Ka Wai Ola

The Hawaiian Registry Program at OHA has introduced a new application form and transitioned to a centralized process for verifying Hawaiian ancestry and issuing Hawaiian Registry cards. It’s a change for OHA and this article sheds some light on those changes and what they mean to you, OHA beneficiaries.

The new application is simple. You start at the top and work your way down by filling in all information and bubbles, then sign at the bottom. There’s a field to inform us if you are applying for a Hawaiian Registry card to use for a specific program. Also, the new application features a “Relatives Registered” line where you can provide the names of any family members who may already be registered with OHA. This may help ancestry verification go smoother.

Photo: Mother and daughter with Hawaiian Registry card
The process to sign-up for a Hawaiian Registry card is simple and easy. – Photo: Kaipo Kīʻaha

At the beginning of May, the Hawaiian Registry Program centralized all ancestry verification to. OHA’s Oʻahu office because this is where the Hawaiian Registry Program is located. This means that only OHA’s Oʻahu office conducts ancestry verification and issues Hawaiian Registry cards. However, applications and documents can still be submitted to any OHA office. And of course, all OHA offices will continue to provide Hawaiian Registry application forms and are able to answer general questions about registering with OHA.

All applications and documents will now be forwarded to the Hawaiian Registry Program for ancestry verification. This ensures that all applications are uniformly reviewed by a single office. Ensuring proper ancestry verification takes time, and the expected turnaround time for an application is 2-3 weeks.

Please keep this 2-3 week turnaround time in mind when registering with OHA. All applications will be reviewed in the order they are received and Hawaiian Registry cards will be mailed to the address provided on the application when ancestry verification is complete.

Hawaiian Registry Program information and applications are also available online at www.oha.org/registry.

David Greer is the Specialist for the Hawaiian Registry Program at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. He can be reached at hireg@oha.org or (808)594-1914.