State service guide

Hawaii driving records: a $20 certified traffic abstract, a separate $9 driver history record, and a court-issued system that matters more than county DMV pages suggest

Hawaii's driving-record process is unusual because the most useful record for most drivers comes from the Judiciary, not from a typical DMV self-service portal. The main product is the certified traffic abstract, which costs $20 and shows all alleged moving violations, resulting convictions, and administrative license revocations. Hawaii also offers a separate Driver History Record for $9, but the Department of Transportation says that product is mainly intended for commercial drivers and may not always reflect the final court disposition for non-commercial drivers. If you need parking and equipment citations too, Hawaii sells a traffic court report in person only for $1 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page.

Open official source View Hawaii services
Traffic abstract fee Hawaii charges $20 for a certified traffic abstract
Driver history fee The Hawaii Driver History Record costs $9
Complete-report option A traffic court report costs $1 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page
Best general-use record For most insurance, employment, and similar uses, the certified traffic abstract is the safer Hawaii record to request

Overview

What this page helps you verify

A useful Hawaii driving-records page should start by separating the court record from the DOT history record. Hawaii does not present one single statewide DMV abstract that covers every purpose cleanly. The Judiciary's certified traffic abstract is the standard record for insurance, employment, and similar uses because it is the formal court-based summary of moving violations, convictions, and administrative revocations. The DOT's Driver History Record is different. It shows license class, expiration date, traffic violations, and suspension status, and Hawaii says it is typically required for CDL drivers. For non-commercial drivers, the DOT warns that the DHR may show only the citation and preliminary conviction and may not always reflect the final court disposition. That makes the record-type choice more important in Hawaii than in most states.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-18. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • The person's full name, plus date of birth and driver license number if available, because Hawaii says those extra identifiers help locate the correct abstract or report
  • A self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting a Hawaii traffic abstract by mail
  • A money order or cashier's check payable to District Court for mailed Hawaii court-record requests, because personal checks are not accepted
  • A picture ID if requesting a Hawaii traffic court report in person
  • A release form if requesting the abstract of a juvenile record

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Decide first whether you need the certified Hawaii traffic abstract, the DOT Driver History Record, or the in-person traffic court report.
  2. If you need the standard court-based driving record for employment, insurance, or similar use, request the certified traffic abstract from a Hawaii District Court.
  3. If you need CDL-oriented status information such as license class, expiration, violations, and suspension status, request the Hawaii Driver History Record instead.
  4. If you need parking and equipment citation history in addition to moving matters, go in person for the traffic court report because Hawaii does not provide that report by mail.

What Hawaii actually sells

Hawaii's three record products serve different purposes

This is the key state-specific distinction the generic benchmark page tends to flatten.

  • The certified traffic abstract is the Judiciary record showing alleged moving violations, resulting convictions, and administrative license revocations.
  • The traffic court report is a broader case-history record that adds equipment and parking citations, but Hawaii provides it only to the individual in person after identity verification.
  • The Driver History Record is a separate DOT-linked product that shows license class, expiration date, traffic violations, and suspension status and is typically required for CDL drivers.

Why the court abstract matters most

For most ordinary Hawaii drivers, the traffic abstract is the more dependable record

The DOT itself warns that the DHR is not always the final-disposition record for non-commercial use.

  • Hawaii DOT says the Driver History Record is intended for operators of commercial vehicles to track CDL-disqualifying conviction types.
  • For non-commercial drivers, the DOT says the DHR may show the citation and preliminary conviction and may not always reflect the final court disposition.
  • The DOT therefore says a traffic abstract or traffic court report must be obtained if you need the record to reflect a conviction that was later overturned.

Fees and request limits

Hawaii's prices are simple, but the request channels are not identical

This is where the user needs clear expectations before ordering.

  • Each Hawaii traffic abstract costs $20 and may be requested by mail from the District Court in the relevant circuit.
  • Each Hawaii traffic court report costs $1 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page, but it is available only to the individual in person.
  • The Hawaii Driver History Record costs $9 and may be obtained by visiting a District Court or writing to one of the listed District Courts.

How long Hawaii keeps the data

Hawaii's retention rules are longer than many drivers assume

This matters when someone expects an old citation history to have disappeared.

  • The Judiciary says Hawaii court abstracts must contain all alleged moving violations under HRS section 287-3.
  • For state sanctioning purposes, Hawaii courts must retain at least ten years of information about certain moving violations.
  • For federal CDL reporting, some information must be kept for 55 years.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • Hawaii driving-record content should not pretend there is one generic DMV abstract. The state uses separate court and DOT records with different strengths and limits.
  • For non-commercial drivers, the DOT's own warning about the Driver History Record matters. It may not always reflect the final court disposition.
  • The certified traffic abstract is usually the stronger Hawaii record for insurance, employment, and other general background uses.
  • The traffic court report adds parking and equipment citations, but Hawaii restricts it to in-person identity-verified requests.

FAQ

Common questions

  • What is the main Hawaii driving record I should order?

    Usually the certified traffic abstract. Hawaii's Judiciary record is the standard abstract used for insurance, employment, and similar purposes.

  • How much does a Hawaii driving record cost?

    The certified Hawaii traffic abstract costs $20. The separate Hawaii Driver History Record costs $9.

  • What is the difference between a Hawaii traffic abstract and a driver history record?

    The traffic abstract is the court-based record of moving violations, convictions, and administrative revocations. The Driver History Record is the DOT-oriented license-status record, typically used for CDL purposes, and for non-commercial drivers it may not always show the final court disposition.

  • Can I order a Hawaii traffic court report by mail?

    No. Hawaii says the traffic court report is provided only to the individual in person after identity verification.

  • Will a Hawaii traffic abstract show older moving violations?

    Yes, often. Hawaii says abstracts must contain all alleged moving violations, and courts retain at least ten years of certain moving-violation information, with some CDL-reportable information kept much longer.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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