Question: How long does the road test take? I’m hoping to schedule this for my lunch hour.
Answer: “Plan for up to one hour for the road test, safety and sanitation measures, document review, vehicle inspection and processing. Arrive early and check in. Do not be late for your appointment. If you are late, you will need to reschedule the test,” according to the Honolulu Department of Customer Services’ website.
“Applicants who are a no-show for a scheduled appointment will forfeit the prepaid deposit, will be prevented from scheduling another road test for 60 days, and must prepay a new deposit fee for the behind-the-wheels exam. Please reschedule no later than 6 a.m. on the day of your scheduled appointment if you are unable to make it,” it says.
For more information and a link to make a road test appointment, go to honolulu.gov/csd Opens in a new tab and click on “Driver’s License Road Test Information.” At most Oahu locations, road-test appointments are scheduled on the hour and half-hour from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays, except holidays, according to the online scheduling calendar.
Please be aware of a recent road-test service alert that might affect you or other prospective drivers. It says:
“Effective June 4, 2024: The City and County of Honolulu is not allowing road tests for a Hawaii driver’s license in three models of 2002-2006 Nissan vehicles. This is due to the automobile manufacturer’s ‘do not drive’ warning and recall issued May 29 after an air bag defect linked to increased risk of injuries. The three model year 2002-2006 vehicles equipped with recalled, unrepaired air bags are:
>> 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra
>> 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder
>> 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4
“These vehicles may not be used for a road test on Oahu unless the defective air bag has been replaced. Proof of the completed repair is required for these recalled vehicles to pass the pre-check inspection part of the road test to obtain a Hawaii driver’s license.”
You can read more about the warning affecting these Nissan models and check on outstanding recalls for other vehicle makes and models on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, nhtsa.gov Opens in a new tab.
Q: Does the state halt roadwork on the Fourth of July?
A: Yes. Roadwork will not occur on the holiday, and HOV and other special-use lanes will not operate, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Q: Will Skyline offer free rides again on the Fourth of July holiday like they did in 2023, which was a huge success with a huge turnout?
A: No. Last year’s free rides were part of the grand-opening festivities for Oahu’s elevated rail-transit system, which began carrying passengers on June 30, 2023, and didn’t start charging fares until July 5.
Q: Is Kailua having fireworks?
A: Yes, they’ll start at 8 p.m. Thursday off Kailua Beach, according to kailuafireworks.com Opens in a new tab.
Q: With the uptick in COVID-19 cases, will the government be giving free test kits as before?
A: No, there’s no indication that the federal government will resume mailing out free test kits to all U.S. households at this point. Orders through the website covid tests.gov were suspended March 9. Now the website encourages people to check whether their health insurer provides or covers test kits, says that at-home test kits are widely available for purchase at drugstores and pharmacies, and says that “the U.S. government will continue to make COVID-19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs.” To find an outreach program, use the search function on the website.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
