Question: The state of Hawaii issues a noncompliant driver’s license or ID for people who can’t get or don’t want to get a REAL ID with the gold star. Do other states do this?
Answer: Yes. “The U.S. has 56 different jurisdictions that issue DL/IDs and are subject to REAL ID requirements, including the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. All but five States offer their residents the option to obtain a non-compliant DL/ID for various reasons including State privacy requirements, implementation costs to the State and residents, and to provide the opportunity to obtain a DL/ID to residents who may not be able to obtain a REAL ID-compliant DL/ID,” according to the notice of proposed rule-making regarding enforcement of the REAL ID Act, which was published in the Federal Register last year. The five states that don’t are Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas and Wyoming, it said.
To be clear, noncompliant credentials don’t meet the minimum standards of the U.S. REAL ID Act, which will be enforced starting May 7. Anyone who wants to board a domestic U.S. aircraft as of that date must show an acceptable ID or face additional screening, according to the final rule, 808ne.ws/3EgKwVm, which was published in January. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has warned that passengers without an acceptable ID should expect delays and might miss their flight if their identity cannot be verified through additional screening.
A REAL ID (gold-star driver’s license or state ID) won’t be the only credential that airline passengers can use to clear the TSA security checkpoint. A U.S. passport or passport card will suffice, as will a Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler card (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST), a U.S. Department of Defense ID and certain other credentials, according to the TSA. See the full list at 808ne.ws/4fbgU8B.
Nearly 97% of Hawaii driver’s licenses active on Oahu are REAL IDs, with the gold star, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services.
Any eligible Oahu resident who wants to obtain a gold-star driver’s license or ID can make an appointment via the AlohaQ reservation system (alohaq.honolulu.gov). Find a link to the application and full instructions at honolulu.gov/csd.
Q: It was reported that camping at Bellows will be suspended most of the summer. Will that affect the military cabins too?
A: No. The annual suspension of overnight camping during honu nesting season applies to weekend camping at Bellows Field Beach Park otherwise permitted by the city’s Department of Parks and Reservation, via camping.honolulu.gov. No Bellows reservations will be allowed from April 30 to Aug. 28 to protect Hawaiian green sea turtle nesting sites.
The military cabins to which you referred are not available to the general public. They are operated by Bellows Air Force Station for recreational use by military-affiliated customers, including active-duty service members, veterans and Department of Defense employees. The cabins are not closed during nesting season, according to the reservation system on the Bellows AFS website.
Q: Regarding the cat sanctuary (808ne.ws/3GotcOW), is that someplace we can take stray cats now? The Humane Society won’t take them.
A: No, the Popoki Place Oahu Cat Sanctuary hasn’t been built yet, and even if it does eventually open it won’t accept cats from the general public, according to its website, popokiplace.org. Instead, it will focus on securely sheltering cats that had been living near native endangered birds and sea mammals, threatening those species.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
