Kokua Line: Appointments canceled for 2 more weeks at Oahu driver’s license centers and satellite city halls

Question: I didn’t hear the mayor say whether the DMV will stay closed. Will it? I have an appointment to renew my driver’s license on Thursday, the day it was supposed to reopen. If my appointment is canceled, this will be the third time during this pandemic!

Answer: Yes, your appointment is canceled, as are all other appointments for in-person serv­ice at Honolulu County’s driver’s license centers and satellite city halls, through Sept. 23.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s Amended Second Stay at Home/Work From Home Order, which was announced Tuesday, means those service centers won’t reopen as planned. The order extends the closures that began Aug. 27. For the full order, see “Mayor’s Emergency Order 2020-26” under the “Proclamations, Orders and Rules: COVID-19” tab at www.honolulu.gov.

Q: What will be done so that people can get their driver’s licenses and state IDs? Having an expired license or ID may be a problem for people trying to apply for various benefit programs that require a valid ID. It’s not just about driving.

Q: What more will Honolulu County do to get people their driver’s licenses or state IDs online or by mail? Appointments at the DMV or satellite city hall have been canceled multiple times. It’s a big problem. Other options are limited.

A: You are two of many readers pointing out that people need to obtain or renew a driver’s license or state ID for many reasons, including to apply for COVID-19 economic relief programs, which generally require claimants or applicants to submit a valid ID to verify their identity — expired credentials generally don’t count.

Gov. David Ige’s emergency proclamations have addressed this problem by automatically extending to Sept. 30 the expiration date of Hawaii state IDs and driver’s licenses that expired or will expire from March 16 through Sept. 29, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Therefore, a Hawaii credential expiring in that period should be treated as valid, for driving (if it’s a driver’s license and not a state ID), as well as for identity verification purposes.

As for what more Honolulu County will do, Caldwell said the Department of Customer Services is considering “innovation solutions” to expedite issuance and renewals, but offered no details. More information may be available at honolulu.gov/csd.

Mahalo

On Aug. 25 I made a purchase at Ross on Keeau­moku Street. I validated the parking stub in the store, and when I gave it to the parking attendant, she said, “$4, no validation.” I said I had just validated it, but she insisted, “$4, no validation.” I knew I had validated, but nothing I said could change her mind. I could not back up because there was a car behind me, and so the argument continued, with her telling me I was hard-headed. Then she said to pull over, out of the lane. But there was not enough space to safely maneuver. Then, a lady ran up to my car and said, “Would you like me to validate it for you?” She took the parking stub and ran back into the store while the attendant continued to argue. I said, “Can you please just wait until she comes back?!” Very quickly, the lady came running back with the ticket! I thanked her profusely. In hindsight I am guessing that perhaps I did not position the ticket correctly in the machine, and though I heard it work, it seems that it did not print on the card. I am hoping that the quick-thinking lady will read this and know how grateful I am for her kindness. I was just so rattled in this rather stressful situation! I have already paid it forward. Thank you again! — Signed, very grateful senior

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.