Hawaii Is the Only State Without a Highway Patrol. Here's Who Pulls You Over

Hawaii is the only U.S. state without a highway patrol, according to Jalopnik. That doesn't mean drivers can speed freely — it just means the traffic enforcement system looks different than on the mainland.

The state has nearly 950 centerline miles of roadways across eight major islands, with most of that asphalt on Oahu, where Honolulu sits. Nearly 70 percent of Hawaii's 1.4 million residents live there, per U.S. Census Bureau data from 2020.

Who handles traffic enforcement?

Each of Hawaii's four counties has its own police department, which handles traffic on its roads. On Oahu, the Honolulu Police Department covers the interstates and all other roads. The agency is known for using privately owned vehicles, including lifted Tacomas, as patrol cars — so drivers may see blue lights coming from a personal pickup.

Other agencies also operate on the islands. The Department of Law Enforcement's Sheriff Division handles enforcement near airports, harbors, and state buildings. The sheriff's unit has proposed expanding into dedicated highway traffic patrol, targeting speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, and commercial truck compliance on Oahu highways. When asked by Hawaii Civil Beat, the Honolulu Police Department declined to comment on the proposal.

Military and interstates

Hawaii has four interstates, all on Oahu. They're federally funded as a national defense measure, but military police only patrol on-base areas, leaving the freeways to the Honolulu PD.

Training and standards

Historically, each island's police force operated independently, dating back to King Kamehameha III's 1846 kingdom marshal system. The resulting silo mentality can create friction between departments. Act 220 of 2018 established a statewide Law Enforcement Standards Board to set uniform training protocols, but recent legislation pushed the certification deadline to 2028.

Traffic deaths rising

The Hawaii Department of Transportation reported that statewide traffic fatalities climbed in both 2024 and 2025, with last year recording the most deaths since 2007.

• Department of Law Enforcement
• Hawaii
• Highway Patrol
• Honolulu Police Department
• Oahu
• Traffic Enforcement