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    Kapalama Hale

    3.6 (77 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Kapalama Hale Photos

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    Jarod H.

    Five stars for my experience. Made an appointment for the satellite City Hall at 8:30am. I arrived a little early at 7:45am & waited outside in the line to enter. Unfortunately, I stepped on some dog poo in the parking lot, which really annoyed me with the smell. Had to get it off on the grass. But other than that experience, I was allowed in to the satellite city hall at 8am. At 8:05am, as I was seated, the lady asked what time my appointment was, so I told her at 8:30am. She said okay and helped me at the window. Awesome! The transaction went smoothly and no issues. At the end, the parking was .75¢ and I left. Great stuff!

    Entrance Saturday 8 am
    Hélène C.

    I made my appointment two days before going in my appointment was for Saturday morning before I had to go into work. I was worried I might not make it into work on time. However it was one of the best drivers license experiences ever was kind wonderful and expedient. When I first got there, I was almost worried. They were closed so locals tip book your appointment first thing on the Saturday morning and get there before they open you'll be in and out before no time! Yea really! I didn't even have my paperwork set up and filled out. It only took me 18 minutes total in and out with pictures and everything, the best DMV experience I've ever had in my Life!!! Everyone was kind courteous filled with ALOHA NoKaOi

    These are the service windows
    Ray L.

    Visiting the dreaded state agency can always be a difficult experience. Kapalama Hale is the one large location for the City and County of Honolulu that covers most of urban Oahu for many city services such as drivers licensing, vehicle registrations and state identification. When you manage to navigate your way to the office through the mess of road construction they are doing for the rail project, you arrive into the parking lot where you pull a ticket which you should get validated at the service window inside for whatever business you are there for. We were there for a state ID for my mother. You will need to schedule an appointment date and time online. Prior to arrival, make sure you have all of the proper required documents. You will need to check in when you arrive and directed to sit in the waiting area until they call your number which is the last 4 numbers of your phone number. The service clerk who helped us with the state ID process was friendly, gracious and made the process quick. I failed to remember her name but she's a superstar!

    Social distancing marks
    Mark Y.

    This was my first time here and have to say it was a very non-stressful experience...but, we are currently under much different circumstances right now which made my visit out of the norm so can't really say what it would be like in non-pandemic-keep-six-feet-away-from-me times. They only reopened about a week ago and currently are only servicing license renewals (I think driver's licenses and state IDs.) You also need to keep in mind they are only renewing for those that are having their licenses expire between March 1st and July 31st. One of the workers that was organizing the line said they have around 90,000 licenses expiring in that time period so it's understandable they are not full service at the moment. Some other things to keep in mind if you're planning to renew your license: You need to make an appointment, they are not taking walk-ins. Go to alohaq.honolulu.gov to make the appointment. There is also a helpful section on the website that aids you in making sure you have all the proper documents. You can also download the application form so you can fill it out ahead of time, I highly recommend doing this. Unlike normal times where a lot of people start camping out to get in line before they open, you just need to get there a few minutes before your appointment time. On the day of my 8am appointment, I noticed they only had 5 appointments for every 15 minute time slot and they tell you to line up only if your appointment is coming up shortly. I also noticed if you're one of the five that are in that time slot, they don't call you up by the order you're standing in line, it's kind of random, either that or maybe your number gets called in the order the appointments were made. Also, your number is the last four digits of the phone number you used when making the appointment. The parking lot is the large lot between the building and the costco gas station. Don't park in the first lot right off of Dillingham because all those stalls are reserved for the state workers. You don't want to make the mistake of pulling into that first lot at 745am (which was totally empty btw) pulling into a reserved stall to check your phone for some kind of directions on where to go, then getting stink eye and yelled at by what must've been some kind of state worker god and told you are not of demi-god status and unworthy of parking in one of the golden stalls...sigh...rolls eyes.

    Aloha Q
    Lily F.

    City and County of Honolulu, Dept. of Customer Services website has information on what kind of documents are needed for State ID card and Drivers License. Website http://www.honolulu.gov/cms-csd-menu/site-csd-sitearticles/26204-services-and-locations-listings.html An appointment is needed at Alohaq for state id card and drivers license. https://alohaq.honolulu.gov/?0 My mom and I had an appointment at 10:00 am and watched the screen when our time will be next. On schedule, it has time and the last 4 digit of your phone number. Per employee, she said 2 people cannot have the same appointment ticket with same phone number. Also, you can renew now but cannot get gold star so we need to renew our State ID and Drivers License 6 months prior to expiration date. My friend was working at the next door so I asked him questions. He was so helpful as my other friend who used to work there but now a Koolau. For driver license eye test, you can past it if you can read line number 5. I wonder why news reporter didn't mention about renewing 6 months state id or driver license prior to expiration date but they kept promoting to get gold star before October 2020.

    Angie S.

    This is BY FAR the best DMV I've ever been to! I never would have guessed I'd be leaving a 5 star review for a DMV of all places. My number one suggestion is to be sure to make your appointment online. This is the real way to have a quick experience. I will say though, you are going to have to book in advance. I made my appointment on August 27th and the soonest I could get in was October 16th. A bit of a wait.. but how fast the overall process became it was so worth it. I came here for an Out of State Drivers License transfer. My appointment was 3:40pm and my number was called at 3:42pm. I brought multiple documents, but the items they took of mine were; 1. Current drivers license 2. Passport 3. Social security card 4. Car insurance card 5. Hawaiian Telecom bill The price was $40 and my new Hawaii Drivers License will be good for 8 years. Awesome experience and great service. I would definitely use this location again !

    building sign
    Angel H.

    They finally got smart and put a DMV next to a Satellite City Hall. When you get there the DMV is to the left and Satellite City Hall is to your right. It's the old Sprint building, right next to Costco Gasoline. I came to get my son a State ID. Unfortunately, he wasn't old enough. You have to be 10 to get an ID. I was kind of relieved that he wasn't old enough. I didn't want to stand in that long line. I got there at 8:20am and the line was already super long. When you open the door to the DMV, there's a lady sitting at a desk to greet you. She'll ask what you're there for and direct you on what to do. That's helpful and saves time.

    AlohaQ kiosk at entrance to grab your number

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    We had appointment and let say this I was really caught by surprised. Staff is Fast Friendly and organized!

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    Kapalama Hale Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kapalama Hale

    What is the average wait time for walk-in w/o an advanced online appt. to renew driver's license?

    Is there a restroom available?

    Yes

    I must have passed Kapalama Hale going to Costco, but still don't have a clue where it's located! Is the entrance to the parking lot on Dillingham Boulevard or on the road leading to Costco?

    Enter the lot off of Ala Kawa St. Its easy to find once you turn in from Dillingham Blvd. Just look for the sign...

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    Review Highlights - Kapalama Hale

    Because of Covid-19 there were new procedures in place and the renewals are by appointment only on alohaq.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

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    Department of Motor Vehicles

    Department of Motor Vehicles

    2.7(251 reviews)
    0.1 miKalihi

    My experience here was probably the best DMV experience I've had by a long-shot. Yes, there was a…read morelittle bit of unfriendliness when I entered (it was a mismatch from what the front desk clerks want and what the security guard told me I could do in terms of where to stand). But then the person helping me with my drivers license transfer was very friendly and disarming. I was worried about hostility (we in the mainland have all experienced DMV madness), but I felt so much aloha in our interaction. There was a real sense of community here. The process was painless (I did come well-prepared with my documents). I was able to quickly take a photograph for my ID and then immediately received a temporary drivers license, while the real one arrived in the mail later.

    I think a prerequisite to working at Kapalama DMV is to be unfriendly with zero previous customer…read moreservice experience. You might be prepared and have all your documents verified on the AlohaQ website yet still face in-person delays and questioning with no solution other than to reschedule your appointment. Keep in mind appointments are 90-days out all year round. Thinking about the stand-by lane to avoid making an appointment? They usually reach capacity within the first 30 minutes of normal operating hours and then close for the rest of the day. First and last time here.

    Photos
    Department of Motor Vehicles - Entrance to DMV

    Entrance to DMV

    Department of Motor Vehicles
    Department of Motor Vehicles - 08/14/25, so many waiting, only 3 being served at the many manned windows.

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    08/14/25, so many waiting, only 3 being served at the many manned windows.

    Satellite City Hall - Make sure to get parking validation.

    Satellite City Hall

    3.0(86 reviews)
    0.0 miKalihi

    ***3.5 STARS*** I…read morerecently had to renew my car registration as the kiosk at Safeway in Kaneohe was giving my error messages. I decided to go to a Satellite City Hall (SCH) and chose this location that's just next door to Costco Gas Station in Iwilei. This was my first time at this location and it was sure busy just before arrival during lunchtime on a Tuesday. Lucked out with a parking stall as someone had just left the premises and I scored one that was near the entrance to SCH. As I entered the door there was a large screen TV display of numbers awaiting to be serviced and a cheerful and welcoming female staff who asked you the reason for your visit. For car registration I was advised to go to the end of the room on the right hand side where there was about 5 people in queue. While waiting patiently, I studied another large screen TV on the wall that had people who had made appointments were waiting to be serviced. NOTE: Regardless the staff is sitting down at an open window, you need to wait until you are called. Don't be like the male in front of me who walked up to the window after someone left. The staff told this male 2x he had to wait until being called. I was assisted by 2 different staff as the first one wasn't familiar with electronic vehicle license plates. She struggled and went to her superior who eventually told me to go to her window when she was available. Customer service at the counter was at a bare minimal - - robotic with no personality. I paid for my registration and received my receipt and sticker. Leaving the parking lot was a nightmare. There was only one exit and one staff who collected payment. Not to mention the heavy car traffic on Alakawa St so it took some time just to leave the lot. This explains the long line of cars waiting to leave SCH. Overall, this SCH got the job done but it was challenging with the heavy foot traffic of this convenient downtown location. May have been better if I drove to Hawaii Kai SCH as my visits there were more pleasant, less crowded and less stressful.

    Customer service was bad. They had made a clerical error and put my car set as being "in storage"…read more So when I tried to pay for my registration they said I couldn't and had to get to get new license plates. No effort to help or change their error. The person just ignored what I explained and said i needed to make an appointment for later to get new plates. I needed to have friends with the right contacts send an email to the head of the dmv to change their error status back so I could finally pay. Imagine I wasn't lucky to personally know someone?!? Then you basically can only jump through their hoops.

    Photos
    Satellite City Hall - Go Satellite city hall next to DMV and make appt using Kiosk

    Go Satellite city hall next to DMV and make appt using Kiosk

    Satellite City Hall - Tons of people waiting

    Tons of people waiting

    Satellite City Hall - Inside

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    Inside

    Satellite City Hall - Line at 10:05 am

    Satellite City Hall

    3.2(228 reviews)
    6.4 mi

    Made an appointment on Aloha Q for an appointment at 9 am when they open. Unusual thing is because…read morethis branch is at Pearlridge Center which opens at 10 a.m. you must wait for the dmv employee to come up so the security guard can open the doors. The employee checks you off on his clipboard, make sure you have your appointment confirmation code. Once you go down a floor head to their office at far left. You will be checked for your id and application. Somehow I missed the part about filling in an application so I was given one and proceeded forward but filled in the form first before taking a seat. Luckily it was just a duplicate drivers license I needed since the lamination on mine was peeling off from one top edge. My number was called to window 2 and I had the nicest young man. I told him I no longer needed glasses as a restriction since I had both eyes cataract surgeries. He asked if I wanted to take the eye test. Yes! I passed. Bring your check made out to City and County of Honolulu for $6. Next you move over two windows to your left, get fingers scanned then get your photo retaken. Hooray! At the earliest your plastic license will be mailed to you in 2 weeks. You get a cool temporary license with your photo and information on it. Only catch is you cannot travel with a temporary license. Fortunately I can travel using my passport as ID when I travel internationally. In and out in half an hour. So glad the employee I had was so pleasant, and smiled.

    Aloha, I've come…read morehere before and there was a very long line which extended out the door. People just waited their turn. It was a wait, almost 2 hours. Five years later and reservations are available if you plan early and I mean early like months, unfortunately I was able to utilize the months out in advance, so when I arrived without a reservation along with others were told to sit and wait and they would help if there was time in between the official appointments. I arrived before it opened at 8, and was #4 I was seen 3 hours after arriving. There were some people called ahead of me who didn't have appointments, but I didn't challenge. Once inside the lady was fast and throughly completed my drivers renewal. She was friendly and funny too Appointments four months out are not convenient, please find another way to make more times available. Mahalo

    Photos
    Satellite City Hall
    Satellite City Hall
    Satellite City Hall - Monorail entrance next to Macy's

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    Monorail entrance next to Macy's

    Satellite City Hall - Right outside!

    Satellite City Hall

    3.8(144 reviews)
    10.4 miHawaii Kai

    Awesome experience here as someone who had to do standby as an absolute last resort/emergency for…read moremy driver's license renewal. Im aware that standby is not a guarantee of service, but I took a risk at what I thought would be the least busy satellite city hall on a weekday morning and it absolutely paid off! Got there at 7:50 AM for 8 AM office opening. Stood in the designated standby line near the front door and was about 5th in line. I got serviced within 30 minutes of opening! Luckily I had all the correct documents and correct application all ready to go (printed, filled out, signed, etc). The clerks here are so friendly and accommodating. The population being served here are generally off-island visitors, elderly, and students. No issues at all, everyone was courteous and respected the rules. Waiting area is outside but its breezy, ADA accessible, quiet. Ample parking too within 100' of the doorway. Would definitely recommend all their services, scheduled appointment or not.

    Satellite city hall. Hawaii Kai location. Large free parking lot, after turning right passing…read moreAloha Gas station. Building has Central Pacific Bank. Vehicle registration, driver license renewal, state ID renewal. Will need to make appointment on Aloha Que. Also, property tax payment, water bill payment. Some transactions can be processed at express window, no appointment. Hawaii Kai location. Doesn't seem as hectic as other locations. But, certain transactions will need to be done at full service locations. Re: REAL ID. STAR. Note: You can only have the STAR on either your driver license OR state ID. You CANNOT have Both a driver license and state ID. Took son to renew State ID, but could not renew, since he already had a driver license with the STAR. Cannot have Both. Just a reminder to everyone. Highly recommend this location. If you need forms, can Download and complete prior to going there. Reminder: Bring down required documents if needed, Citizenship, SSN card, Residency (2) within two months.

    Photos
    Satellite City Hall - 12/2022 entrance

    12/2022 entrance

    Satellite City Hall - 12/2022 check in by entrance

    12/2022 check in by entrance

    Satellite City Hall

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    Satellite City Hall - Massive wall-sized examples of "how to" do various paperwork

    Satellite City Hall

    3.3(95 reviews)
    7.4 mi

    I went here to renew my driver's license today and was amazed at how quick and easy the process…read morewas. I made an appointment at AlohaQ several weeks ago, arrived 20 minutes early, and was greeted by a nice lady. She asked if I had an appointment and if I had all the documents filled out, which I did in advance, and she checked me in for my appointment. She then had me sit in the orange seat section of the waiting area. I must have lucked out because the appointment before me was a no show so I got called up pretty quickly and was helped by a very nice local lady. After a quick eye test and picture, I was done in less than 10 minutes and I was walking out the door 5 minutes before my scheduled appointment time. I see the negative reviews, but my experience here was absolutely wonderful. I don't normally post reviews, but felt I needed to share my positive experience to let others know that Windward City Satellite City Hall has amazing staff and the process can be quick and painless, especially if you have all of your paperwork filled out in advance. Thank you to the ladies that helped me today. You are awesome!

    This satellite silly hall is located in the Windward city mall. Walk between Baskin-Robbins and…read moreLNL, across from McDonald's and you'll easily find it. Staff was very personable. This location takes appointments and walk-ins. All your forms can be found in the front entry right inside the door.

    Photos
    Satellite City Hall - Signage from the outside

    Signage from the outside

    Satellite City Hall - Wow! Fast in and out with online with AlohaQ.

    Wow! Fast in and out with online with AlohaQ.

    Satellite City Hall

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    Kapalama Hale - departmentsofmotorvehicles - Updated May 2026

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