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Hawaii driving lesson · Vehicle Equipment & Registration

Safety inspections, tires and vehicle checks

A 3-minute lesson from the Hawaii course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Vehicle Equipment & Registration
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
18, 19, 20

Hawaii requires a periodic safety inspection, so a vehicle can't be registered or used on public highways without a current certificate. Between inspections, simple checks of tires, lamps, mirrors and glass keep you safe.

PMVI (Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection)

The official safety inspection done at authorized service stations and garages, which issue a certificate and affix a sticker.

Handbook p. 18 ↗

How often vehicles are inspected

How often vehicles are inspected
VehicleInspection
Most motor vehiclesAt least once a year
AmbulancesOnce every six months
New vehiclesNot until 2 years after first-sale inspection
Handbook p. 18 ↗

Know the rule

A Hawaii state automobile insurance identification card is required to pass the inspection.

Handbook p. 18 ↗

Know the rule

After approval a sticker is affixed and a certificate issued. The certificate must remain in the vehicle; results are sent electronically to the registration file.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
Once a month

How often to check your tires

Handbook p. 20 ↗
1/16 inch

Replace tires with less than this much tread

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Know the rule

Penny test: place a Lincoln penny upside down in the tread. If the top of Lincoln's head is visible, replace the tire.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Other tire checks:

  • Find the recommended pressure and tire size on the door jamb
  • Look for cuts, bulges, tread separation and uneven wear
  • Check your spare tire too
  • A slight steering-wheel vibration or unusual noise may mean a tire problem
Handbook p. 20 ↗

Know the rule

Proper tire pressure extends tire life and improves handling.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Lamps and mirrors:

  • Brake (stop) lamps – check often that they light when you brake
  • Tail and side marker lamps – check periodically; they warn others you're there
  • Rear-view mirrors – adjusted for maximum view of the rear horizon, clean and firmly attached
Handbook p. 19 ↗

Know the rule

The windshield should be free of cracks that block vision; wipers should clean evenly without streaks. Keep the washer reservoir filled.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Know the rule

Air bags protect in a first impact and deflate immediately, so you rely on belts in later impacts. Replace air bags after they deploy.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Put it into practice

Your tires look fine, but you slide a penny upside down into the tread and see the top of Lincoln's head. That means less than 1/16 inch of tread: replace the tire before your next trip.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

How often must most Hawaii vehicles get a Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI)?
  1. Every 6 months without exception
  2. Once a year, at minimum
  3. Every 2 years for all vehicles
  4. Only when the vehicle is sold

Answer: Once a year, at minimum

Most vehicles must be inspected at least once a year.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
How often must ambulances be inspected in Hawaii?
  1. Every 6 months instead of yearly
  2. Every 2 years, like new vehicles
  3. Once a year, like most vehicles
  4. Every 3 months without exception

Answer: Every 6 months instead of yearly

Ambulances require inspection every six months instead of annually.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
A brand-new vehicle in Hawaii does not need its first re-inspection until:
  1. 1 year after the purchase date
  2. 2 years after its initial inspection
  3. 3 years after the purchase date
  4. 6 months after its first registration date

Answer: 2 years after its initial inspection

New vehicles are exempt from re-inspection until two years after their initial inspection at first sale.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
What document is required to pass a Hawaii safety inspection?
  1. A current Hawaii auto insurance ID card
  2. A vehicle smog certificate
  3. The vehicle's certificate of title and registration
  4. A receipt for recent brake work

Answer: A current Hawaii auto insurance ID card

A Hawaii automobile insurance identification card is required to pass inspection.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
The penny test on a tire tells you:
  1. whether tread is worn below 1/16 inch
  2. whether your tire pressure is correct
  3. whether your wheel alignment is off
  4. approximately how old the tire is

Answer: whether tread is worn below 1/16 inch

If the top of Lincoln's head is visible in the tread, the tire needs replacing.

Handbook p. 19 ↗
Tires should be checked for wear and pressure at least:
  1. once a week
  2. every 6 months
  3. once a month
  4. once a year

Answer: once a month

Tires should be checked at least once a month.

Handbook p. 19 ↗
Take the lesson checkpoint in the app

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