Question: I ordered my birth certificate online, and they said the processing time was 56 business days, not including mail delivery. Is that right? What’s going on?

Answer: Many other readers also are asking about this, so we followed up with the state Department of Health. The average processing time shown on its website for orders to be delivered by mail isn’t a mistake, but it’s also not the norm — yet. Online orders in which the record is on file and the applicant fills out the form correctly and tenders the proper payment generally are processed and mailed within 10 days, officials said.

That was true of the Kokua Line readers with whom we followed up — they were seeking certified copies of Hawaii-issued birth or marriage certificates so they could comply with the U.S. REAL ID law and get a “gold star” driver’s license or state ID. Requests for vital records are rising because of this law; plan ahead and order online for the most efficient service (see tips below).

Department officials explained that the processing time posted on the DOH website is automatically populated by an algorithm that averages the time spent on all orders the previous week, which run the gamut from routine to complex. For example, the state recently issued a Late Certificate of Birth for a 101-year-old woman, who needed it to qualify for a federally compliant state ID. Alvin T. Onaka, state registrar and chief of the Office of Health Status Monitoring, described the painstaking process of compiling an abstract documenting that the woman was born in Waipahu in late 1917, when Hawaii was a U.S. territory.

Cases like that drive up the “average” processing time but aren’t typical. Still, with demand for certified vital records continuing to grow as Oct. 1 nears — that’s the Transportation and Security Administration’s REAL ID enforcement date — wait times for even routine requests might worsen. Follow the Department of Health’s tips for the most efficient service:

>> Order birth and marriage certificates online at vitrec.ehawaii.gov.

>> Pay by credit card. Pay the correct amount ($12.50 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy).

>> Upload a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID with the order (for example, a driver’s license, state ID or U.S. passport).

>> Include the mother’s or bride’s birth certificate surname (name before first marriage) on requests for birth or marriage records.

>> Include full names of both marriage partners when ordering marriage certificates.

>> Provide proof of relationship to registrant on birth or marriage certificate (for example, list self, parent, spouse, son or daughter).

>> Enter data carefully to avoid typographical errors; exact name matches are required.

Although orders can be submitted by mail, the department discourages that method because so many mail orders are missing information or get the payment wrong, officials said. Such mistakes are less likely in online orders, and when errors do occur, department staff can quickly contact the applicant by email to correct them, they said.

As Kokua Line has explained before, vital records are released only to those entitled to them under state law, such as the registrants themselves or close family members; read other examples on the DOH website.

Some REAL ID applicants also might need divorce certificates to prove a name change, but divorce records should be requested through the court where the divorce occurred, officials said. The DOH website, which has different information, will be updated soon.

A final note: Don’t rush online to order vital records you don’t need; many REAL ID applicants already have their necessary documents safely stored at home.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.