DPW Building Division Announces Digital Signature Process

The County of Hawai‘i Department of Public Works (DPW) Building Division announced it is launching a digital signature process.

Since March 24, 2020, the Hilo and Kona offices of DPW Engineering, Building and Administration divisions have been closed to walk-in inquiries and submittals due to COVID-19 concerns. However, the Building Division, like the rest of DPW, remains fully operational, processing building permit applications.

“The Building Division is looking for ways to help our customers stay safe during this pandemic,” said DPW Acting Building Division Chief Robyn Matsumoto. “We recognize this is a challenging time for all, and we remain deeply committed to the safety of our customers, staff and Hawai‘i Island communities.”

Accepting digital signatures will add a layer of convenience to the building permit process Matsumoto added, noting that a lot of architects are not based on the island.

By signing and stamping this letter-sized form, the design professional is authorizing the use of his/her digital signature on construction plans and submittals for the initial intake of an application. The form will need to accompany the plans and submittal.

Wet stamped plans with the original signature will still be required prior for issuance of the permit. All letters, forms and other submittals requiring certification will still require original certifications and signatures. The form can be downloaded from the County of Hawai‘i website.

For instance, a design professional is on O‘ahu and working from home on a Hawai‘i Island project but does not have a large format printer/plotter at home. The design professional signs and stamps this form and mails it to a courier on Hawai‘i Island, providing that person with an electronic set of plans that includes the design professional’s digital signature and application/worksheet.

The courier then prints the necessary number of sets of the plans on Hawai‘i Island, delivering the plans, the form and the application/worksheet to the document submittal stations outside Building Division permit offices where staff can start the plan review process. Do not email or send electronic copies plans directly to the Building Division.

For more information, contact the Building Division via email at [email protected] or call the Hilo office at 808-961-8331 or the Kona office at 808-323-4720.