Question: The lines for state IDs and driver’s licenses are terrible. What I suggest is making two lines: one for IDs and one for licenses. I don’t think anyone has thought of this.
Answer: “This is a great suggestion,” said Jesse Broder Van Dyke, spokesman for Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “Doing so would require renovation, but it is something the mayor will consider.”
Only one of the five driver’s licensing/ID sites, at Dillingham, has enough public lobby space to accommodate two lines.
The other four — Koolau, Kapolei, Wahiawa and Waianae — do not, Broder Van Dyke said.
For those looking to renew their driver’s licenses or obtain a duplicate — not to take a driving test, get a state ID card or anything else — shorter lines may be found at the Hawaii Kai, Fort Street Mall and Pearlridge satellite city halls, he said.
Reminder: Satellite city halls do not process state IDs.
Question: Regarding your Jan. 15 column (is.gd/8kvmFr) about applicants for driver’s licenses/
renewals having to show proof of principal residence: Isn’t the purpose of the REAL ID act to prove legal presence in the United States, not that you’re the resident of any particular state or county? If the state Department of Transportation has to amend its rules to have the requirement for proof of principal residence, is it because the REAL ID Act requires this? If so, why wasn’t this just done sooner, when all the other documents became required?
Answer: The REAL ID Act (Title 6, Chapter 1, Part 37) requires two documents showing proof of principal residence.
Congress passed the act with the aim of preventing official government IDs from being issued to persons presenting fake or altered documents, Broder Van Dyke explained.
As to why the requirement was made only recently by the city, “It was an oversight,” he said.
“The city’s Department of Customer Services discovered this oversight after the DOT driver license rules had been adopted, while they were working on the DOT rules for issuance of the state ID card,” he said.
Question: I applied for my state ID card and found out how difficult it was to find all the “acceptable” documents needed, especially proof of principal residence, because I have a post office box number for my address. Most of the documents I could have used such as my driver’s license, passport, vehicle registration, etc., only showed my P.O. box number, so they were not accepted.
What is the possibility of reformatting the driver’s license and state ID card to include both the P.O. box number and street address so they can be used as proof of principal residence?
By the way, the staff at the Wahiawa branch were patient, helpful and outstanding in serving the long line of applicants.
Answer: You subsequently told us you found a utility bill that had your home address.
The REAL ID Act again mandates what should be on the “surface” of licenses and IDs.
Under the rules issued by the Department of Homeland Security, only principal addresses are allowed, not P.O. boxes, said Broder Van Dyke.
However, there are exemptions to this requirement, such as for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault who are “enrolled in a state address confidentiality program.”
If it’s any consolation, the application form does allow you to have your license sent to your mailing address.
Question: In your column about acceptable documents for proving principal residence (is.gd/8kvmFr), the voter registration card was listed. Is that the yellow card mailed to voters telling them where their polling places are located?
ANSWER: Yes, it is the yellow card that registered voters receive from the county elections offices.
For other acceptable documents, including utility bills, vehicle registrations, checking/savings account statements, real property tax assessments and health insurance cards, go to www1.honolulu.gov/csd/sid/sidinforeqs.htm.
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