Question: Is everyone required to obtain a state ID card? Will Hawaii residents be required to carry a driver’s license and a state ID card? I thought you only obtained a state ID card if you didn’t have a valid Hawaii driver’s license. When traveling will both be required, or is your passport still valid to use with your driver’s license? Help!
Answer: Getting a state ID card is not required.
Most transactions or activities requiring identification require one government-issued photo ID. Driver’s licenses are the most convenient form of meeting that requirement. Many people who don’t have a driver’s license use a state ID card.
You always have the option of using a valid and current U.S. passport in place of either one as identification while traveling.
All the recent attention on licenses and ID cards is because the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is requiring driver’s licenses and ID cards to meet security standards of the REAL ID Act, which means proving you are legally in the U.S. and that you are who you say you are.
Several deadlines for compliance have come and gone. As of the latest deadline, today, only 13 states, not including Hawaii, have met all the federal requirements.
Beginning today, the Department of Homeland Security is granting "a temporary deferment" for remaining states to comply.
"These states will have an opportunity to respond with additional information before DHS makes a final determination," the department said in a Dec. 20 news release. "DHS will continue to receive and review state submissions on a rolling basis."
Nothing has changed since Dec. 20, a spokeswoman said.
The temporary deferment means that federal agencies and airlines will continue to accept driver’s licenses and ID cards of residents from Hawaii and other noncompliant states.
DHS says it is working to develop a schedule for the "phased enforcement" of the REAL ID Act and expects to publish a schedule by early fall, beginning implementation "at a suitable date thereafter."
Hawaii expects to comply soon.
"Recent clarification from DHS indicates that Hawaii will be able to seek REAL ID compliance in the very near future," said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division.
Kamimura explained that documents required now for a state ID meet all of DHS’ requirements.
However, for driver’s licenses, state Department of Transportation rules need to be amended to require two documentary proofs of principal residence. Kamimura said that is expected to happen "in the near future."
New Documents Required
Once DOT rules are amended, driver’s license applicants will need to produce two documents showing proof of principal residence, on top of documents proving legal presence, legal name, date of birth and Social Security number.
Examples of acceptable documents showing principal residence are vehicle registration, driver’s license, voter registration card, utility bill, checking or savings account statement, payroll check or stub, real property tax assessment, mortgage account, W-2 form, student ID card and health insurance card.
Although not yet required, current applicants for a driver’s license or renewal may voluntarily provide the two proofs of principal residence, Kamimura said.
Meanwhile, what is the effect on people who renewed or will renew their licenses after the new requirements for legal presence took effect last March but not before the additional requirements are adopted?
"We are hopeful that the fall announcement (by DHS) will allow the public to provide these documents upon their normal renewal," Kamimura said.
That’s the same expectation for drivers whose current licenses don’t expire for several more years, for example until 2018.
"We are hopeful that the DHS’ fall announcement will allow the public to return to our offices and provide the documentary proof of legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, legal presence and proof of principal residence during their normal future renewal period," whenever that might be, Kamimura said.
That’s because "we believe that DHS recognizes that requiring all not fully compliant licensees to return before their normal expiration date will cause an unreasonable burden on the public and the DMVs," he said. "It will probably be impossible for states like California, Florida, New York, Texas, etc. who have millions of licensed drivers and have not yet received certification of REAL ID compliance."
For more information, see www1.honolulu.gov/csd/vehicle/dlrequirements.htm as well as DHS’ website www.dhs.gov/secure-drivers-licenses.
