By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– The city’s Department of Customer Services announced today that it will be operating under an appointment-only system for renewing driver licenses and state identification cards, starting Monday, March 16.
There will be no changes made to satellite operations that process quicker transactions.
The shift is part of a series of steps the city is taking to support the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation for social distancing and to help mitigate resident concerns of avoiding busy public spaces.
Other immediate plans include increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing the common areas and equipment at driver licensing centers and satellite city halls, especially eye-testing machines and electronic fingerprinting pads.
Plans also call for installing stand up hand sanitizer dispensers at all public servicing centers. In addition, the city will be posting health and safety signage at the entrance of driver licensing centers and satellite city halls as well as encouraging customer with flu-like symptoms to return or reschedule when feeling better.
“With rising health concerns surrounding coronavirus, these are all necessary steps to help protect both the public and our employees,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “As an alternative to physically visiting a city center, we recommend online and off-site service options.”
Among the city’s online services that offer shorter turnaround times than mail or in-person visits are:
- Duplicate driver license
- Motor vehicle registration renewal
- Personalized license plates
- Vehicle title and fee inquiry
In addition, six self-service kiosks offer car registration renewals beyond city office hours and make it convenient to tackle the task while grocery shopping.
Driver licenses and state IDs can be renewed six months before they expire, and appointments can be booked up to six months in advance. To make an appointment, visit honolulu.gov/CSD.