Hawaii unveils new driver’s license and ID card design
Kauai drivers nearing renewal will be first in line for Hawaii’s new license design, but current cards stay valid until their expiration date.
Hawaii will begin producing a new driver’s license and state ID design this year, the first major update since 2009. For Kauai residents, existing licenses and state identification cards stay valid until the date printed on the card, and only customers who are already within six months of expiration can renew into the new design by appointment.
The redesign covers all 15 types of driver’s licenses and state ID cards issued statewide. The cards are 100% polycarbonate with translucent windows, identity barcodes, laser-engraved black-and-white photos, raised tactile text and other anti-counterfeit features. County and city materials put the total at more than 50, to make the credentials harder to alter, duplicate or steal. The new layout is intended to be REAL ID compliant, while still keeping familiar Hawaii images, including the rainbow, the island chain and the state flag on the front, plus the humuhumunukunukuāpuaa and a coral reef on the back.
Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami tied the change to public safety, saying protecting residents from identity theft and fraud is part of the government’s responsibility. Residents can renew a driver’s license up to six months before expiration without losing the regular anniversary date, and renewed credentials are mailed in about eight weeks.
The rollout was expected earlier in 2026, but Honolulu Department of Customer Services spokesperson Harold Nedd said in April the timetable was still fluid while data for current license and ID holders were transferred into the new system and checked for accuracy and security. The oldest cards remain in use until their expiration dates.
Hawaii has been federally REAL ID-compliant since 2013, and residents may also choose a mobile driver’s license or ID in Apple Wallet for use at selected TSA checkpoints, including the Makai checkpoint at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu. Even then, the physical card still has to stay in your wallet.
Honolulu has also warned residents about fake texts and emails tied to DMV business.
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