are commonly issued for up to 8 years (drivers roughly 25–71); drivers 72 and older get 1–2 year terms, and a CDL term can be shortened to match a medical card. Because the counties administer licensing, exact fees and the maximum term you receive can vary by county — verify with your county driver license office. Upgrading class or adding a passenger, school-bus, or hazmat endorsement requires the applicable knowledge test (and ELDT for first-time A/B, B-to-A upgrades, and first-time S/P/H).

Medical certification in Hawaii

Self-certify your operating category on Hawaii's CDL Driver's Self-Certification Form when you apply for, renew, or transfer a CDL. Hawaii moved to electronic medical-card handling early: beginning May 19, 2025, your FMCSA-certified medical examiner transmits your exam results to the FMCSA National Registry, which passes the data to Hawaii's Driver License Information System — you no longer hand your county office a paper card (this predates the federal National Registry II date of June 23, 2025).

If your card lapses: If your medical certification lapses, your CDL is subject to downgrade to a non-commercial license under federal rules. Because the counties run licensing, watch for notices from your own county office and keep a current card on file with your examiner in the National Registry.

Every CDL holder must self-certify one operating category. The categories offered here:

• NI — Non-excepted Interstate (medical card required)
• EI — Excepted Interstate (no card required)
• NA — Non-excepted Intrastate (card required)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate

New to the DOT physical? See our DOT physical guide and CDL medical card explainer.

What a CDL costs in Hawaii

Fees shown are Oahu (City & County of Honolulu) figures; the other counties set and collect their own fees, so totals can differ — confirm with your county driver license office. Add ELDT tuition and a DOT physical, and for hazmat the separate TSA/IdentoGO fingerprint fee (not set by the counties).

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Hawaii State-administered testing

Hawaii administers CDL skills tests through the state; approved public third-party testing is limited or unavailable. Wait times vary by county and island; neighbor-island offices may test at limited sites on set days. No statewide figure is published — check with your county driver license office. (Wait-time observations are not an official HDOT figure.)

Your test vehicle: You must supply a commercial vehicle representative of the CDL class you are seeking for the skills test; the county offices do not furnish a test vehicle. Confirm exact vehicle/equipment requirements with your county office.

Endorsements available in Hawaii

Hawaii offers the standard federal endorsements. Adding one usually means an extra knowledge test (and a skills test for passenger and school bus). Tap an endorsement for the full federal process and cost:

• HHazmat — Hazmat. Hawaii is NOT a TSA self-managed state, so after passing the hazmat knowledge test at your county CDL office you complete the TSA Security Threat Assessment (fingerprinting) through the standard TSA/IdentoGO Universal Enrollment process — not through the county office. The endorsement is valid up to 5 years from TSA approval.
• NTanker — Tank vehicles; $5 knowledge test on Oahu.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank; requires the hazmat TSA screening path.
• PPassenger — Passenger; requires ELDT for first-timers plus the passenger knowledge and skills test.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; requires ELDT for first-timers plus the passenger and school-bus knowledge tests and the school-bus skills test.
• TDoubles/Triples — Doubles/triples; knowledge test only.

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Hawaii applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification framework. The most notable Hawaii-specific rule is age: Hawaii requires applicants to be 21 to obtain the CDL itself (an instruction permit may be obtained at 18), so Hawaii does not issue full CDLs to 18–20 year-olds even for intrastate driving — confirm current policy with your county office.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Hawaii participates in the federal Military Skills Test Waiver. Using HDOT's Application for Military Skills Test Waiver, qualifying active or recently separated service members (generally within 90 days of separation) with at least two years of recent, safe heavy-vehicle military driving experience can waive the CDL skills test. You still must pass the required knowledge tests. Apply through your county CDL office.

Hawaii CDL FAQ