The State Department of Transportation has announced that vehicle safety checks may resume Friday, May 15, as businesses are allowed to reopen under both State and County proclamations.

Safety check certificates and stickers expiring on or before May 31, 2020, will remain valid until August 31, 2020. All other safety checks that expire in 2020 will be valid for an additional 3 months after the 2020 expiration date.

The safety check extension does not impact the validity of the motor vehicle registration. The motor vehicle registration must still be unexpired to be valid. County motor vehicle registration offices are accepting renewals through a variety of methods, including mail, kiosk (where available), and online.

Click here for a link to a previous story about ways to renew motor vehicle registrations in Hawaii County.

State DOT has issued guidelines for those entities that conduct the Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspections (PMVI), or safety checks:

Open with health and safety precautions for employees and customers, including physical distancing of 6-feet or greater, enhanced sanitation measures and appropriate PPE Facilities should frequently conduct thorough and detailed cleaning and disinfecting with focus on high-touch areas (e.g., door handles) Customers should be accepted by appointment only PMVI stations should limit the number of employees in the facility at one time to allow for safe physical distancing practices Train all employees on the importance of frequent handwashing with soap and water, the use of hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol content, and give them clear instruction to avoid touching hands to face Employees should be given frequent opportunities to wash their hands Employees who develop symptoms of COVID-19 at work should be dismissed as soon as possible to self-isolate at home or seek medical attention as appropriate Anyone visibly displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should not be allowed in the facility

We have asked the State’s COVID-19 Joint Task Force for additional information on how a business should identify somebody with “visible symptoms of COVID-19” as the onus is being placed on the business to bar entry to those people.