Question: Is there a way to get a state ID for someone who can’t leave the house? This is for my mother. She needs a valid ID because I can’t do certain errands for her without showing her ID. I have been showing her old driver’s license but that expired over a year ago. She never had a state ID, only a license, and she gave up driving long ago. I am the only one taking care of her.
Answer: Yes, but the process includes supplying a doctor’s note stating the applicant is incapacitated and unable to appear in person, as well as affirmation of that fact by the applicant’s guardian or caregiver; we mention that because it’s unclear from your question whether your mom is under a doctor’s care. The state ID issued will not comply with federal REAL ID standards but can be used for other limited purposes.
“Special accommodation is available for bedridden elderly and young people who have medical or mental conditions that make them unable to appear in person to be photographed, fingerprinted, and present REAL ID Act-required documents. Qualified applicants are eligible for a ‘non-compliant State ID’ card that provides a valid form of identification to access medication, banking information and other services,” according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services, which spells out the three-part application process on its website, honolulu.gov/csd.
From the homepage, click on “State ID” and then on the link to “learn about special accommodations for incapacitated residents,” for instructions and links to necessary forms.
Here’s a summary:
>> Step 1: A legal guardian, custodian or caretaker acting on behalf of an incapacitated/incompetent Oahu resident makes an appointment at the Kapalama Driver Licensing Center, via AlohaQ.org. At the appointment, the representative must present a doctor’s note stating the applicant is incapacitated and unable to appear in person; a completed state ID application signed by the incapacitated applicant; and suitable proof of the incapacitated applicant’s legal presence in the United States, Social Security number and Hawaii residency. The $40 fee also is paid at this time (cash, check or credit/debit card plus a 2.35% service fee for the latter), the website says. In the presence of Kapalama DLC staff, the representative will complete and sign an affidavit and receive a packet with a signature form, fingerprint ink pad and form, and a USB flashdrive, it says.
>> Step 2: The representative completes the packet, which includes obtaining the incapacitated applicant’s signature, fingerprints and digital photograph for the ID, following instructions provided in the packet.
>> Step 3: The representative returns the completed packet and materials (documents, ink pad and USB flash drive with photo) to the Kapalama DLC. No appointment is needed for this step. The representative signs in at Window 4 upon arrival, the website says. Staff will process the packet and issue a temporary, noncompliant state ID, which will be replaced by an eight-year plastic credential mailed to the applicant within six to eight weeks.
This process can be handled on Oahu only at the Kapalama DLC, not at any other driver’s license center or satellite city hall, according to the website, which a city spokesperson confirmed is up to date.
Although not about state IDs, another website you may find helpful is hawaii.edu/uhelp/. The University of Hawaii’s Elder Law Program has guides posted there to help kupuna and their caregivers navigate elder care.
Bivalent boosters
Due to staffing issues, the Kaiser Permanente clinic in Lihue is requiring appointments for COVID-19 bivalent booster shots, a spokesperson said in an update to Wednesday’s column.
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.
