Driving Tests

Hawaii Permit Documents: Birth Certificate, Address Proofs, Consent Form

informational·how to guide·Published October 19, 2026

What documents do I need for my Hawaii permit?

On Oahu, bring a certified birth certificate from a state or local government, your Social Security number and two proofs of Hawaii address to your permit appointment. If you are under 18, you also need the Parental Consent Affidavit, form CS-L (DL) 239, signed by both parents named on the birth certificate. An absent parent signs a notarized form. Faxes, photocopies and emails are not accepted.

Where these document rules come from

The permit steps and the consent rules come from the City and County of Honolulu driver's license procedures page and the Honolulu driver's license requirements page. The accepted documents come from the Hawaii Department of Transportation list of acceptable documents (Rev. 7/18/2023). Other facts come from the Honolulu graduated driver licensing page and FAQ, the HDOT driver's license page and Honolulu news of April 7, 2025 and October 16, 2026. Each county runs driver licensing, and these are the Honolulu (Oahu) steps; on another island, ask your county. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with your county driver licensing office or the Hawaii Department of Transportation (hidot.hawaii.gov) before you drive.

Hawaii permit documents at a glance (Honolulu rules)

Hawaii permit documents at a glance (Honolulu rules)
Document	The rule
Birth certificate	A certified copy issued by a state or local government, such as the Department of Health. Applicants from 15 years 6 months through 17 must bring one.
Social Security number	Give the number. Showing a Social Security document is optional since June 18, 2021.
Two proofs of Hawaii address	From two different entities or accounts, each with your Hawaii address and your full first and last name. Under 18 without two proofs, you may use documents your parents present.
Parental Consent Affidavit	Form CS-L (DL) 239 for applicants under 18, signed by the right parent, parents or guardian.
Custody, guardian or foster papers	Needed when one parent, a guardian or foster parents sign. Only certified copies of court documents are accepted.

Proof of legal presence, name and date of birth

One document covers all three. It must be a valid original or a certified copy, and not expired. Notarized copies and faxes do not count as certified copies.
U.S. citizens: a birth certificate from a U.S. state or local government, a U.S. passport or passport card, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization.
Minors from the minimum instruction permit age through 17 still bring the certified birth certificate on Oahu, because it shows who may sign the consent.
A Puerto Rico birth certificate certified before July 1, 2010 is not accepted.
Non-U.S. citizens: for example, a Permanent Resident Card (I-551), an Employment Authorization Document (I-766), or an unexpired foreign passport with a U.S. visa and an approved I-94. FAS citizens (Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau) use an unexpired FAS passport with an I-94.
Names must be the same on all documents. If your name changed, bring a connecting document, such as a U.S. government issued marriage certificate.

Which proofs of Hawaii address count

A utility bill (electric, water, gas, cable TV or phone) not more than two months old.
A bank, credit union or other financial statement not more than two months old. Two accounts at the same business count as one proof.
Mail to you from a government or medical entity, not more than two months old.
A medical card from a health insurance agency with your name and address, or another valid insurance statement or card.
A payroll check or pay stub from an employer, not more than six months old.
A P.O. Box does not count, unless no street number and name has been assigned for U.S. mail delivery.

Who signs the Hawaii Parental Consent Affidavit

Who signs the Hawaii Parental Consent Affidavit
Your situation	Who signs
Both parents have custody	Both parents. The general Honolulu rule is that both parents named on the birth certificate sign.
Only one parent has custody	That parent, with documents that show full legal custody
One parent has died	The other parent
Neither parent has custody	The custodial guardian, or the foster parents, with court documents
No parent with custody and no guardian	A responsible person who is willing to take on the obligation
You are married	Your adult spouse, with proof of age and a certified copy of the marriage certificate
You are legally emancipated	You, with the certified court document that granted emancipation

What the consent signature means for parents

The affidavit must be notarized, or signed in person and witnessed by Driver Licensing Center staff. The person who signs is jointly and severally liable with the minor for damages that the minor causes by negligence or misconduct. Without parental consent, a 16 or 17 year old cannot get a driver's license in Honolulu.

How to get the consent form signed if a parent cannot come

Both parents can come to the appointment

Both sign form CS-L (DL) 239 there, in front of the Driver Licensing Center staff.

One or both parents cannot come

Each absent parent signs the form and has it notarized by a notary public. Bring the notarized original. With all the documents and a notarized affidavit from the right parent or guardian, the parents do not have to come.

You want to fax, email or photocopy the form

Do not. Faxed, photocopied and emailed consent forms are not accepted. Bring the original.

You passed the written test online

Book a follow-up AlohaQ appointment at a Driver Licensing Center to complete the permit, and bring the documents and the signed form. The online permit test rules explain the test itself.

Documents for a limited purpose license or after a move

A limited purpose driver's license needs no proof of legal presence and no proof of a Social Security number. You still must prove your legal name, date of birth and Hawaii residence. The guide to the limited purpose license without a Social Security number covers that path. The same documentary proof also applies to anyone who has just moved to Hawaii from another state or country.

REAL ID and the one-card rule in Hawaii

The state document list is for a REAL ID compliant (star) card, including the instruction permit. A REAL ID compliant card usually has a star in the upper right corner of the front. Since May 7, 2025, air travelers 18 and older need a REAL ID compliant license or state ID card to board domestic flights. You may hold only one REAL ID compliant card, and no driver may hold more than one valid driver's license at a time.

Key takeaways

On Oahu, bring a certified birth certificate, your Social Security number and two proofs of Hawaii address. On another island, ask your county.
Applicants under 18 need form CS-L (DL) 239, signed by the parents or the guardian who have custody.
An absent parent signs a notarized form. Faxed, photocopied or emailed forms are not accepted.
Next step: practice on the free Hawaii Class 3 learner's permit practice test.

Hawaii permit documents: common questions

Do I need my Social Security card for a Hawaii permit?

No card is required. Showing a Social Security document is optional since June 18, 2021, but on Oahu you still give your number. If you bring a document, the original card is accepted, but a plastic or metal card is not. A W-2 or 1099 form from the previous year, or a pay stub with your name, is also accepted.

Can I use my parents' mail as proof of address?

Yes, on Oahu, if you are under 18 and do not have two proofs of address: you may use documents that your parents present. A residence affidavit also works for applicants with no document in their own name, which is common for children who live with their parents. It is notarized within two months of the application date, or signed in person in front of the staff.

Can I get a Hawaii permit if my parents are divorced?

Yes. If your parents have joint custody, both sign the Parental Consent Affidavit. If only one parent has custody, that parent signs, and you bring certified court papers that show full legal custody. A parent who cannot come to the appointment can sign the form in front of a notary instead.

Where do I get the Hawaii Parental Consent Affidavit?

The Honolulu requirements page lists Parental Consent Form CS-L (DL) 239 as a PDF under its forms. An absent parent can also sign and notarize the reverse side of the driver's license application form. If you live on another island, ask your county driver licensing office for its form.

Does a foreign birth certificate work for a Hawaii permit?

Yes, if a translator that the Driver's Licensing Section authorizes translates it. If you were born outside the U.S., you must also bring other documents that prove legal presence. If your name is different on any document, bring the original document that shows the name change.

Can I fly with the temporary paper license?

No. Since October 19, 2026, Honolulu DMV offices give a black-and-white paper printout as the temporary license, and the TSA does not accept it for airport security or federal identification. Carry another approved ID, such as a valid U.S. passport, until the plastic card comes in the mail within five weeks.