If you went today and dropped off the necessary documents for REAL ID driver’s licenses at the Office of Motor vehicles, the soonest you’ll get your ID is September 3.
Unless you are traveling off island and can provide an itinerary to show your date of departure. For such cases, the REAL ID licenses can be issued today or soonest before the date of departure.
Members of the public have complained about why OMV can only issue 25 REAL Drivers ID per day and point to inadequate equipment.
But Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Terry Letuli explains they have to wait for verification from off-island for passports and Social Security numbers.
He said all the documents for each applicant have to be scanned and then sent off-island for verification. He said sometimes it takes a while to get a response from off-island so rather then have people wait, they have them drop their documents and return on another day to have their photos taken for the REAL IDs.
He acknowledged there have also been times when their supplies have run out before new shipments arrive, due to shipping delays.
Other times, internet connection is interrupted and that also causes delays with the process.
For those leaving island, OMV is able to produce a REAL ID license the same day provided all required documents are submitted along with a travel itinerary.
The Deputy Commissioner says he understands and accepts the public’s complaints about the slow process but assures that OMV staff are doing their best with the resources available.
