Episode 168: Kim Hashiro on the new ID design and improving the customer experience for City services
On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, the Director for the City’s Department of Customer Services, Kim Hashiro, joins host Brandi Higa to talk about the new driver’s license design, cashless property tax payments, and improving customer experience at Satellite City Halls.
Redesigned driver’s license and state IDs
Hawaiʻi driver’s licenses and state identification cards are getting a new look — and significantly enhanced security features — for the first time in 17 years. The redesigned cards incorporate advanced technology to help protect against identity theft, counterfeiting, and fraud.
“This new card has many different security features incorporated into it and the first being just the material itself,” explained CSD Director Kim Hashiro.
New security features include laser-engraved black-and-white photographs and personal information, tamper-resistant patterns, and raised text that can be felt by touch.
Cashless property tax payments
Beginning in July 2026, satellite city halls across Oʻahu stopped accepting cash payments for real property taxes. Now, property tax payments at satellite city halls must be paid by check, credit card, or debit card.
“We had only been doing cash and check (payments) for a long time, and so we added credited cards and it was well-received,” explained Director Hashiro. “I think customers realized that their points, their miles, or whatever benefits they’re getting from their credit cards, they can now apply to their real property tax payments.”
Property owners who still wish to pay their bills using cash may continue to do so in person at the Treasury Cashier’s Office on the ground floor of Honolulu Hale at 530 S. King St.
For more information, please visit https://www.honolulu.gov/csd/
Improving the Customer Experience
The City’s Department of Customer Services is taking more than just property tax payments online. The goal is to make more services available for safe, convenient transactions without having to travel to a satellite or city hall location.
“We don’t want it to be something that customers dread,” added Hashiro.
Director Hashiro goes on to explain that residents can request duplicate IDs or even take a driver’s permit test completely online. CSD is also working to improve technology so that photo services, fingerprint scanning, and document review can be expanded and improved on at satellite city hall locations.
For information on “Aloha Q,” the City’s online appointment system, please visit https://www.honolulu.gov/csd/appointments/ or simply Google “Aloha Q.”
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