Question: Your column has provided a lot of information for Oahu residents about getting a “gold star” driver’s license. But what about those of us on other islands? I live on the Big Island and can’t find anything on the county website about this. Can we apply for a duplicate license in the same way?
Answer: Residents of Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties can obtain a duplicate driver’s license to add the “gold star” to indicate federal REAL ID compliance, but they must appear in person to do so. The option of ordering a “gold star” duplicate license online is not available outside Honolulu County (and even there it is available only to applicants whose records are on file).
Also unlike Oahu, these transactions are typically handled on a walk-in basis, although appointments can be made online at one location on Maui (Kahului).
Fees vary by county, but the process is generally the same:
>> Complete the application, found at 808ne.ws/app. At the top, mark “duplicate,” and check “yes” where it asks whether you want to make your license REAL ID-compliant. (You can hold only one state-issued REAL ID card.)
>> Visit your driver’s licensing office. Bring the application and fee; your current license; original documents verifying your legal name, date of birth, lawful U.S. presence and Social Security number; and two documents proving Hawaii residency, if these documents are not already on file with your county. (We recommend that people bring their documents every time, because it’s better to be safe than sorry.) You can find a list of acceptable documents at 808ne.ws/doclist.
We couldn’t find “gold star”-specific information on the Maui, Hawaii or Kauai county websites, either, but we did verify this information by calling those counties. The websites do list general instructions for obtaining a duplicate license, which is the process that applies if it is too early to renew your license. Renewals can be done up to six months in advance of license expiration; anyone within that window should renew their license to obtain the gold star, rather than getting a duplicate.
Maui: 808ne.ws/mauidupe
Big Island: 808ne.ws/hidupe
Kauai: 808ne.ws/kauaidl
Q: I seem to be falling through the cracks and I don’t know what to do. I live on Oahu. I got my driver’s license on July 1, 2013, so I don’t fit the window to obtain a “gold star” duplicate online (www1.honolulu.gov/duplicates). However, I understand that I cannot renew my license until within six months of the expiration of my current one. My license expires July 19, 2021. What am I to do for the period after October 2020? None of my personal information has changed.
A: You can get a “gold star” duplicate; you just can’t order it online. Follow the instructions in the previous answer, but complete the transaction at a driver’s license office on Oahu. Because you live on Oahu, you can make an appointment online, which will shorten your wait the day of the transaction. Go to honolulu.gov/csd to make an appointment to obtain a duplicate license.
You’ll need to bring your documents, including two proving Hawaii residency, because your most recent renewal occurred before all the verification requirements were in place.
The gold star is needed only if you intend to use your driver’s license to clear security at the airport or to enter certain other federal facilities after Oct. 1, 2020. If you hold another form of REAL ID, such as a U.S. passport or military ID, or you are certain you won’t be traveling, you could wait and get the gold star when you renew your license. The earliest date for your renewal would be Jan. 13, 2021.
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.
