The Ignition Interlock
HRS 291E-61 — six months clean and three more without a violation can end a first revocation early
On proof that the defendant installed an interlock in every vehicle they operate and carries insurance that meets the state's requirement, the court issues an ignition interlock permit to drive an equipped vehicle during the revocation. Unless another section provides otherwise, the defendant pays to install and maintain it.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Hawaii State Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- A reading of .04 or more when starting the vehicle, or on a rolling retest, is a violation unless a test within ten minutes shows less than .02 and the image confirms the same person.
- Failing to provide a rolling retest, or a clear photo when blowing into the device, is also a violation.
- No permit is issued to someone whose license was already expired, suspended or revoked for something else, who had no valid license, or who holds only a learner's or instruction permit.
A person sentenced on a first offense, with no additional revocation, may move to end the revocation early after six continuous months with an interlock followed by three continuous months without a violation, with a court abstract and a statement from the director of transportation. The court need not grant it.
A defendant whose job requires driving, and who would be discharged without it, may ask for a separate permit to drive the employer's vehicle without an interlock, with sworn statements from both. It covers the named vehicle, during work hours of not more than twelve hours a day, and only with the permit in hand.
A person with no vehicle to put an interlock in, or otherwise unable to drive, may not drive at all during the revocation, receives the maximum period, and is not issued a permit.
Sources for this section (1)
- HRS 291E-61 — Operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.