Question: My mom is in her 90s and is bed-bound. Is there a way to renew her Hawaii state ID? She doesn’t need a gold star. Wasn’t there a proposed new law addressing this situation?
Q: I need to renew my mother’s state ID but she is bedridden. We need the gold star because what if she has to travel outside Hawaii for medical treatment?
Answer: We’ve received many questions about renewing state IDs for incapacitated people or those over age 80, since the federal REAL ID era forced the city to scrap its mail-in renewal process last year. Some, like these, are from different points of view.
To answer the first reader’s question, yes, a new Hawaii law does require the state to establish a federally noncompliant state ID for people like your mom, who want a state-issued picture ID for banking, health care or other activities, but don’t need a REAL ID-compliant credential good for “official federal purposes,” such as clearing airport security or entering certain federal facilities.
This new type of state ID wouldn’t have the gold star. Renewal by mail or electronic methods would be allowed “for individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities for whom application in person presents a serious burden,” according to the law, which you can read at 808ne.ws/act233.
However, this credential is not yet available. The state Department of Transportation expects to roll it out in December, said Tim Sakahara, DOT spokesman.
As for the second reader, there are two processes for an incapacitated Oahu resident to obtain a “gold star” state ID, which does meet federal REAL ID standards. Here are summaries from the city’s Department of Customer Services:
For an applicant who can ride to the DMV:
>> The applicant’s custodian obtains a letter from the applicant’s doctor stating that the applicant is incapacitated and unable to appear in person.
>> Using the AlohaQ system (alohaq.honolulu.gov/?0), the custodian makes an appointment or obtains a service ticket at the Kapalama Driver License Office, 925 Dillingham Blvd., Suite 101.
>> At this appointment, the custodian submits the letter from the applicant’s doctor, signs an affidavit and receives instructions. The applicant is not present.
>> Later, a medical clerk calls the custodian to schedule an appointment to bring the applicant to the Kapalama Driver License Office, where the person will be processed in the car. This includes being fingerprinted, having a photo taken and signing the application. Identifying documents will be collected, processed and returned to the car, along with a temporary ID.
The process is altered for people who cannot leave home at all:
>> The applicant’s custodian obtains a doctor’s letter (as previously described) and uses the AlohaQ system (alohaq.honolulu.gov/?0) to make an appointment or obtain a service ticket at any full-service driver’s licensing office (not satellite city halls).
>> At the appointment, the custodian submits the doctor’s letter, signs an affidavit and receives instructions.
>> Later, a medical clerk calls the custodian to schedule an appointment for the city’s Department of Community Services — Elderly Affairs Division to visit the applicant for processing, which includes collecting documents in a sealed envelope. DCS delivers the packet to the DMV to complete processing.
>> The medical clerk calls the custodian a few days later to pick up the applicant’s documents and the temporary ID.
By either method, the permanent card will be mailed to the applicant’s address on file within six to eight weeks.
As you can see, this is a labor-intensive process intended only for the incapacitated, not those who are able to appear in person but miss the old mail-in process.
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.
