Hilo Driver Licensing Station — Attraction in Hawaii

Went to Waimea DMV to renew driver license, was told to bring an unlaminated social security card (mine was laminated) or a proof that showed that the replacement social security card is in transit and was given a list of necessary items to bring along with the renewal application. Went to social security office to replace my laminated one and was given a receipt as proof to bring to DMV upon my request to show proof to the driver license office. Went to Hilo driver license office with all necessary documents and waited in the check-in line that a clerk okayed all the documents then asked to stand in another indoor line. Finally my turn came Booth 4 a very loud receptionist Lisa told me the Hilo driver license office no longer accept unsigned receipt from the social security office even though it was stamped with date. So I asked why didn’t the Waimea office told me to make sure it is a signed receipt if dated stamp alone is insufficient for process. Why sent me to social security office and wasted a trip to stand in line at the Hilo office. Why the Hilo driver license clerk outdoor approved all my documents and asked me to wait in line again only to find myself wasted the entire work day running around getting what the driver license offices told me to get but rejected my application anyway because of their own internal miscommunication among the offices on the Big Island. So. I’m going to escalate the case to the governor, the representatives, and the senators to make sure they acknowledge the inefficiency of the driver license renewal system. I’ve waited for 24 mins at the office to speak to the supervisor and finally I got an exception but the blame went to the social security office as supposedly they have an on and off policy regarding whether they initial the receipt for driver license renewal purpose. I surely hope this is not what happening all over the state- that different departments are not all on the same page when they suppose to work together to assist the tax payers to fulfill their part of the residents’ responsibilities. I do appreciate the supervisor taking the time out to explain the situation. So instead of one star I’m giving this office a two star. But the entire system still definitely needs...

Crappy systems, and obviously way over-worked/under-resourced considering how important their job is. I needed to renew my driver's license, went to the office with all required documentation, waited several hours, only to be given a temporary license, good for 60 days, was told "you'll get your new license in a few weeks." No explanation given. A week before the temp license expired, I started calling the office to ask where my new license is. The phone was NEVER answered, ever. Called several times every day, at different times, still no answer. Finally, today, I found this alternative number in one of these reviews: 961-2361 (thanks, Alex), and got an answer after letting it ring for several minutes. Was told their computers had been down the day I went in, and my passport (2nd form of ID) had not cleared immediately, that's why I'd been given the temp license. I asked why I hadn't been told this at the time, and why no-one had contacted me to tell me my license was going to be delayed. Was told their system did not notify them if there was a problem, so they did not know they had not issued me a license. I guess they depend on the licensee to contact them if there's a problem, but, of course THEY NEVER ANSWER THEIR PHONES. I asked if they'd ever thought about putting in a voicemail system. Was told "we don't have one." Was told my only choice was to go into the office and get a new 60-day temp license, and the process would be started all over again to issue me a new one. So I would get to wait in line another 4-5 hours with no guarantee I'd ever get a new permanent license. Alternatively, they could "release" my new license immediately, and I'd get it in one to two weeks. But if they did that, they couldn't give me a replacement temp license to use until the new license arrives. Aaargh! At this point I said "just send me the new license now and I'll take my chances with the expired temp one." I've found Hilo Vehicle Licensing to be fantastic, but the Driver Licensing Division is beyond terrible. Here again is that unpublished phone number that worked:...

The employee who was there giving the driving test to my friend (who was using my vehicle to take the exam) was quite rude.

First, she stopped me from returning the registration and insurance papers to my own vehicle so my friend could drive legally, and also prevented me from retrieving my cel phone for the duration of the test.

Second, she took issue with what she called the disgusting interior and said if she had known it was that dirty, she would have refused to administer the test.

...The vehicle had just been thru a car wash and the seats and carpets vacuumed... it is a truck and does take a bit of a beating, but it was clean ...

So, in order to protect herself from the perceived dirt, she took the liberty of grabbing a paper of mine which was a souvenir of a trip to a local garden, and crumpling it around the seat belt shoulder strap so it would not touch her. The seat belt has been stained over years of use and she apparently was dissatisfied with its appearance. The paper she used was not hers and was not scrap. It had been stored in the passenger door storage pocket prior to being appropriated by the DMV employee.

Through the test she kept sighing, fretting over the searbelt, and making rude comments about the vehicle. Oh yeah, she failed my friend too.

I find the behavior very inappropriate and unprofessional... presenting a barrier to equal access to government services. Finally, if sitting in other people's vehicles potentially disgusts her to the extent that she refuses to perform her job for which we all pay taxes, maybe she should change jobs so she isn't exposed to conditions unsavory to her.

Big Island is an agricultural community and many people use their vehicles for general farm and ag purposes, besides occasionally chauffeuring DMV employees. All of us in Hawaii's rain forests are constantly fighting black mold and the stains it causes to our clothes, homes, vehicles. No...