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Hawaii court records

Who holds it: Unified state judiciary: Supreme Court, Intermediate Court of Appeals, and trial-level Circuit, Family and District Courts in four judicial circuits (First = Oahu; Second = Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Molokini; Third = Hawaii Island; Fifth = Kauai and Niihau). Records are held by each circuit's Legal Documents Branch.1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. What is public and what is sealed
  2. Older records and indexes
  3. Related records in Hawaii
  4. How Hawaii handles it
  5. Court records in Hawaii counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Fees

Online (eCourt Kokua): $3 flat per document of 1-30 pages, $0.10 per page beyond 30; subscription $125/quarter or $500/year (non-refundable). At courthouse (HRS 607-5 schedule): name search by clerk $5.00 per name (1984-present unless specified); copies $1.00 first page, $0.50 each additional; microfilm copies $1.00/page; certification $2.00 per document; exemplification $4.00; off-site retrieval $5.00; electronic copy/audio $10.00; rush $10.00.2

Statewide case search

eCourt Kokua (free case information search): traffic; District, Circuit and Family Court criminal; District, Circuit and Family Court civil; Land Court; Tax Appeal Court; appellate cases. Entry via courts.state.hi.us/… (system at jimspss1.courts.state.hi.us/eCourt).3

Free search

What is public and what is sealed

What is public
Most court records are public and available for purchase; confidential cases and sealed documents are not online and may need court approval. Online documents only from: District Court civil Oct 7, 2019; Circuit Court civil Oct 28, 2019; Land Court/Tax Appeal Nov 18, 2019; Family Court civil Apr 25, 2022.4
Sealed and confidential records
Non-conviction arrest records are expunged by the Attorney General via the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HRS §831-3.2); since July 1, 2025 a single request also removes related court records. Applicants who got certificates before July 1, 2025 must separately ask the court to seal/remove the record.5

Older records and indexes

Older records
Circuit court divorce case files 1858-1899 and probate/wills 1847-1917 are at the Hawaii State Archives (microfilm and Digital Archives).6
Criminal history checks: state repository
Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC), Department of the Attorney General — statewide criminal history system (CJIS-Hawaii), AFIS, sex offender registry and eCrim.7
Criminal history checks: who may order
Anyone may run name checks for conviction information (public). Non-conviction and pending arrest records are confidential (criminal justice and specifically authorized agencies only). Individuals can review their own full record via a fingerprint 'Access & Review'.8
Criminal history checks: fee
eCrim online: $5 per name search + $12 per certified record. Public Access site printout: $25. Name check by HCJDC staff (in office or mail): $30 (+$20 certification; notary $0). Fingerprint check: $55 in person / $35 by mail. Card payments add a 3% non-refundable fee.9
Divorce records: who holds it
Family Court of the circuit where the divorce was granted (Legal Documents Branch). Effective February 1, 2026, the Department of Health no longer maintains any divorce records or issues divorce certificates.10
Probate: who holds it
Circuit Court of the circuit where the estate is administered (exclusive probate jurisdiction).11

How Hawaii handles it

  • Single statewide recording office: all deeds, mortgages, liens and UCC filings for every island are recorded at the state Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu (Regular System and Land Court); there are no county recorders or registers of deeds.12
  • Since February 1, 2026 the Department of Health keeps no divorce records; divorce decrees come only from the Family Court of the circuit that granted the divorce.13
  • Kalawao County (Kalaupapa peninsula, Molokai) is a fifth county whose operation is a collaboration of several state and federal agencies; DOH cares for the remaining Kalaupapa registry patients and Maui County provides law enforcement, EMS and fire aid by agreement with DOH. Its records go through the statewide offices (BOC, DOH) and the Second Circuit Court (Molokai).14
  • Courts are organized by circuit (island), not county; there is no Fourth Circuit.1

Court records in Hawaii counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Hawaii County—Circuit Court of the Third Circuit15Courthouse copies $1.00 first page; certification $2.00 per document; clerk name search $5.00 per name (statewide Judiciary schedule)16
Honolulu County—Circuit Court of the First Circuit17
Family Court of the First Circuit17
District Court of the First Circuit17		Online (eCourt Kokua): $3 flat per document of 1-30 pages, $0.10 per page beyond 30; subscription $125/quarter or $500/year (non-refundable). At courthouse (HRS 607-5 schedule): name search by clerk $5.00 per name (1984-present unless specified); copies $1.00 first page, $0.50 each additional; microfilm copies $1.00/page; certification $2.00 per document; exemplification $4.00; off-site retrieval $5.00; electronic copy/audio $10.00; rush $10.00.18
Maui County—Circuit Court of the Second Circuit19
Family Court of the Second Circuit19
District Court of the Second Circuit19		Courthouse copies $1.00 first page, $0.50 each additional; certification $2.00 per document; clerk name search $5.00 (statewide Judiciary schedule)20

For any other county, see the county list on the Hawaii guide.

Official warnings

  • Court/jury-duty impersonation scams (Hawaii State Judiciary)21

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Hawaii office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: court records in every state. Everything else in Hawaii: Hawaii public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. How the Courts are StructuredHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  2. Schedule of Fees and Costs for Frequently Requested Services & Copies of Records (1C-P-856)Hawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  3. Search Court RecordsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  4. How to Access Court Records - First Circuit (1F-P-1091)Hawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  5. Expunging Hawai'i Arrest Records and Removing Court RecordsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  6. Genealogy Research Guide: Divorce Case FilesHawaii State Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
  7. Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center homeDepartment of the Attorney General, HCJDCchecked November 4, 2026
  8. Criminal History Frequently Asked QuestionsDepartment of the Attorney General, HCJDCchecked November 4, 2026
  9. Name-Based Background CheckDepartment of the Attorney General, HCJDCchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Contact information for obtaining divorce records from the Hawaii court systemHawaii Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Circuit CourtsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  12. Bureau of Conveyances homeDLNR Bureau of Conveyanceschecked November 4, 2026
  13. Vital Records homeHawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoringchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Kalaupapa UpdatesHawaii Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Search Court RecordsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Schedule of Fees and Costs for Frequently Requested Services & Copies of Records (1C-P-856)Hawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  17. Search Court RecordsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 6, 2026
  18. Schedule of Fees and Costs for Frequently Requested Services & Copies of Records (1C-P-856)Hawaii State Judiciarychecked November 6, 2026
  19. Search Court RecordsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  20. Schedule of Fees and Costs for Frequently Requested Services & Copies of Records (1C-P-856)Hawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026
  21. Scam AlertsHawaii State Judiciarychecked November 4, 2026