[Full Guide] Do You Have to Have a Passport to Go to Hawaii

If you're planning a fascinating vacation to Hawaii and are not sure what type of documents you need, you're surely not alone in facing this issue. Many travelers tend to ask Do I need a passport to go to Hawaii'' and the answer surely depends purely on your citizenship and where you're currently travelling from.

Hawaii is a U.S state which is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and remains a dream for millions of tourists worldwide. This guide is all about revealing who needs a passport to go to Hawaii and what alternative ID options are acceptable for domestic travelers and citizens of the USA must be prepared for.

Part 1. Do You Have to Have a Passport to Go to Hawaii?

1. For U.S. Citizens

If you're a US citizen and have been travelling from another U.S state, you may not need a passport to visit Hawaii. Instead, Hawaii remains one of the 50 states of the U.S, so it bars you from having a passport and will consider you a domestic citizen. Despite all this, there are still a few things you must bear in mind, and those things are listed below.

Real ID Requirement

Starting May 2025, you'll surely require a Real ID-compliant driver's license to board domestic flights within the U.S, including to Hawaii.

What is Real ID?

You must look for a star in the license's top right corner as it indicates that the it's real ID compliant.

2. For non U.S. Citizens

If you aren't a U.S citizen, you'll surely require a valid passport to travel to Hawaii, regardless of whether you're flying from another U.S. state or travelling from abroad. Depending on your nationality, you may also need to apply for an ESTA ( Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) or a US visa if you are from a VISA Waiver Program Country.

Check Entry Requirements

You are advised to use the U.S State Department website to confirm the latest rules for the country.

Passport Validity

You must ensure that the passport is purely valid for all 6 months from the date of entry.

Part 2. Travel Tips for a Smooth Trip to Hawaii

You can look at the following travel tips to make the Hawaiian trip worry-free and worth remembering.

1. Bring a Real ID-compliant driver’s license

If you're a U.S citizen, the Hawaii administration doesn't force you to have a passport while travelling from another U.S. state to Hawaii. However, courtesy of the new federal regulations starting from May 7, 2025, you'll surely need a real ID-compliant driver's license or another approved type of identification to board domestic flights.

A real ID is a driver's license or state ID card that will fulfil the federal security standards.

You can surely spot it by a star icon in the top right corner. If you don't have any real ID yet, you may still require a U.S Passport, military ID, or other type of TSA-approved form for identification.

2. Keep digital and physical copies of important documents

Although Hawaii doesn't ask for any international travel documents for U.S citizens, it is still smart enough to organise the travel information ahead of time. You must create the two sets of backups, including the printed copies for the carry-on luggage and digital versions stored in cloud services like iCloud or Google Drive, and your phone. This includes the real ID or passport, hotel reservations, travel insurance details, and rental car confirmations.

3. Double-check airline policies

All airlines don't follow the same rules when it comes to boarding procedures, check-in times, and luggage policies. It is why it is a bit important to review the policies of the airline before your departure day.

The things you must be careful of include the minimum check-in time before flight, checked and carry-on baggage size/ weight restrictions and ID requirements.

4. Book early – ID requirements might vary by airline or airport

Although U.S federal law has set the real ID deadline, some airports or airlines could begin enforcing stricter ID policies ahead of time. Booking early just gives you peace of mind and enables you to avoid the ID-related stress close to the departure. Plus, early bookings also provide you with more time to renew the ID if required, lock in the better seat options and prices, and offer the time for document checks if you're going to travel with the elders or children.

5. Traveling with kids? Bring birth certificates or proper ID

If you're going to travel with children under 18, they typically don't require an ID for domestic flights when accompanied by an adult. But, it still remains a good idea to bring the identification, especially if the child has a different last name than you, if you're travelling with the other parent, or you're flying with a toddler or infant.

Recommended documents include the photocopy or original documents of the birth certificate, health card or School ID, and a notarized letter of consent if only one parent is travelling.

Part 3. Make Passport or ID Photos Easily with HitPaw FotorPea

If you can't afford to go to the physical shop of the ID Photo, you can use the HitPaw FotorPea to produce a gigantic ID card photo based on your country's or airline's requirements.

While applying all the requirements to the images, HitPaw FotorPea doesn't affect the image quality, and if you want to customize several parameters of the images, it also blesses you with the 9 mind-blowing AI models.

Features

• Creating the passport or ID card images quickly
• Works on Mac and Windows
• Retains image quality while producing the passport-size images
• Helps you to create multiple passport size images simultaneously
• No watermark in the created ID passport-size images
• Explore the 9 passport-size photo enhancing models
• Adjust the background of the passport-size images

How to create the passport size images with HitPaw FotorPea?

Step 1: Install the HitPaw FotorPea from its official website and then tap on the ID photo icon while launching the software.

Step 2: Upload the photo you want to create the passport size image from, and you could also import multiple images simultaneously.

Step 3: After importing the images, you'll need to select the preferred dimensions and requirements related to the passport size images you're going to create.

Step 4: In this phase, you'll need to preview the images and then select the Export button to download the passport-size images.

Final Words

Do you have to have passport to go to Hawaii? If you're a U.S citizen willing to travel to Hawaii, you won't require a passport, as all you need to do is ensure that you've got a real ID-compliant driver's license or another valid form of ID for domestic flights. However, if you're a non-US citizen, you may also need a valid passport and ESTA or visa, depending on your nationality.

Creating the ID or passport size photos has become simple thanks to the HitPaw FotorPea. It enables you to produce passport-sized photos in accordance with the dimensions and requirements of specific nations.