Question: Glad to hear the gold star can be added online (bit.ly/2BqkmLt). How do we know whether our records are on file so we can get the duplicate this way?
Answer: Records verifying your legal name, birth date, Social Security number, legal U.S. presence and Hawaii residency should be on file if you obtained a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID after May 1, 2014, assuming that you’ve had no unreported address or name changes in the meantime, said Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city Department of Customer Services.
Records proving the first four elements were required as of March 5, 2012, but the fifth requirement — two documents proving Hawaii principal residency — took effect May 1, 2014. So the city might have partial records for some requests.
“With online submittal, we will be verifying on the back end, and if something is missing, the applicant will be notified,” she said.
Go to license.honolulu.gov and click on the duplicates label to request a license with the gold star, which is a mark of federal Real ID compliance.
Q: Can you put a P.O. box on your license? I travel a lot, and I would feel safer with it going to a P.O. box than to my home address when I renew.
A: No, not for that reason. “P.O. Box numbers are not acceptable to indicate a Hawaii principal residence address unless a number and street name have not been assigned for U.S. mail delivery. An address convention used by the U.S. Postal Service is acceptable,” according to the city Department of Customer Services’ website.
Auwe
Auwe to a neighbor in the Kaimuki area. His home has cans strewn all over his front yard, and rubbish lines the side of his house. He has two houses on his property. One is not occupied, but is full of boxes. I see his gray rubbish cans are full to the brim, so at least he’s throwing something away, but it doesn’t make a dent. The thing that drives me crazy is that he puts his rubbish in the cans of his neighbors without asking. Another neighbor made me aware of this. I looked in my rubbish can before I left for work, and sure enough, it was filled to the top with rubbish that was not mine. It wouldn’t be so bad if he asked, but he just throws it in. This is the same neighbor who lights a huge number of firecrackers on New Year’s and only cleans up any red paper in his driveway, even though it is all over my driveway, too. — Exasperated neighbor
Mahalo
On Dec. 12 I exchanged a purse at Saks Off Fifth Ave. The same very nice young lady had waited on me when I purchased the purse. No problem. I was almost up the escalator and out the door when I heard someone calling my name. The salesclerk was out breath running up the escalator trying to catch me. In her hand she had checks and cash that I had left in the returned bag. I was shocked, surprised and grateful. I thanked her, but I wanted her employer to know that they have very nice people working there. Her kindness meant a lot to me. She made my day. — Grateful shopper
Mahalo
Thank you to the kind couple who bought me lunch Sunday at California Pizza Kitchen at Ala Moana Center. I only know they are Kathy and her husband from Kunia, and they are ecstatically awaiting their daughter’s arrival to join the rest of the family for Christmas. I hope I can live up to their generosity and maybe run into them again to reciprocate. Such a spirit booster! Mahalo! — Pam
Mahalo
On Dec. 10 I was at 7-Eleven, and for some reason my debit card wouldn’t work. This very nice man standing next in line said he would pay for my purchases. That was so nice. I’ve read about this kind of thing happening, but it’s never happened to me until now. Many thanks to this generous stranger. — Mahalo, Pearl
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
