ID Documents Center

|

Hawaii

Welcome to our one-stop hub for name and gender change information. Find out how to update your name and gender on state and federal IDs and records. 

Most courts and government offices have resumed normal operations with the formal end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Make sure to contact your local court or other government offices for details on their current operating hours and procedures, including if they require appointments for in-person visits.. You should keep dated copies of any materials you submit by mail or electronically. 

Last updated November 2023

 

How friendly are the ID policies in your state?
State driver's license policy grades
State birth certificate policy comparison​

 

Name Change, Driver's License & Birth Certificate Policies in:

Federal IDs and Records:

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:

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.

Join Our Mailing List

Sign Up