City reminds residents of the approaching REAL ID deadline

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, April 18, 2019

HONOLULU – The city’s Department of Customer Services is reminding O‘ahu residents that if they choose to use their driver licenses or state IDs for air travel, the federal government requires the credential to bear the gold star marking by Oct. 1, 2020. Please note this deadline is approximately 18 months from now.

So far, more than 190,000 O‘ahu residents have gotten the REAL ID-compliant driver license or state ID since they became available in January 2018. However, nearly 10,000 people are expected to obtain these documents every month in 2020, when their licenses or IDs become due for renewal.

(Editor's Note: 190,000 Real ID holders / 976,372 Oahu resident population = 19.5%.)

“We want to help residents become aware of this upcoming Real ID date, know how it may affect them, and make decisions early on whether or not they want the gold star marking to meet federal compliance,” said Customer Services Director Sheri Kajiwara.

The REAL ID Act, which Congress created 14 years ago as a more rigorous security measure following the 2001 terrorist attacks, requires residents to prove their identity through the gold-star marked cards by Oct. 1, 2020 if they want to use that particular credential to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities.

To renew driver licenses or state IDs with the gold star, residents can book an appointment at honolulu.gov/csd. The appointment system offers bookings up to three months in advance. It can take six weeks for a permanent card to arrive in the mail, so residents are asked to remain patient during this waiting period.

—PAU—

HNN: Come October 2020, your Hawaii license might not work to get you on a plane