QUESTION: We recently got married in Las Vegas, but I heard that weddings there are not recognized in Hawaii. Is that true?

ANSWER: That’s not true.

What’s true is that if Hawaii residents get married in Las Vegas and change their names, they need to officially record that change in Hawaii in order for it to be recognized here.

We explained the situation several years ago — archives.starbulletin.com/2004/09/29/news/kokualine.html — and were told by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office that the information still stands, except that the fees involved have changed.

Back then the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, which oversees name changes, consulted with the state Attorney General to make sure it was interpreting the law correctly.

Based on that legal opinion, we were told that a person who gets married in a state that does not have the equivalent of Hawaii Revised Statutes 574-1 — regarding middle names and surnames — must follow procedures set forth in HRS 574-5 to legally adopt a spouse’s surname.

HRS 574-1 basically says that both the bride and groom shall declare the middle and last names each will use as a married person.

Nevada does not have a procedure for individuals to publicly declare their new married names, so Hawaii residents who get married in Las Vegas are required to go through a formal name change procedure with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

We asked whether this was true for any other state but did not get a response.

The name-change procedure involves submitting a notarized petition to the office, paying a $50 nonrefundable filing fee (down from $100) and publishing a notice of the name change, signed by the lieutenant governor, in a newspaper of general circulation in Hawaii.

The cost to record documents, including name changes, in the regular system of the state Bureau of Conveyances is $30 for the first 20 pages. And there is also a fee in the bureau’s land court system, which is $25. Lastly, there is also the cost of publishing a notice in a newspaper.

Visit hawaii.gov/ltgov/office/name or call the Lieutenant Governor’s Office at 586-0255.

QUESTION: Where can I redeem aluminum can pull tabs?

ANSWER: If you’re pulling off the tabs believing they somehow have more value, don’t do it.

Reynolds Recycling advises leaving the tabs on the cans because, "Once removed, they are considered aluminum scrap metal with a very low value."

The recycler also says there are many urban myths about the value of the tabs (See www.reynoldsrecycling.com/locations.asp).

"Kokua Line" has pointed out that bogus stories regularly circulate about collecting the tabs (or chopstick wrappers) in exchange for something of value.

The National Kidney Foundation, for example, says there never was any truth to the old rumor that people could turn in pull tabs in exchange for time on dialysis machines.

See archives.starbulletin.com/2003/09/10/news/kokualine.html.

MAHALO

To Ben Duldulao of airport security. On Saturday, Feb. 19, we had just picked up our daughter and her family at Honolulu Airport’s baggage claim 12 and loaded all the luggage onto our truck when the engine would not start. Ben offered to get his personal battery booster from his car and was successful in getting our car started. He accepted only our heartfelt thanks. I would like to thank him once again and let his supervisors know of his kindness. — E. Lum, Kailua