Hawaii county driver licensing offices and Hawaii Department of Transportation: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about Hawaii county DMVs

Hawaii county DMVs requirements in detail

Where the translation rule applies

The limited purpose license exists for people who cannot or will not prove authorized presence in the United States.

Honolulu says counties have issued it since January 2016; it still requires proof of legal name, date of birth and Hawaii residence, it is not REAL ID compliant, and it is not accepted for official federal purposes (Limited Purpose Driver's License).

HRS 286-104.5 lists the documents that can establish identity, and item 15 carries the translation rule: a marriage license or divorce certificate, a foreign federal electoral photo card, a foreign student ID or a foreign driver's license (HRS 286-104.5, limited purpose driver's licenses).

The limited purpose state ID repeats the same words and the same four documents (State ID, including the Limited Purpose State ID).

The rule offers two forms, a certified translation or an affidavit of translation, and defines neither.

The same list takes a consular ID or home-country passport, or a sealed foreign school record with a photograph, and attaches no translation wording to those.

Our certified translation carries a signed certificate of translation accuracy; if an office asks for a sworn affidavit, ask what it wants before ordering. Notarization, $34.90 per order, can be added.

Transferring a license from Japan, Korea or Taiwan

Honolulu says reciprocity agreements exist with only these three countries.

You apply in person by AlohaQ appointment, as for an out-of-state transfer, and bring the valid license, the consulate verification letter and the REAL ID documents.

The letter must be notarized, translated and sealed by your consulate, and the page links the Consulate General of Japan, the Consulate General of Korea and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu.

You must be 18 or older. You leave with a temporary type-3 license, and the plastic card is mailed in four to five weeks (Foreign Driver's License Transfer).

By statute the examiner notifies the authority that issued your foreign license that it was invalidated and returned because you are now licensed in Hawaii (HRS 286-102). A translation from us, however certified, does not stand in for the consulate's letter.

Where Honolulu goes further than the statute

Two Honolulu FAQ answers are not in the statute.

For foreign nationals applying for an instruction permit, with or without a valid foreign license, it says all documents must be translated into English, with no word on the translator.

For a minor born abroad, it says the foreign birth certificate must be translated by a translator authorized by the Driver's Licensing Section (Driver's license FAQ).

Before you order for a minor, call (808) 768-9100 or email dl@honolulu.gov and ask who it authorizes (Driver's license procedures).

Maui, Hawaii and Kauai counties run their own offices, and their pages did not open for us, so check locally (county list).

Documents people usually translate

• Foreign driver's licenses for a limited purpose license or ID
• Marriage licenses and divorce certificates for a limited purpose license or ID
• Foreign federal electoral photo cards issued on or after January 1, 1991
• Foreign student identification cards
• Documents for a foreign national's instruction permit in Honolulu

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
• $24.95 per page with no word cap, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
• Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.

Submitting the translation to Hawaii county DMVs

• In Honolulu, book through AlohaQ at a Driver Licensing Center and bring the original or certified copy of each document with its translation. The state ID page says notarized copies and faxes are not accepted (State ID, including the Limited Purpose State ID).

• On Maui, Hawaii Island or Kauai, use your county office from the state's county DMV list. Documents cannot be mailed to a county DMV for review before your visit (Hawaii Department of Transportation: driver's license and county DMV list).

• For a Japan, Korea or Taiwan transfer, start with your consulate, then book the transfer appointment (Foreign Driver's License Transfer).

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions