Hawaii Identity Documents

Hawaii Name Change Laws

Name changes in the State of Hawaii are administered by the Lieutenant Governor. Applications may be completed and tracked using the State of Hawaii Online Name Change System. Printable instructions are provided here. The online system generates a name change petition that the applicant must get notarized and send to the Office of the Lt. Governor. Once the name change is approved, the applicant must publish notice of the name change once in a general circulation newspaper and submit proof of publication to the Office of the Lt. Governor. The publication requirement can be waived if a prosecutor files an affidavit attesting the need to waive publication for an applicant’s safety. Applicants who have sex offender convictions cannot get a name change unless the court finds the name change to be in the best interest of justice and that the name change won't adversely affect public safety. (Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 574-1 to 574-6).

For instructions on legal name changes for minors under 18 in Hawaii, see NCTE's Name Changes for Minors in Hawaii resource.

Hawaii Drivers License Policy & Procedures

Starting July 1, 2020, Hawaii will update the gender marker on a Hawai’i ID to male, female, or X upon self-attestation by the applicant of their gender, no medical documentation required. See HB1165.

Currently in order to update name and gender on a Hawai'i ID, the applicant must first change name with the Social Security Administration and then submit (1) a court order certifying the name change and (2) a Gender Designation Form completed by a medical or social professional stating the new gender. The Hawai'i Department of Transportation addresses name change here.

Hawaii Birth Certificate Laws

As of July 2015, the Hawai'i Department of Health will amend the sex on a birth certificate upon receipt of an affidavit from a US licensed physician stating that the applicant "has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition." Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 338-17.7. No proof of surgery is required.

To apply to amend the gender marker on a Hawai'i birth certificate an applicant should submit:

• An Application for Amendment to Birth Record
• An Affidavit from a Physician which must be notarized
• The fee

Mail the application to: 

Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring, Registration/Corrections Section
P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, Hawaii 96801-3378. 

Information about the birth certificate amendment process is on the Hawai'i Department of Health website here.