permit to driver's license procedure?

Ok, I had my provisional license (the 16 yr old one, where you have to wait a year before getting the next step) before I moved from Chicago to Hawaii. A few weeks before I moved, I turned 17 and was going to get the next step up, the other provisional license, but decided to wait until we go to Hawaii and get it there.
When we went to the HI DMV, they said they wouldn't honor my previous license for some reason and I would have to redo their Hawaii permit--aka retake driver's ed and drive with an adult for 6 months.
We said no and decided we would just come back when I turned 18 in a year because I heard they simply transfer you to a license when you turn 18.
Is this correct or what procedure will I have to go through to get my license? Mind you, I still only have my little 16 yr old provisional license...which actually expired on my 18th birthday 3 days ago.