Question: My son lives in Las Vegas now, but he was born in Hawaii in 1972 and needs to get his birth certificate. How would he go about getting a copy?
Answer: He should be able to order a certified copy of his Hawaii birth certificate online from the state Department of Health, via links at health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords. Birth, marriage and death certificates dating back to July 1909 are available, it says.
He would fill out and submit the online application, upload a government- issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license, state ID or U.S. passport) and pay the fee by debit or credit card. The cost is $10 for the first copy (additional copies are $4 each), plus a $2.50 administrative fee for up to five copies. To avoid processing delays, the name on the credit or debit card should match the name of the person requesting the record. The certificate(s) will be mailed to the return address provided, the website says.
“A certified copy of a vital record (birth certificate, death certificate or marriage certificate) is issued only to an applicant who has a direct and tangible interest in the record,” which includes the registrant (a person named on the record), their spouse, parent, descendants and other eligible people or entities, the website says. Read full details there.
Q: Regarding Tax-Aide, what counts as an “uncomplicated” federal or state tax return?
A: The AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program describes its scope of services at 808ne.ws/42qQahv, listing the tax forms it can or cannot prepare. In addition, the website says, “We have limited ability to complete certain sections of Form 5405 (First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of Credit), Form 5695 (Energy Credits), and Form 8606 (Non-deductible IRA). Note that we cannot prepare returns for taxpayers seeking to claim credits for installing solar water heating systems or photovoltaic, geothermal, or wind power generating systems, as these are outside the scope of our volunteer training.”
Q: How old do you have to be to get a driver’s permit?
A: The minimum age is 15-1/2 years, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services.
Q: Can I get a refund on my Hawaii motor vehicle registration if I’m moving out of state and will register my car as soon as I get there?
A: Possibly, but if you are eligible, the fee would be refunded only for the balance of the annual registration renewal period after your vehicle is registered elsewhere, according to the Honolulu CSD website. “To inquire if you are eligible, email the Motor Vehicle Registration Branch and submit a request for refund,” it says. The email address is MVINFO@honolulu.gov.
Auwe
Even on our dead-end street, criminals creep around at night from house to house to see whether anyone left their vehicle unlocked in the driveway. When they find an unlocked car, they steal whatever they want from inside and sometimes the vehicle. Thank God my neighbor has a big dog and we share a fence. Also, I always lock my car, but it’s still horrible to know they are out there night after night. — A reader
(Editor’s note: This Auwe and similar ones from other readers are reminders to not only lock your cars, but also to leave nothing of value in them overnight — including garage door openers. We’ve seen warnings on social media recently from victims who said thieves who accessed their cars overnight took the garage door opener, apparently intending to come back later and rob the house.)
Mahalo
Thank you to the honest person who found my wallet outside of Goodwill Kaimuki and turned it in to the kind staff ladies. They retrieved it when I searched my bag when I had to pay for a purchase and realized my wallet was missing. Mahalo! — Grateful senior citizen
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
