Question: You’ve written about how you can still get a driver’s license even if it doesn’t have the gold star. Why not a state ID? This is getting to be a problem for people. It seems like they are doing everything different now.

Answer: Your question refers to the federal REAL ID law, which imposes strict verification requirements on people seeking a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID. Among them are that the applicant appear in person the first time the REAL ID- compliant card is issued. That requirement makes it impossible for some disabled or homebound people to get a state ID, advocates say.

At the moment, Hawaii doesn’t issue a noncompliant state ID, as it does a noncompliant driver’s license. (The noncompliant driver’s license, called the limited-purpose license, is valid for driving but not for “official federal purposes” such as clearing airport security to board an aircraft. The full Hawaii driver’s license, with its familiar “gold star,” is REAL ID compliant.)

There is a bill moving in the Legislature aimed at solving this problem. If approved, SB 660, HD 1 (808ne.ws/sb660) would establish a noncompliant state ID for people unable to appear in person. It would authorize someone who holds the applicant’s power of attorney to present proof of the applicant’s “identity, date of birth, Social Security number, legal presence, primary care provider certificate, and residency in the state.” The noncompliant ID would not be good for “official federal purposes” covered by REAL ID, but is intended as valid for everyday tasks.

The state Department of Transportation and the state Disability and Communication Access Board submitted testimony fully in support of the bill, while testimony from the city’s Department of Customer Services was supportive but also raised concerns.

Francine Wai, DCAB’s executive director, urged swift passage. “Our office has received numerous calls from elderly and disabled people who cannot leave their homes, and need a government-issued identification card in order to have their caregiver pick up medications or assist with banking. … They can no longer obtain an identification card from the City and County of Honolulu because of the REAL ID Act of 2005. The city has stopped renewing civil identifications by mail. Without this service, the individual cannot refill medications or conduct banking,” she wrote.

Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city’s Department of Customer Service, said in testimony that the REAL ID law requires the applicant to appear in person to establish compliance, which means the city and counties cannot “continue the practice of permitting third-party renewals on a person’s behalf.”

The only noncompliant credential now available — the limited-purpose driver’s license — would require the incapacitated person to pass a road test, so “in reality, this is not an option,” she wrote.

While a remedy for a person unable to appear in person, such a card is not ideal for someone who is able go in person, even if doing so is less convenient than renewing by mail. The card would be less useful than a REAL ID-compliant state ID, which carries the gold star. “Similar to Limited Purpose Driver’s Licenses, the cards may not be accepted by federally insured financial institutions or be recognized as qualifying an individual for federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid,” Kajiwara said. She also urged the state DOT to adopt rules to ensure consistent implementation statewide, if the bill becomes law.

Access the testimony and committee reports about SB 660, HD 1 at 808ne.ws/idbill.

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.