Question: My daughter did the tiered driver’s license for minors but never got the full license. Is she going to have to start all over now that she’s turning 18?
Answer: No, not if she had progressed from phase one (learner’s permit) to phase two (provisional license). She has until her 19th birthday to convert her provisional license to a full license, according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services. If she fails to do so by then, she would have to reapply for a driver’s license as an adult applicant, it says. Read more about the Graduated Driver Licensing Program at 808ne.ws/GDL.
Q: With the high number of car break-ins and stolen cars, I feel uncomfortable keeping my car’s registration certificate in the vehicle. Hubby says it is a law to have it in the car. Is it?
A: Yes. To be clear, you’re referring to the certificate of registration, not the title, which is required to transfer ownership; you shouldn’t keep the title in the car. Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 286-47 requires every vehicle owner to keep the certificate of registration within the vehicle or, in the case of a motorcycle, attached to the vehicle, except “when the certificate is removed from the vehicle for the purpose of application for renewal, transfer of registration, or to record a change in the registration.”
The law excludes some types of vehicles from this requirement, including readily identifiable state or county vehicles, rental cars and cars shipped by licensed car dealerships or repossession companies.
Q: My son filed his tax return March 14. He did it through the mail. He claimed the Earned Income Credit. He hasn’t gotten his refund. Should he refile online?
A: No, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The agency says it is taking up to 120 days to issue refunds for federal income tax returns with the Earned Income Tax Credit. “Don’t file a second tax return” if you are due a refund in this situation, it says.
Your son may be able to check the status of his return online. Go to irs.gov for more information.
Q: Does the state Health Department inspect food trucks?
A: Yes. A permitted mobile food establishment’s inspection placard should be visible to customers. The state Department of Health’s Food Safety Branch inspects “establishments where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed, or sold.” View inspection reports at hi.healthinspections.us/hawaii.
Q: Can I update my voter registration if I don’t have a valid Hawaii ID or driver’s license?
A: Yes, but you must use a paper application form to do so; you’ll provide the last four digits of your Social Security number on the form. By contrast, Hawaii’s online voter registration portal requires a valid Hawaii driver’s license or ID to access the system, through which users can register to vote or update their information to reflect a new address, for example.
Q: Did they redo the mask mandate? When I went to the library, it seemed like everyone but me was wearing one. I felt naked.
A: No, Hawaii’s statewide, indoor mask mandate expired in late March and has not been reinstated. However, as of May 31, Hawaii’s public library system has requested that all patrons wear a face mask, amid rising COVID-19 cases. It seems most patrons at the library you visited were voluntarily complying.
Mahalo
High-fives to the Kapolei fire station behind Costco (I was unable to get the names of the men) and the Nanakuli Emergency Medical Services team of Swiss and Natasha, who attended to my mother after she fell Sunday. Professional, quality care at its best! — E.V.
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.
