Hawaii ranks 20th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#7of 51
Speed#41of 51
Ease of ordering#21of 51
Birth certificates #18 of 51
Cost
$10 first copy, $4 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: about 6–8 weeks, including mail delivery; mail: 4–6 weeks; in person: orders accepted; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2 months (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from July 1909
Marriage records #18 of 51
Cost
$10 first copy, $4 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: about 6–8 weeks, including mail delivery; mail: 4–6 weeks; in person: orders accepted; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2 months (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from July 1909
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
$2 certification fee plus copy fees: $1 first page, $0.50 each additional page
Processing time
Varies by court
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by court
Where to order
Court only: the Family Court in the circuit where the divorce was granted
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Death certificates #17 of 51
Cost
$10 first copy, $4 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: about 6–8 weeks, including mail delivery; mail: 4–6 weeks; in person: orders accepted; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2 months (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from July 1909
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Hawaii birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a Hawaii birth certificate?
A certified Hawaii birth certificate costs $10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy, plus a $2.50 administration fee per order of up to five copies. Order online through the state’s eHawaii portal, by mail or in person in Honolulu from the Department of Health. Allow 4–8 weeks.
Hawaii birth records: ordering details
Who can order
Only people with a direct and tangible interest: the person named; their spouse or parents; a descendant (such as a child or grandchild); someone with a common ancestor (such as a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin); a legal guardian; a person or agency acting for the person named; the personal representative of the estate; or someone with a court order. Anyone who isn’t eligible can’t get a certified copy. For records more than 115 years old, you don’t need to show a direct and tangible interest.
Fee
$10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time, plus a $2.50 administration fee for each group of up to five copies (6–10 copies: $5; 11–15: $7.50). One certified copy online costs $12.50 in total. If no record is found, you still pay the $10 search fee (plus $2.50 online). Online fees aren’t refundable. A letter of verification is $5 per letter.
How to order
Online: the state’s eHawaii vital records portal, paying by credit or debit card. Upload your government-issued photo ID. The name on the card should match your name on the order and, for a birth certificate, your name on the record, or your order may be delayed. Copies are mailed first class. By mail: the Request for Certified Copy of Birth Record, a copy of your government-issued photo ID and the exact payment to State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Issuance/Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801. Pay by cashier’s check, certified check or money order payable to the State Department of Health. Cash and personal checks aren’t accepted. A payment that’s too much or too little may be returned. In person (Oahu): 201 Merchant St., Suite 100, City Financial Tower (corner of Merchant and Alakea Streets), Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.–4 p.m., closed state holidays. Pay by cash, credit card, cashier’s check, certified check or money order. On the neighbor islands, contact your District Health Office (Kauai: 808-241-3498).
ID needed
A government-issued photo ID, such as a state driver’s license, state ID or passport. Upload it online, or send a copy by mail.
Processing time
DOH says orders usually take up to 4–6 weeks to process. The eHawaii portal says mailed online orders currently average 6–8 weeks. Delays can come from REAL ID demand or from missing or wrong information. DOH doesn’t publish a walk-in wait. Estimate: allow about 2 months for a mail or online order.
Older and local records
All birth certificates are issued by the state Department of Health. Online orders cover records from July 1909 to the present. For genealogy requests for events before 1921, use the mail-in genealogy request process.
Tip: If you can’t show a direct and tangible interest, ask for a $5 letter of verification. It confirms the facts you provide (such as a name, date and place of birth) without issuing a certified copy.
A certified Hawaii death certificate costs $10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy of the same certificate, plus a $2.50 fee per order of up to five certificates. Order online through eHawaii, by mail or in person in Honolulu, with photo ID and proof that you’re eligible.
Hawaii death records: ordering details
Who can order
Only people with a direct and tangible interest: the person named; their spouse or parents; a descendant (such as a child or grandchild); someone with a common ancestor (such as a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin); a legal guardian; a person or agency acting for the person named; the personal representative of the estate; or someone with a court order. Also eligible: adoptive parents who need to confirm a natural or legal parent’s death, a non-related joint-tenancy co-owner of property, and someone who needs the certificate for payments under a credit insurance policy. Anyone who isn’t eligible can’t get a certified copy. For records more than 115 years old, you don’t need to show a direct and tangible interest. You must send documents showing you’re eligible, or your order won’t be filled.
Fee
$10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time, plus a $2.50 administration fee for each group of up to five copies (6–10 copies: $5; 11–15: $7.50). One certified copy online costs $12.50 in total. If no record is found, you still pay the $10 search fee (plus $2.50 online). Online fees aren’t refundable. A letter of verification is $5 per letter. Letters of verification are available by mail or in person only.
How to order
Online: the state’s eHawaii vital records portal, paying by credit or debit card. Upload your government-issued photo ID and documents showing you’re eligible. If you mail them in instead, write your order number on the copy. Copies are mailed first class. By mail: the request for a certified death record, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, documents showing you’re eligible and the exact payment to State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Issuance/Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801. Pay by cashier’s check, certified check or money order payable to the State Department of Health. Cash and personal checks aren’t accepted. A payment that’s too much or too little may be returned. In person (Oahu): 201 Merchant St., Suite 100, City Financial Tower (corner of Merchant and Alakea Streets), Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.–4 p.m., closed state holidays. Pay by cash, credit card, cashier’s check, certified check or money order. On the neighbor islands, contact your District Health Office (Kauai: 808-241-3498). Bring the completed form, photo ID, eligibility documents and payment.
ID needed
A government-issued photo ID, plus documents showing you’re eligible for the certificate.
Processing time
DOH says orders usually take up to 4–6 weeks to process. The eHawaii portal says mailed online orders currently average 6–8 weeks. Delays can come from REAL ID demand or from missing or wrong information. DOH doesn’t publish a walk-in wait. Estimate: allow about 2 months for a mail or online order.
Older and local records
All death certificates are issued by the state Department of Health. Online orders cover records from July 1909 to the present. For genealogy requests for events before 1921, use the mail-in genealogy request process.
Tip: Send your eligibility documents with the order. Without proof that you’re eligible, DOH won’t fill it.
A certified Hawaii marriage or civil union certificate costs $10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy, plus a $2.50 administration fee per order of up to five copies. Order from the Department of Health online through eHawaii, by mail or in person in Honolulu.
Hawaii marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
Only people with a direct and tangible interest: the person named; their spouse or parents; a descendant (such as a child or grandchild); someone with a common ancestor (such as a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin); a legal guardian; a person or agency acting for the person named; the personal representative of the estate; or someone with a court order. Someone who needs to confirm a former spouse’s marital status to determine alimony payments is also eligible. Anyone who isn’t eligible can’t get a certified copy. For records more than 115 years old, you don’t need to show a direct and tangible interest.
Fee
$10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time, plus a $2.50 administration fee for each group of up to five copies (6–10 copies: $5; 11–15: $7.50). One certified copy online costs $12.50 in total. If no record is found, you still pay the $10 search fee (plus $2.50 online). Online fees aren’t refundable. A letter of verification is $5 per letter.
How to order
Online: the state’s eHawaii vital records portal, paying by credit or debit card. Upload your government-issued photo ID. The name on the card should match your name on the order and on the marriage certificate, or your order may be delayed. Copies are mailed first class. By mail: the Request for Certified Copy of Civil Union or Marriage Record, a copy of your government-issued photo ID and the exact payment to State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Issuance/Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801. Pay by cashier’s check, certified check or money order payable to the State Department of Health. Cash and personal checks aren’t accepted. A payment that’s too much or too little may be returned. In person (Oahu): 201 Merchant St., Suite 100, City Financial Tower (corner of Merchant and Alakea Streets), Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.–4 p.m., closed state holidays. Pay by cash, credit card, cashier’s check, certified check or money order. On the neighbor islands, contact your District Health Office (Kauai: 808-241-3498).
ID needed
A government-issued photo ID, such as a state driver’s license, state ID or passport.
Processing time
DOH says orders usually take up to 4–6 weeks to process. The eHawaii portal says mailed online orders currently average 6–8 weeks. Delays can come from REAL ID demand or from missing or wrong information. DOH doesn’t publish a walk-in wait. Estimate: allow about 2 months for a mail or online order.
Older records
All marriage and civil union certificates are issued by the state Department of Health. Online orders cover records from July 1909 to the present. For genealogy requests for events before 1921, use the mail-in genealogy request process.
Tip: For apostilles or authentications of a marriage certificate, use mail. Those requests can’t be made online.
The Hawaii Department of Health doesn’t keep divorce records. Get a certified copy of your divorce decree from the Legal Documents Branch of the circuit court where the divorce was granted.
Hawaii divorce records: ordering details
Where records are kept
The circuit court that granted the divorce has the complete decree. DOH’s contact list: Oahu (First Circuit): Ka’ahumanu Hale, Legal Documents Branch, 777 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813 (808-539-4300), or Ronald T. Y. Moon Judiciary Complex, 4675 Kapolei Pkwy., Kapolei, HI 96707 (808-954-8310); email Civil.1CC@courts.hawaii.gov. Maui, Molokai, Lanai (Second Circuit): Hoapili Hale, Legal Documents Branch, 2145 Main St., Suite 106, Wailuku, HI 96793 (808-244-2969). Hawaii Island (Third Circuit): Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Ave., Hilo, HI 96720 (808-961-7400; hilolegaldocs.3cc@courts.hawaii.gov), or Keahuolū Courthouse, 74-5451 Kamakaeha Ave., Kona, HI 96740 (808-322-8750; konalegaldocs.3cc@courts.hawaii.gov). Kauai (Fifth Circuit): Pu’uhonua Kaulike Building, Legal Documents Branch, 3970 Ka’ana St., Lihue, HI 96766 (808-482-2330).
Who can order
Contact the court.
Fee
Under the Judiciary’s posted fee schedule: copies are $1 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after; certification is $2 per document; a clerk name search is $5 per name (searches cover 1984 to the present unless you specify); microfilmed pages are $1 each, plus a $5 microfilm fee per case; rush requests are an extra $10. The court may ask for an estimated prepayment. Confirm current fees with the court.
How to order
Contact the Legal Documents Branch in person, by mail or by email (see above).
ID needed
Contact the court.
Processing time
In-person rush requests made before noon are ready within 4 hours. Written requests are invoiced within 5 business days of receipt. Other times aren’t published; contact the court.
Older records
Contact the circuit court where the divorce was granted.
Tip: Ask for a certified copy if you’ll use the decree for any legal purpose. The Judiciary adds the certification fee to written requests unless you say you don’t need it.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Hawaii records people search for
Official Hawaii sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Hawaii public records
In Hawaii, public records are governed by the Uniform Information Practices Law. It stipulates what information constitutes a public record, who can access it and which agency is responsible for keeping it.
It’s important to know that every citizen of Hawaii has the right to access public records, although for some of these documents specific eligibility criteria may apply. Also, while some of the information is available online free of charge, copies of official documents are provided in exchange for a small fee. Also, processing times for the various records you have requested access to may vary considerably. While you can place a request for access to a record online, some record custodians require you to submit your request in writing either in person or by mail.
Hawaii Vital Records
Another thing to bear in mind is that vital records are considered confidential until after 75 years from the date they were first issued, which means that access is restricted to those who are authorized.
Hawaii birth, death, marriage, civil union and divorce records are all vital records and are maintained by the Office of Health Status Monitoring unit of the Hawaii Department of Health.
Hawaii Department of Health Office of Health Status Monitoring Issuance/Vital Statistics Section P.O. Box 3378 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808) 586-4541
Vital records are perhaps the most commonly requested public records, since they are required for a wide range of purposes such as school enrollment, driver’s license issuance, survivor’s benefits, proof of property rights, social security enrollment, and passport issuance.
Due to the private nature of the information contained in these records, access is restricted only to those individuals who can prove they have a direct and tangible interest in them. Proof includes a direct family relation to the person whose record it is, being the person on the record, being a legal representative, or the representative of an agency acting on behalf of the person whose certificate it is, having a court order allowing you to access the record, or evidence of another tangible interest, such as co-ownership of a property with the deceased, or if the record in question is a death certificate, or a document establishing that you owe alimony payments to the person on the record, and need to check their current marital status. Hawaii vital records become available to the general public after 75 years from the date they were first issued.
Aside from certified copies, the Department of Health can also issue a letter of verification that proves that there is such a record as the one you need in their database. The eligibility requirements listed above are equally valid for both letters of verification and certified copies. Applications for copies of vital records should be submitted in writing, with a few exceptions concerning birth and marriage certificates, which can be ordered online. For divorce records, it is important to be aware that the Department of Health only stores those issued between July 1951 and December 2002. For any divorce record prior to the former date or following the latter one, you would have to apply for access at the court where the divorce took place.
Requests for vital records are only processed after payment of the associated fees has been made, either in cash, with a cashier’s check, a certified check or a money order. For electronically submitted requests, fees are paid by credit card. One thing to note with relation to fees is that requests made online are subject to small additional fees for each copy of the document requested.
Hawaii Court Records
All court records are stored at the Hawaii Judiciary. The Judiciary has a special record-searching website, eCourt Kokua, where you can find information about cases from the Traffic Division of the District Court of Hawaii, cases heard at the Intermediate Court of Appeals and the state’s Supreme Court. A separate website, Ho’oniki, provides court records from the circuit and family courts, as well as some civil cases from the Hawaii district courts.
The eCourt Kokua website offers a paid subscription, quarterly or annual, that entitles the subscriber to unlimited downloads of single documents in pdf format. Docket entries that do not link to pdf documents are not available online and have to be requested at the respective court.
The Ho’oniki website also does not provide all court case information from the courts it covers. This information includes court pleadings that can be accessed at the respective courthouse, confidential cases and sealed cases, among others. The Judiciary warns that although it does its best to protect personal data, if this data is contained in publicly available records, it will be available at courthouses in paper, and in the future it will be available in electronic form.
County Public Record Resources
The Honolulu County Records Management Division is where all records from city government departments are stored, including vital records and real estate documentation. However, at the moment the agency is going through a major indexing project, which is why access is restricted to records from Honolulu alone.
The County of Hawaii Records Archives stores and offers the public all records regarding the work of government agencies in the county. The agency has extensive online search capabilities relating to records such as agendas, bills, resolutions and ordinances.
For Maui, the office of the County Clerk is the single hub where all public records pertaining to the function of the legislative and executive government, including property taxes, land permits, and building permits.
Hawaii Property Records
This is the agency that is responsible for keeping real estate-related documents. Copies of these documents are issued for a fee and while some can be downloaded immediately -- uncertified copies -- certified copies of property records are sent to the applicant via mail. Record searches on the Bureau of Conveyances website can be done either by grantor or grantee name, or by document number. For records dating from before 1992, there are no online search capabilities and references are made on site, at 1151 Punchbowl St, room #123.
