Question: Does Hawaii recognize/allow driving in Hawaii with foreign driver’s licenses? If so, where do I find which ones are valid and which ones are not? In particular, I’m wondering about a driver’s license from the Philippines.
Answer: Yes, adults holding a valid driver’s license from a country “that ratified the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949) may use their foreign national driver’s license along with their valid passport to legally drive in Hawaii. The driver must be at least 18 years old and may use the foreign driver’s license no longer than one year after the date of entry in the United States. The foreign passport would indicate the date of entry in the U.S. It is strongly recommended that the foreign licensed driver possess an International Driving Permit (IDP) to avoid language barriers between the foreign driver and Hawaii’s law enforcement officials,” Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services says on its website.
The Philippines did ratify this treaty, according to the United Nations Treaty Collection, searchable at un.treaties.org, where you can see all participating countries. So, assuming that you meet the other requirements, you should be OK to drive in Hawaii, although it would have been better if you had also obtained an IDP before you departed the Philippines, according to Honolulu County’s recommendation.
An IDP, which must be issued in the same country as the traveler’s driver’s license, “is a valid form of identification in 150 countries worldwide and contains your name, photo and driver information. It translates your identification information into 10 languages — so it speaks the language even if you don’t. Most countries highly recommend an International Driving Permit,” according to AAA, which issues them in the United States to drivers with U.S. licenses preparing to travel abroad.
Triple A’s international affiliates issue IDPs in other countries, including the Philippines, according to exchange.aaa.com/international-travel/international-clubs.
The Automobile Association of the Philippines is the only organization authorized to issue the Philippine IDP, according to its website. Travelers who cannot appear in person may apply through a representative, it says. For more information, see aap.org.ph and click on “Services” near the top of the page.
For more information about IDPs issued in the U.S. or in countries other than the Philippines, see aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html or internationaldrivingpermit.org.
On a related note,
Q: I have an IDP but lost my license that goes with it. Will the IDP be enough to keep driving until I go home and can get a new license?
A: No. An IDP is a supplement to your foreign driver’s license and your valid passport. The IDP alone does not serve as a license to drive in Hawaii, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services, based on information posted on its website.
Mahalo
I often read about generous people paying for others in restaurants or stores, and never thought it would happen to me. I was at the cashier at Target when a nice young woman behind me offered to pay for my purchase. It caught me by surprise, and I forgot to ask her for her name. I just celebrated my 90th, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. I will definitely pay it forward. I hope that only good things come her way. — Happy 90-year-old
Mahalo
Mahalo to each and every person who donated lei for the graves at Punchbowl and other veteran cemeteries on Oahu for Memorial Day. I attended the ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific for the first time, and although I expected to see the American flags, I was moved also to see fresh lei everywhere I looked. It was a beautiful tribute of aloha. — A visitor
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.
