Hawaii residents will be able to obtain state IDs at all driver licensing locations in Maui County beginning Jan. 2.
The change is the result of a state law that transfers the responsibility for the state ID program from the Department of the Attorney General to the Department of Transportation in conjunction with the counties, a news release from the attorney general's office said.
The consolidation of the state ID and the driver's license programs will afford the public more locations at which to obtain a card.
This transition also will help Hawaii meet federal requirements under the Real ID Act of 2005. Cards that do not meet requirements of the act will not be recognized by federal agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration.
To comply with federal law, state IDs currently are being issued as temporary cards. These temporary cards are valid for one month from issuance until the permanent ID card is subsequently sent in the mail.
Leading up to the transition, there will be a brief period when the public will not be able to obtain a state ID. The Governor's Neighbor Island Liaison Offices will stop issuing state ID cards as of Dec. 17.
In addition, the State ID Office at the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, 465 S. King St., Room 102, in Honolulu will be closed from Dec. 24 to the end of the year. When the office reopens, it will no longer be issuing state ID cards.
