Last updated on November 14th, 2024 at 06:20 pm
An increasing number of Hawaiian ID holders have noticed issues with the barcodes on their valid, government-issued IDs properly scanning. This is likely caused by a change in format on the state’s REAL ID barcode that is causing Hawaiian IDs to not scan.
Hawaii’s REAL IDs have an unusual format for the address data that has been throwing off barcode parsing software. As the REAL ID deadline approaches, an increased number of Hawaiians have received this new ID format, leading to an uptick in frustration when the ID won’t scan.
Fortunately, ID scanning software providers like IDScan.net were aware of this issue and implemented workarounds as soon as the problem was flagged. According to IDScan.net’s technical product manager Matt Stout, “The Hawaiian REAL IDs have reformatted their barcodes slightly. While the problem was unexpected, it was showing up consistently, so we were able to fix the reading issue quickly, ensuring Hawaiian IDs can be scanned.”
While IDScan.net’s team has been able to ensure the barcodes on Hawaiian REAL IDs can be properly read, it is possible that this will be an ongoing issue with other ID scanning software. Hawaiian IDs are less common, especially in the continental US, so some ID scanning software providers may not be as quick to realize the issue and find a solution.
Hawaiian citizens also have a workaround for this issue since the state has a mobile drivers license (mDL). While mDLs are not universally accepted yet, Hawaiian mDLs can be stored in users’ Apple Wallets and are accepted by the TSA at many locations. It is still advisable to carry a physical ID or drivers license, but having an mDL can give users some piece of mind as an option that will be accepted without the barcode issues present on the physical IDs.
