I know I’ve talked about the new driver’s license renewal requirements twice before. It’s a road well traveled.
But it still remains a somewhat confusing issue for a lot of readers, and it’s timely because the new requirements will be implemented this Monday, March 5.
As of Monday, people seeking a learner’s permit or license renewal must provide valid proof of their legal name, date of birth, legal presence in the U.S. and Social Security Number.
You can provide a host of documents to prove this, including W-2 forms, a certified copy of your birth certificate, passports or even a pay stub with your name and SSN.
Additional requirements may apply. For example, married women with name changes must provide a valid or certified copy of their marriage licenses.
The entire list of acceptable documents can be seen by visiting hawaii.gov/dot and clicking on the "Hawaii’s Legal Presence Law" banner. It’s big and blue, so you can’t miss it. Links to the site are also available on all four county websites.
All counties will issue 60-day temporary licenses. Once all the documents have been verified, a plastic license will be mailed within two weeks unless issues come up during processing.
The requirements are part of a federal post-Sept. 11, 2001, action to strengthen the reliability of state-issued identification.
One reader says he doesn’t need to renew his license for several years. Me, too, not until 2017.
He asks, "What problems will I face if I use the ‘old’ license? Will I have to provide legal presence documentation in addition to the old license for federal ID purposes?"
Fortunately for myself and the reader, our old-school licenses will be just as valid for the next several years.
"It’s all going to be in compliance," says state transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. "The federal government knows that if everyone renews at the same time, it would be chaos."
Meisenzahl says Hawaii is "way ahead of the game" in terms of implementing the new licenses. He said it could be a concern at some point, and that the federal government will issue a cutoff point for everyone to transfer over to the new licenses.
But that date is a moving target, and "it’s nothing to worry about," Meisenzahl says.
If there are any other traffic-related issues you’re curious about ("Why is a certain street made this way?" or "When is this project going to get underway?"), feel free to send them my way.
I have a few backed up, and I promise I’ll be getting to them as soon as next week.
Reach Gene Park at gpark@staradvertiser.com or Twitter as@GenePark.
