Posted on: Tuesday, March 22, 2005
New driver's licenses draw lukewarm reviews
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
A new Hawai'i driver's license now has added anti-counterfeiting features and a tiny state flag along with a new look that drew lukewarm reviews from folks getting their cards yesterday.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser And Hawai'i is in the forefront of the effort.
"We will be the first state in the nation to incorporate the latest national standards for issuance of driver licenses," said city spokesman Bill Brennan.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann plans to talk about the new driver's licenses today in Kalihi and unveil a new city service that will offer online scheduling of road-test appointments.
Drivers will get the new license when they renew or replace their license.
Security features: Several holograms, a hard-to-duplicate red bar at the top, a tiny state flag, a greenish copy of the driver's signature etched into the bottom of the photo, a smaller faded "ghost image" copy of the photo and a new bar code.
Under-21 licenses: They get a similar look, but the card is oriented vertically to help police and merchants identify the person as under-age. The card is designed to discourage under-age drinking.
Fees: The changes did not increase the fees for drivers, which are $5 for instruction permit, $5 for duplicate license, $6 for a two-year license (72 and older) and $18 for a six-year license (adults 18-71). Cyrulenn "Kitty" Chang-Robert of Kaimuki will have to get used to the new look. "I really preferred the old — the rainbow — and it was brighter," she said.
The rainbow is still there but the new card has a reddish bar across the top, added holograms, an altered bar code, a smaller duplicate photo and a greenish driver's signature burned into the bigger photo.
Chang-Robert got a new license yesterday because she lost her last card. But she had saved her previous license and she pulled it out of her wallet to show why she thinks the old design had a cleaner look.
Lane Davey of Hale'iwa summed up her assessment: "ugly — this one looks more generic." She said she spent two hours in line renewing her license and then found she liked her old license better.
But 16-year-old Daniel Kawasaki liked the new look of his instruction permit. "It's nicer; before, it was paper," he said.
Honolulu driver's license statistics for fiscal 2003-04:
32,721 new licenses
95,154 renewals
38,313 learner's permits
39,514 duplicates
Total: 205,702 Source: Honolulu Department of Customer Service Both Kawasakis said they preferred the look of the new card over the old. Patrick said he thought more people would update their licenses if the lines weren't so long.
Brennan, the city spokesman, said going to a new vendor and a new design does not raise the cost to drivers and, despite the new features, drivers still will be able to receive their licenses right away.
The city pays a flat fee for each license issued. City customer service director Salvatore Lanzilotti said under the old contract, the city paid $2.20 per license produced and now pays a quarter more for each card, or $2.45 per license.
The new technology produces a license in 60 seconds or less, Brennan said.
The under-21 driver's license has a vertical orientation to help discourage under-age drinking. And minors with a permit have the vertical orientation but no rainbow to further flag the difference.
But 78-year-old Mack Sakai of Kapahulu isn't convinced that the new license is an improvement.
"The picture is not as clear," he said. "I like the old one better."
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
The changes are part of a nationwide initiative since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to make it more difficult to duplicate or alter driver's licenses, which are commonly used as identification for everything from air travel to buying liquor.
Daniel Kawasaki, 16, shows his new learner's permit with his father, Patrick.
Honolulu motor-vehicle licensing officials have completed the changeover to the new image, which got a mixed reaction in an informal sampling yesterday at the City Square office in Kalihi. Officials there said other counties across the state are converting, too.
THE NEW HAWAI'I DRIVER'S LICENSE
Daniel and his dad, Patrick, of Waipahu, plan to spend part of spring break working on driving lessons.
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