Would it be legal/practical for a US citizen/resident to register in Hawaii to obtain the kama'aina discounts?

score:9

Accepted answer

This does not make sense. Obtaining a Hawaii state ID requires a visit to a Driver Licensing Center with two proofs of residence. Your friend would need bank statements, lease, utility bill, etc... to prove their address (two of the documents shown at the bottom of this page). These are not documents a short-term visitor would hold. This process is meant for, well, residents of Hawaii, not temporary visitors. If he already holds a driver's license in another state, he'd likely have to surrender it, and then go through another hassle to reapply after his trip.

Trying to establish Hawaii residency for a couple weeks could also have tax implications, and the annoyance of having to file a Hawaii state tax return could well exceed the benefit of any discounts you obtain.

You're visiting for two weeks. That doesn't make you a Hawaii resident. Trying to claim otherwise is at the very least unethical, if not fraudulent.

I'd also consider HI Rev Stat § 286-131 (2017):

No person shall: [...] (5) Use a false or fictitious name in any application for a driver's license or knowingly make a false statement or knowingly conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit a fraud in any such application; or

The form you will have to sign to obtain a Hawaii driver's license requires you to provide a "HAWAII PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE ADDRESS." A hotel or rental for a two week vacation is not your principal residence address.

Upvote:1

Just to add to Zach Lipton's excellent answer, I want to bring up some other points if you can successfully argue that you've become a Hawaiian resident:

  • Your existing driver's license will cease to be valid soon. Hawaii has time limits, set by county, on how quickly you must change. (Hawaii requires you to have a social security number to get a driver's license, so this won't even be an option for foreign nationals unless formally immigrating.) Driving without a valid driver's license will:
    • Make you subject to penalties for driving without a valid driver's license
    • Make any auto insurance you have in another jurisdiction be potentially invalid
  • There may be health insurance consequences. For example, if you are covered by a Canadian province's health care program, you will cease eligibility if you become a foreign resident. This will invalidate any travel medical insurance you bought in Canada, which is predicated on the validity of the underlying provincial health care insurance. You'd need to buy US health insurance, which is complex.
  • Becoming a resident would cause any property insurance you have to stop covering you before long. For example, most Canadian habitational insurance allows you 30 days of coverage while you relocate within Canada. Becoming a foreign resident would be prima facie evidence that you have relocated outside Canada, which would invalidate your property insurance immediately.

It seems a lot of problems to endure, just to save a few dollars on some admission tickets or hotel rooms.

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