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Finding Court Records in Hawai‘i: Current Judiciary Court Records

How to find various kinds of court records

About this guide

This guide will assist you in finding court records pertaining to historical and current Hawaiʻi. Some of the court records are available online and others need to be retrieved in paper format. Please be aware that the owner of this page, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library, is not affiliated with the State of Hawaiʻi Judiciary. This page was created to provide information about the courts to library users and was prepared by Shanye (Kauwela) Valeho-Novikoff and Mishalla Spearing for LIS 618. It is updated by librarians in the Government Documents & Maps Department.

Databases for Court Records

Ho‘ohiki provides access to State of Hawaiʻi-Judiciary Family Court *civil* case records from 1983-present. The information displayed is from official records, but does not comprise all information from court records available to the public. Confidential cases, sealed cases and sealed documents also are not available online. The Judiciary updates case information every evening. Generally, data is current to within 48 hours of the date a court document is filed or a court proceeding is heard.

State of Hawaii Judiciary sealeCourt Kōkua provides access to documents from traffic, District and Circuit Court criminal and civil, Family (Adult) Court *criminal*, tax court, land court, and appellate cases. There is a fee to purchase copies of documents.

 

The Hawai'i State Archives provides access to Hawaiʻi Judiciary Branch records ranging from 1839-1970. These Judiciary court records include: civil, criminal, marriages, divorce, equity, law, probate and wills. Please see the Description of Collections for other related materials housed in the collection.  

Paper Copies of Judiciary Court Records

After finding the case number through Hoʻohiki or eCourt Kokua, pick up judiciary records or Legal Documents at the Circuit Court corresponding to the case.

  • Oʻahu criminal and civil records in-person are housed at Kaʻahumanu Hale;
  • Maui records at Hoapili Hale;
  • Hilo Hawaiʻi records at Hale Kaulike;
  • Kona Hawaiʻi records at Keakealani Building; and
  • Kauaʻi records at Puʻuhonua Kaulike Building.  

Please see the websites for each of the court's location, hours and parking information in the box above.

If you do not live on the island in which the courthouse is located, please contact the Legal Documents Branch of each circuit courthouse. 

Finding Court Records at Kaʻahumanu Hale

 

Photograph of Kaʻahumanu Hale exterior

To pick up court records at Kaʻahumanu Hale, please bring an I.D. and the case number. If you do not know the case number, there are computers provided in the Court Records Room which access the Ho'ohiki website. There are paper indexes of case numbers, but they are incomplete and no longer updated.

Upon entering Kaʻahumanu Hale, one must first go through the metal detector and have bags scanned.

Photograph of entrance to records room

The Court Records Room is on the ground floor of the building on the right hand corridor. Go past the Legal Documents office and the Court Records Room will be on the left. Bags need to be stored in lockers or at the information counter. Only writing materials are allowed behind the information counter.

Please fill out a Request to Access Court Records (HCRR) form with the case number and submit it, with an I.D., to the clerk.

 

Circuit Courts

First Circuit Court: Oʻahu

Second Circuit Court: Maui, Molokaʻi and Lanaʻi

Third and Fourth Circuit Court: Hawaiʻi

The Fourth Judicial Circuit Court was eliminated in 1943 when the Fourth Circuit, which was part of Hawai'i island, merged into the Third Circuit.

Fifth Circuit Court: Kauaʻi

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