Hawaii Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in Hawaii

Lights on from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise (HRS 291-25). Hawaii is the outlier: the statute has no separate 'wipers on' rule and no codified daytime low-visibility distance — just the night window and a lamp that must reveal objects at 200 feet. That doesn't make you safe in a downpour. Turn them on in heavy rain or fog anyway; visibility that low is exactly what the night rule exists for. DRLs don't light your tail lamps. Use full low beams.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• Night: 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise (HRS 291-25). Low visibility: no codified daytime distance trigger in the statute — the 200-foot figure is the required beam reach, not a low-visibility threshold, so Hawaii's night window is the only firm statutory trigger.
• No statewide work-zone daytime headlight statute. DRLs are not mandated and do not satisfy the night rule — the tail lamps stay dark, so use full headlamps. Use low beams and dim for oncoming and followed traffic; keep high beams off in fog and heavy rain, where they reflect back and blind you.

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