Question: We want to renew our U.S. passports here in Honolulu and have been given so many different answers as to how to go about doing so. We would like to know the best way. They were issued on May 21, 2008, and will expire on May 20. We know that you have covered this subject in the past, but we also realize that the rules and regulations change often.
Answer: How best to renew your passport depends mostly on when you need the new one, according to the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, whose website lists options for routine, expedited and rush renewal. For rush treatment you must prove that you will travel abroad in 72 hours to less than two weeks from your application date, according to the website, travel.state.gov.
You did not mention an imminent trip, but that you would like to handle this swiftly because your passports expire soon. Therefore, you should renew by mail if you are eligible to do so, according to the website. You may pay $60 extra to expedite the process. Routine processing takes four to six weeks, while expedited processing takes two to three weeks.
You would be eligible to renew by mail using Form DS-82 if your current passport is submitted with the application, is not damaged beyond normal wear and tear, and was issued when you were 16 or older, within the past 15 years and in your current name (or you can document a name change with an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order).
Assuming that you meet all five requirements, follow the directions at 808ne.ws/mailrenew to renew by mail.
If you don’t meet the conditions, you must apply in person at an acceptance facility, of which there are about 10 on Oahu, according to the website; you’ll use form DS-11. Find links to the form, instructions on how to fill it out and locations of acceptance facilities at 808ne.ws/inperson.
Whether you renew by mail or in person, the basic fee for a passport book for an adult is $110. Acceptance facilities also charge a separate execution fee of $35. As mentioned, the fee to expedite is $60. If you pay it, be sure “EXPEDITE” is written on the outside of your packet before it is mailed in for processing.
Q: I have always listed myself as an organ donor, but now I am giving up my driver’s license. Will I still have that option when I switch to a state ID?
A: Yes. People can register when they initially apply for or renew a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID, or they can sign up online, according to Legacy of Life, the nonprofit organization federally designated in Hawaii to recover organs and tissue for transplant.
The online registry is accessible through the group’s website; go to legacyoflifehawaii.org and click on the green “register me” tab.
Mahalo
I was assaulted by a criminal as I jogged on the bike path under the airport viaduct on the afternoon of April 22. He demanded money and would not take no for an answer. He grabbed me but I managed to run away. I would like to thank the parishioners of the World Mission Society Church of God on Koapaka Street who called 911 and assisted me. Thank you to Honolulu Police Department Officer Yap, who responded quickly to the call, and to the many HPD officers who searched for and captured the suspect. Thank you to HPD Detective Robello, who followed up and investigated the incident. And thank you to the prosecutor’s office and Sandra, the victim/witness advocate, who helped me through the judicial system. I am a senior citizen, and although I was not physically injured, I am still severely traumatized by the assault. — A.M.
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.
