Hawaii woman with long last name gets new ID cards

HONOLULU— A Hawaii woman whose last name is 36 characters long has finally gotten the whole thing to fit on her driver’s license and state identification card.

Janice “Lokelani” Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele received her new license and ID after her campaign to get her full name on the cards prompted the state Department of Transportation to change its policy and expand how many characters can appear on them.

Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele said Monday that she’s happy she was able to help fix the problem of identification cards lacking sufficient space for long names.

Hawaii driver’s licenses and ID cards previously had room for names of up to 35 characters. But her name has 35 letters plus an okina, a mark used in the Hawaiian alphabet.

The new policy allows 40 characters for last names, 40 for first names and 35 for middle names.