State ID card issuance changed

Residents needing a State ID card are urged to plan ahead or start the process of getting one now, said Joshua Wisch, special assistant to the Attorney General.

For about two weeks the end of the year, the cards will not be issued locally. The State ID program is transferring from the Department of Attorney General to the state Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the counties.

This change is because of a state law and will result in more locations at which to obtain a State ID card, Wisch said.

This transition will also help Hawaii meet federal requirements under the REAL ID Act of 2005, which sets forth the documentation required and procedures to be followed in issuing drivers’ licenses and non-driver identification or State ID cards. Cards that do not meet these requirements will not be recognized by federal agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration.

Starting Jan. 2, Big Island residents can obtain state IDs at all drivers license locations in Kona and Hilo. In other counties, the public can obtain the cards at all drivers’ license locations, excluding city halls.

There will be a brief period when the public will not be able to obtain a State ID, and if you need one at this time, you’ll have to wait Wisch said. The Department of the Attorney General is notifying residents now so they can plan accordingly, he added.

The governor’s offices on neighbor islands will stop issuing State ID cards, as of Dec. 17. The State ID Office at the Hawaii Criminal Justice, 465 South King St., Room 102, will be closed to the public, beginning Dec. 24 through the year’s end. Thereafter, the office will no longer be issuing State ID cards.

To comply with federal law, state ID cards are being issued as temporary cards, whether obtained now, or after Jan. 2. These temporary cards are valid for one month from issuance until the permanent ID card is subsequently sent in the mail.