After nearly two decades, Hawaii residents can now obtain newly redesigned driver’s licenses and state identification cards with enhanced security features aimed at combating identity theft, counterfeiting and fraud, officials say.

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After nearly two decades, Hawaii residents can now obtain newly redesigned driver’s licenses and state identification cards with enhanced security features aimed at combating identity theft, counterfeiting and fraud, officials say.

The updated cards, recently announced by the Honolulu Department of Customer Services, mark the first overhaul of the state’s driver’s licenses and ID cards since the current version was introduced in 2009.

The new licenses incorporate more than 50 security features, including laser- engraved black-and-white photographs and personal information, tamper-resistant patterns, and raised lettering that can be felt by touch, city officials said.

The licenses are also more durable, made of 100% polycarbonate material that’s impact- and water-resistant and less prone to peeling or falling apart than current versions, which are composed of laminated paper and glue.

The redesigned cards also retain familiar Hawaii imagery on the front, including the state flag, rainbow and Hawaiian Island chain. The reverse side features Hawaii’s state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua‘a, alongside a coral reef scene.

Officials say many of the artwork elements — including holograms — double as embedded security features that are visible only under ultraviolet light and other specialized inspection methods used by federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, to verify passenger identification at U.S. airports.

“This initiative was a partnership among all counties and the state,” CSD Director Kim Hashiro said during a Tuesday news conference at Honolulu Hale. “We worked really hard to develop, test and put this card design into production.”

Hashiro said the goal of the program was “to meet federal standards and to increase security.”

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi touted the new licenses as a significant security upgrade.

“We live in a new era with our world today, with respect to security, identity theft and all kinds of things that impact individual people unlike ever before because of technology,” he said. “This is a step forward. This is the first time in 17 years we’ve moved the driver’s license into the 21st century.”

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda also praised the collaborative effort between the state and its four counties.

“And yes, security is of the utmost importance right here,” Alameda said during the news conference.

According to Hashiro, the biggest improvements are the security features themselves that are built into the card.

“Anti-counterfeit patterns are integrated throughout the card, creating the images of the rainbow, the state fish,” she added. “To the naked eye you will see the images as they are intended to look — the different colors, patterns and shapes. But upon closer inspection you will notice that patterns of tiny circles and lines make up these images.

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“Additionally, integrated within the patterns are microtext, adding another layer of security and making the IDs almost impossible to alter or duplicate,” she said.

Hashiro noted the cards use a split-fountain ink transition, creating a pink-toned rainbow pattern on the front, and a blue-toned design on the back.

“When the color is printed on the card it actually creates a color gradient that’s also very difficult to duplicate,” she said.

Other security features are not visible to the naked eye.

“For example, the use of Reveal Plus is a security feature that embeds hidden, encrypted data into the secondary portrait, which is the small window in the corner,” Hashiro said. “This feature creates animated effects when the card is shifted.”

She added the federally-required REAL ID marking changed too, from a gold star to a transparent star inside a black circle.

“And lastly we’re moving to black-and-white photos to enhance security,” she said. “This change aligns with the U.S. State Department passport standards. Black-and-white formats provide a sharper, more refined and highly accurate image.”

But Hashiro said that Hawaii drivers are not required to replace their current licenses at this time.

“If someone has a valid ID they don’t need to change their card,” she said. “They can expect their card to remain valid through its expiration date, even if it’s eight years in the future, because we’re on an eight-year cycle.”

She said the cost of a driver’s license — currently $40 for a standard eight-year license, and $20 for a four-year license, for example — will not increase either.

“So fees are the same, and for customers we have no intention at this point in time of increasing fees,” Hashiro added.

She also noted customers can expect to receive the new licenses more quickly. “Previously it was six to eight weeks, and with this new card type it’s four to five weeks,” she said. “So we almost cut the time in half.”

Meanwhile, recent media reports highlighting public criticism over the appearance of Hawaii’s new driver’s license managed to draw a sharp response from Blangiardi.

“We are not going to apologize to anybody for trying to move us well into the 21st century now on something like this that’s really a benefit to people,” he said.

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