Spike in license renewals, confusion over ID requirements jam DMV
Lines for driver’s licenses at satellite city halls on Oahu are continuing to climb due to a confluence of issues, city officials said today.
A spike in driver’s license renewals is at the core of the situation. Renewals are expected to jump to an estimated 9,000 a month islandwide in 2018, up from what has been an average of 3,000 a month, city officials said.
In 2008, state law was changed to make a majority of Hawaii driver’s licenses good for eight years, up from six years. That two-year extension has caused a jump in the number of motorists with licenses that are expiring and in need of a renewal.
Additionally, increased federal identity requirements for what’s needed in order to get or renew a license have taken effect in the last five years. That’s leaving more people showing up at the satellite city halls with a lot more questions, slowing down the process.
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The Kapalama Hale driver’s licensing center no longer has Saturday hours due to low numbers. The city added the hours in October to deal with the increase.
To learn more about what documentation is required, go to the Department of Customer Services website at http://www.honolulu.gov/csd.