When I was out there in the early '90s they inspectors always required a $15 headlight adjustment in addition to the inspection fee.  Every car, every time.  Every inspection station does headlight adjustment.  My island beater (an 80's Accord) was a rusted out piece of crap with all sorts of issues but always passed inspection after the headlight adjustment.  Just part of the cost of living in paradise.

Chuck

Date:    Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:16:09 -0500
From:    Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: NVC - Safety Inspections - WAS: Re: Calif 2008 emissions fuel

Hawaii requires a safety inspection yearly but they also have what
appears to be a "Catch 22" situation.  You can't register (or
reregister) a vehicle unless it has a current safety check and you can't
get a safety check unless it has a current registration.

Well, here's the trick there.  You go to DMV and get a permission slip
to drive the vehicle to an inspection station.  The inspection station
goes through the vehicle and, assuming it passes with the exception of
having a current registration, issues you a "Blue" copy of the
inspection report.  You then take that blue copy back to DMV where they
can see that the inspection sticker is "Pending" so they issue a current
registration ... which you take back to the inspection station so they
can give you the "Gold" copy and affix the inspection sticker to the
vehicle.  Whew ... then you're good to go.

Mike
Houlton, Maine (Former resident of Hawaii for 35 years)