A fire that tore through the Kāpule Building at the Līhuʻe Civic Center has left Kauaʻi residents without in-person motor vehicle services and disrupted a wide range of county operations, creating a growing backlog for people whose driver’s licenses and vehicle documents are coming due.
The fire broke out shortly before 8:50 p.m. on Sept. 9 at the civic center and has left many residents wondering if theyʻll be able to drive, travel or purchase alcohol when their licenses expire in the coming days.
According to the county, all DMV in-person and counter services at the Lihue Civic Center and at the Kapaʻa DMV are unavailable islandwide through Friday, Sept. 18.
Officials have not yet provided a firm timeline for when partial or full DMV operations will resume.
“We are advising our customers that if you are traveling to any of our neighboring islands, you can visit any of their DMVʻs and do your renewal there,” said Joycelyn Victorino with the County of Kauaʻi Division of Motor Vehicles & Licensing, who was at the Kapaʻa DMV answering questions.
“TSA will take an expired license up to a year,” she added. “You can also use your passport; that actually trumps your driver’s license.”
Residents may renew vehicle registrations at community-based kiosks, online or through County drop boxes, the county said. For vehicle title and inquiry information, visit the Motor Vehicle Registration inquiry website.
Self-service kiosks are available at the following locations:
- Western Motors, 3680 Kaumualiʻi Highway in Hanapēpē
- Safeway, 4454 Nuhou St. in Līhuʻe
- Safeway, 4-831 Kūhiō Highway in Kapaʻa
- Foodland, 5-4280 Kūhiō Highway in Princeville
To renew, scan the barcode on your registration renewal notice or enter your vehicle license plate number. Kiosks accept all major credit and debit cards and print your registration card and emblem as soon as payment is confirmed. If you experience an error, follow the on-screen instructions, the county said.
Registrations up to 10 months expired may be renewed at any community-based kiosk with a valid temporary safety check.
Vehicle registrations may be renewed online at https://mvr.ehawaii.gov/renewals/kauai/lookup. Follow the online instructions to complete the renewal. Registration cards and emblems will be mailed in approximately seven to 10 business days.
For residents with licenses nearing expiration, the situation presents a more complicated question: What happens if the license expires before the DMV is fully operational?
The county’s DMV website says Hawaiʻi driver’s licenses expire at midnight on the date printed on the license and states that residents may not drive once a license has expired.
The county also says an expired license can generally be renewed within 90 days, with additional reactivation provisions applying for up to one year. That means residents should not assume the DMV closure itself makes an expired license legal to use for driving.
Tiana Victorino, public information officer with the Kauaʻi Police Department, told Kauaʻi Now that “officers will address drivers whose licenses expire during the closure on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with applicable law.”
Joycelyn Victorino echoed the message, saying that police stops “are a separate issue from us, and we know that would be at the discretion of the officer and the situation.”
Motorists with soon-to-expire licenses should refrain from driving once their licenses expire. Residents whose licenses are nearing expiration should not assume they automatically have an extension unless officially announced by the county or state.
“The County is also looking for the governor’s proclamation to see what falls under that to extend, you know, dates, no penalties, and that kind of stuff, but we’re still waiting to hear about that,” added Kara Yamamoto, operations manager with the County of Kauaʻi Division of Motor Vehicles & Licensing.
The closure affects not only the Division of Motor Vehicles, but also Real Property Assessment and Collections, Planning, Building and Engineering, Wastewater Management, Solid Waste and Recycling, the Housing Agency, Parks and Recreation administration, Public Works administration and other county offices.
The fire also destroyed critical information technology infrastructure housed in the building.
DMV Rep 1, Kristle Bishard, said systems used for transactions, records and county telephone lines were damaged, and Information Technology crews are working to restore services and establish temporary systems.
“With this fire, we kind of lost everything,” Bishard said. “It’s devastating.”
Workers described losing photographs, gifts, collectibles and other sentimental belongings kept at their desks in the Kāpule Building.
“It’s our home,” Bishard added. “A lot of us had a lot of personal stuff at our desk — granted, some of the girls didn’t have their own desk set up, but a lot of us did, and we cried, everybody cried.
“But the main thing is everyone is safe.”
Mathea Gandig who works at the DMV said she lost nearly $1,000 dollars worth of Star Wars LEGO sets from her desk, some of which were gifts from her colleagues.
“All of it is gone,” Gandig said.
For the Department of Motor Vehicles, the disruption is particularly significant. The DMV team is now temporarily located across from the Kapule Building, answering customer questions in a trailer.
“We feel bad, and customers come in here (angry), but we are trying our best,” Bishard said. “And we are just going day by day.”
Customers with appointments during the closure will be contacted to reschedule, and officials have warned residents to expect significant delays once services resume.
Before the fire, the Kapaʻa office generally handled motor vehicle transactions by appointment, while the Līhuʻe office handled a larger volume of driver licensing and other services.
The loss of computer equipment and the Līhuʻe office’s driver’s license camera means restoring service requires more than simply reconnecting the county’s computer network.
“We don’t have a server, but we also don’t have equipment,” Bishard explained. “Our only driver’s license camera burned in the fire.”
The DMV normally handles more than 100 appointments a day between its locations, while Līhuʻe employees estimated the office could see roughly 200 customers on a busy day when walk-ins and appointments were combined. The disruption is already creating a backlog.
“We have tons,” added Jana Luis, DMV Rep. 2.
DMV officials also said they are working with other county departments and trying to obtain replacement equipment while the technology infrastructure is rebuilt.
Real Property is another immediate concern because of approaching deadlines, Bishard said.
There is also an issue concerning residents with expired driver’s licenses, who may encounter difficulties trying to rent a vehicle online or even purchase alcohol because identification requirements are governed separately from driver’s license laws.
Lorena Perez, the 711 store manager at Hanamāʻulu, explained to Kauaʻi Now that her employees must follow identification policies and legal requirements, no matter how familiar they are with a customer.
“If you don’t have your ID, we cannot sell you alcohol,” said Perez, who oversees 14 employees.
Perez said employees cannot simply accept a customer’s explanation that the DMV is closed.
The county’s liquor-control materials list driver’s licenses, state IDs, military IDs and passports among acceptable forms of identification for certain liquor-control purposes, while the commission regulates the requirements applicable to licensed establishments.
Residents should therefore not assume an expired driver’s license will be accepted by an individual retailer. A business may require identification that satisfies its legal and company requirements.
She cautioned residents against trying to work around identification requirements by having another person purchase alcohol for them. Her employees are trained to watch for third-party purchases.
Lopez also advised businesses to comply with the law and avoid risking their liquor licenses because of declining sales.
“We know all of our customers,” Lopez said. “And they should know that they need a valid ID to purchase alcohol at this store; they need to know we will not break the law. It’s not worth losing my job for a $4 can of beer because I want a sale for $4.
“It’s going to be tough for everybody. We’ll probably see more sales decline, but with all disasters, we have to stay patient, remain diligent and help each other out accordingly. It’s all we can do is just try to remember we’re all in this together.”
Residents with vehicle registrations, title transfers and other motor vehicle transactions also face delays.
Some registration services normally available online or through kiosks may still be available, depending on the transaction, but county employees said customers should check current county guidance before heading to an office.
The county encourages residents to keep checking its website for updates as temporary systems come online and services are restored.
Residents traveling to a neighboring island for driver’s license renewal or other paperwork are encouraged to speak with a DMV associate to ensure they have the proper paperwork for a smooth process.
Click here for more information or DMV updates.
