Question: For a variety of reasons, my granddaughter might have to get married abroad, in a place neither she nor her boyfriend are from, and they don’t intend to live there permanently. If she does this, will her marriage be valid if they eventually come to live in Hawaii?
Answer: Yes, if the marriage was legal where it occurred. “Under Hawaii law, marriages between two individuals regardless of gender that are legal where contracted are legal in this state (Section 572-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes). Thus, if a marriage is legal in the country where the parties marry, it will be legal in Hawaii,” according to the state Department of the Attorney General.
The Attorney General’s Office says it’s a good idea for the couple to get several copies of the marriage certificate, as well as an official English translation if the marriage certificate is not written in English. Replacing a lost marriage certificate that was issued in a foreign country may be more difficult than replacing one issued in Hawaii or elsewhere in the United States.
Q: Please update any information as to when and how neighbor island residents can apply for the PVS license plate. I am a Maui resident.
A: Hawaii license plates featuring the voyaging canoe Hokule‘a and supporting the Polynesian Voyaging Society have been available in Maui County since early March, about a month after they debuted in Hawaii and Kauai counties. (Honolulu County has sold them since Jan. 31.)
The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s website has details about purchasing the plates statewide. See 808ne.ws/pvsplate.
On Maui you can make an appointment at mauicounty.gov/dmv to purchase the plates at DMV offices in Kahului, Kihei or Lahaina; choose “motor vehicle transaction” when making your appointment. Or, visit the county office in Hana. They also should be available on Molokai and Lanai. Call the Maui County DMV Call Center at 808-270-7363 for more information.
Q: Why would I receive my federal income tax refund by check when I requested an electronic deposit because that’s supposed to be quicker?
A: The U.S. Internal Revenue Services says there are three possible reasons a tax filer who requests a refund via direct deposit might receive a paper check by mail instead:
>> The tax filer provided an ineligible account. The IRS can deposit refunds electronically into accounts in the filer’s own name, their spouse’s name or in a joint account.
>> The financial institution rejected the direct deposit.
>> The direct deposit exceeded the IRS maximum of three electronic refunds into a single financial account per tax season.
In a follow-up, you said the problem must have been that your daughter, who e-filed your taxes for you, tried to direct the refund by direct deposit to her bank account, with your permission, as you did not have your own account information handy at the time.
Q: Are we getting the boosters as much as we did the main shots?
A: No. While more than 82% of Hawaii’s eligible population completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine, only about 55% of those eligible for a booster shot or third dose have received it, according to the state Department of Health. The number of people who’ve received a second booster shot (fourth dose) is even smaller, totaling 33,169 doses as of Tuesday. People age 5 and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
Auwe
Rather than raising taxes and fees on people who follow the law by registering their vehicles year after year, they should start ticketing the cars with expired tags and missing license plates. There are plenty of them on the road! — Overtaxed motorist
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.
