Kokua Line: Honolulu County adds mail option to replace a lost or stolen state ID

Question: I have lost my Hawaii state ID. Can you please tell me where and how — in this period of chaos — I can get it replaced? I live in the McCully area.

Answer: You can order an exact copy by mail, saving you a trip to a driver license/state ID center or to one of four satellite city halls that handle state ID replacements (duplicates). Those facilities offer in-person service by appointment only. The by-mail option for duplicates is relatively new, first made available in mid-October.

Here are the instructions, from Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Serv­ices:

>> Write a letter requesting a duplicate of your Hawaii state identification card. The letter should include your name as it appears on the ID; the last four digits of your Social Security number or your Hawaii ID number; your date of birth; your email address or phone number; the reason you need a duplicate (card was lost or stolen); and your signature, which will be compared with your signature on file.

>> Include a check or money order for $6, payable to City and County of Honolulu, for a duplicate state ID. Do not send cash.

>> Mail the letter and check to Driver License Section, P.O. Box 30340 Honolulu, HI 96820-0340.

No changes to your ID are allowed in this process. A temporary paper card will be mailed to your mailing address on file within three or four days, the city says, followed by a permanent plastic card within eight weeks.

If you’d prefer to handle this in person, make an appointment via the AlohaQ.org reservations system; the closest facilities to you that handle this task are the Kapalama Driver License/State ID Center or the Downtown Satellite City Hall.

Be sure to select a location carefully, as state ID services are limited to certain facilities.

For other readers: People who have lost their driver’s license (as opposed to state ID) can purchase a duplicate by mail, online or by appointment. For more information, visit honolulu.gov/csd and click on “Changes to Operations.”

Q: I live alone on the Windward side and usually take the bus to the Blaisdell for the big Thanksgiving feast. But I bet they are not doing it this year. Are they?

A: No, the Salvation Army will not serve a communal Thanksgiving dinner at Blaisdell Center this year, because of the pandemic. However, it is providing Thanksgiving meals for pickup, from distribution points statewide. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser published the details Monday, which you can read at 808ne.ws/1123sa. Or, since you live in Windward Oahu, you could call the Salvation Army Kaneohe Corps at 235-1408 for more information about availability in your area.

Q: Early on, there was a website with travel restrictions for all states, but now I can’t find it.

A: One option is 808ne.ws/usatrav, compiled by NBC News, which briefly lists travel restrictions by state. For detailed information, check the websites of your destination’s health department or tourism agency.

Thanksgiving mahalos

Kokua Line hopes to continue the tradition of devoting Thanksgiving’s column to expressions of gratitude, so we need readers to submit their short and sweet mahalo items right away, by email, to kokualine@star advertiser.com. A few sentences per item will be sufficient.

Mahalos are meant to recognize people who have done a kind deed or gone out of their way to make someone else’s life better, not those who are simply doing the job they are paid to do — although we understand that readers also like to recognize people who go “above and beyond” at work.

It’s been a tough year for many people, making small notes of grace all the more memorable. We look forward to hearing from you.

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.