Reinstating a Driver's License in Hawaii

A court-imposed driver's license stopper prevents you from getting or renewing a license; it can be imposed for failing to respond to a citation or summons, failing to appear, or not complying with a court order. To clear it, pay in full the amounts ordered in all underlying cases and comply with all court orders (such as a driver education class). A default judgment behind the stopper may be set aside by filing a Motion to Set Aside the Default Judgment within 90 days with an appearance bond equal to the amount ordered; the stopper is lifted when the bond is posted. A traffic abstract shows moving violations and convictions.

Suspension or revocation results from court sentences and administrative actions rather than points, including OVUII (impaired driving) and test refusal, excessive speeding (30 days for a first offense), and underage drinking and driving (180 days). Not paying a default judgment on a traffic citation within 30 days places a stopper on the driver's license record. Moving violations and convictions appear on the person's traffic abstract.

During an OVUII revocation, the driver must keep an ignition interlock in all vehicles operated, which allows continued driving under an ignition interlock permit. A court may also issue a separate permit to drive an employer-owned vehicle without an interlock if the job requires driving and the driver would otherwise be fired, supported by sworn statements from the driver and employer. For excessive speeding, the court may allow limited work-related driving for part of the 30-day suspension.