Question: I’m a senior and am interested in purchasing a national park pass before the price hike on Monday. I can’t travel to Maui or the Big Island by the deadline. Is there a local office in Honolulu to purchase the Senior Pass?

Answer: No, but you can order one online or by mail for an additional $10 processing fee. Make sure your order is submitted or postmarked before Monday to pay the current $10 price for a lifetime Senior Pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 and older; the price rises to $80 on that date. As long as you order before the deadline, your price would be $20: $10 for the pass and $10 for the processing fee.

U.S. Geological Survey field offices do not sell the passes; neither are they sold at the USS Arizona Memorial, as several other Oahu readers have asked. The memorial is part of the national parks system, but entry is free, so no federal recreation passes are sold there, according to its website.

To purchase a pass online, go to 808ne.ws/onlinesenior. It will be delivered by mail.

To purchase one by mail, download the form at 808ne.ws/seniormail. Follow the directions to send the completed application and proof of eligible age and U.S. status.

It will take about 12 weeks to process online and mail orders, according to the USGS Store, which has been deluged ahead of the price increase. For online orders, a copy of the order-­confirmation receipt will be accepted for park entry until the pass arrives in the mail, the store says.

In Hawaii the only places to buy the lifetime Senior Pass in person (thereby avoiding the processing fee) are Haleakala National Park on Maui; Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau on the island of Hawaii; and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai. Confirm availability before visiting any U.S. park to buy a pass; sales are brisk nationwide, and some report running out of cards. Find contact information at 808ne.ws/issuesites.

The Senior Pass is good for entry at more than 2,000 federal recreation areas nationwide, including national parks, national wildlife refuges and many national forest lands.

Q: I’ve been reading about the price increase for the national park pass. I have one of those but I misplaced it. Will I have to pay to replace it?

A: Yes. Senior Passes are nonrefundable, nontransferable and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen, according to the USGS.

Q: Is the Golden Age Passport still good?

A: Yes. Although this type of senior-citizen pass is no longer sold, it is valid for a lifetime, so any legitimate holder can still use it, according to the National Park Service.

Mahalo

I would like to commend the Honolulu Police Department for providing our Cub Scouts an opportunity to tour their building and museum on Aug. 11. Sgt. Ioane Keehu and Officer Legaee “Dana” Fatu Jr. took their time to speak to us about the inner workings of the police, criminalists and detectives, as well as the education and training required to be worthy of the badge. Specialists explained their work to our 8- to 9-year-old children, who were in awe of everything they saw and learned. Following the tour we visited the museum, which housed many articles vital to the history of the security of our island home. We also learned that King Kamehameha III created our first police department, a full 10 years before NYPD was formed! Sgt. Keehu and Officer Fatu made the visit educational and entertaining for the children and parents. More people should take the time to visit the museum and learn about the great history of the Police Department. — Mahalo, Cecile Sebastian

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.