LIHU‘E — Hawai‘i residents who received a driver’s license in February should check their cards for a printing error, according to a recent advisory from the state Department of Transportation.
The DOT says the word “Hawai‘i” on the front left side of driver’s licenses and state identification cards was printed in an incorrect font on 2,450 cards in February 2023.
Instead of the correct script font, the misprinted cards were issued in a sans-serif font.
More than 100 Kaua‘i residents received misprinted cards, according to the department’s distribution breakdown. O‘ahu residents were most affected by the error.
The complete distribution breakdown shows that the misprinted cards went to 1,684 O‘ahu residents, 353 Hawai‘i Island residents, 292 Maui residents and 121 Kaua‘i residents.
“If you did receive your identification in February, definitely check it for this error,” said DOT Communications Manager Shelly Kunishige in a March 7 interview with The Garden Island.
Kunishige noted the department has spoken with the Transportation Security Administration and law enforcement to alert them of the error, but all affected residents still need to replace the misprinted license or ID.
“If they do not get it, if they do not call and get it replaced, then that could end up being a problem later on,” she said, adding the incorrect font would eventually cause security issues and legitimacy concerns.
“So in the short term, they can still use it as a valid method of identification. But they should get it replaced as soon as possible.”
The DOT has attributed the font change to an error by their card vendor, Thale, after a recent hardware change.
“Because this was an error by the vendor, the vendor is going to make it right,” Kunishige said.
“They’re in coordination with the counties. They’re working to get the replacement credentials to the people that were affected.”
Kunishige added the DOT will begin issuing replacements this month at no additional cost, and impacted residents should contact their county’s licensing office.
For residents of Kaua‘i, the number is 808-241-4242.
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Emma Grunwald, reporter, can be reached at 808-652-0638 or egrunwald@thegardenisland.com.
