Question: How does an undocumented immigrant apply for a state ID?
Answer: Applications aren’t being accepted yet. A new state law authorizes the issuance of a limited-purpose identification card to a Hawaii resident who cannot or will not prove their lawful U.S. presence, but administrative rules needed to implement the law have yet to be adopted.
The measure, signed into law by Gov. David Ige on July 12 as Act 295 (808ne.ws/Act295), is meant as an alternative for people who can’t get a standard state ID — which requires proof of lawful U.S. presence — and who do not drive, which means they also can’t get the limited-purpose driver’s license that has been available to undocumented immigrants in Hawaii since 2016.
Like the limited-purpose driver’s license, the limited-purpose state ID will not comply with the U.S. REAL ID Act. It will not have the gold-star mark seen on federally compliant credentials issued by the state and will not be accepted for official federal purposes.
However, lawmakers said it will be useful for nondrivers who need a picture ID from the state for other purposes, such as banking, picking up prescriptions and qualifying for kamaaina privileges. “The Legislature recognizes that many residents who are young adults, elderly persons, houseless persons, undocumented immigrants, or lawfully present non-immigrants do not drive and are also unable to meet the stringent requirements for a REAL ID-compliant identification card. These residents are therefore unable to access state-issued identification,” states House Bill 1761, HD 1, SD 2, CD1, which the Legislature approved and the governor signed.
Such IDs, intended “for individuals who otherwise satisfy the requirements for a government-issued identification card except for the individual’s inability or refusal to provide satisfactory proof of authorized presence in the United States under federal law,” won’t look the same as a federally compliant credential. The front of each card will say that it is “not acceptable for official federal purposes,” and the back will state that “this identification card is issued only for state identification purposes. It does not establish eligibility for employment, voter registration, or public benefits,” the law says.
We emailed the state Department of Transportation and the city Department of Customer Services on Thursday, asking when the limited-purpose ID will be available.
“The state Department of Transportation would need to adopt administrative rules for the limited purpose identification cards you referenced before they can be issued at driver licensing centers and satellite city halls on Oahu. For the City and County of Honolulu’s part, we are working with a vendor to ensure that the new limited purpose identification card can be manufactured and issued statewide once the administrative rules are in place,” Harold Nedd, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Customer Services, replied in an email.
We didn’t hear back from the DOT by deadline Monday.
Note: There is a different type of noncompliant Hawaii ID available now, but it’s only for incapacitated residents who cannot appear in person to verify eligibility for a federally compliant (“gold star”) version.
Toilet paper
Several readers submitted Auwes about the Department of Parks and Recreation telling Oahu park users to supply their own toilet paper, but one reader offered a tip:
“I think people are put off by the idea of carrying a whole roll of TP to use. This is a hack I learned as a Boy Scout parent and adult volunteer: Save rolls of toilet paper when there’s about an inch of paper left around the roll, press down on the roll, pull out the cardboard, and put the flattened roll(s) into a sandwich bag. You then have flat, inconspicuous rolls of toilet paper that you can discreetly slip into a pocket or purse.”
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
