How do I access court records?

Hawaii State Judiciary (state level - unified court system) / Circuit Court Clerk / District Court Clerk

Step by Step

How to do it

Identify what type of record you need:
- Circuit Court: felonies, civil cases, family court, probate, land court
- District Court: misdemeanors, civil cases up to $40,000, traffic, small claims
- Land Court: land title/registration matters unique to Hawaii
Search online through the Hawaii State Judiciary's eCourt Kokua public portal at hoohiki.courts.state.hi.us - free statewide search for case information by name or case number
For full case documents or certified copies: contact the Clerk of the Circuit or District Court in the relevant circuit/county
In-person access: visit the appropriate courthouse; bring photo ID and case details

Details

What you need to know

Required Docs

Valid photo ID (for in-person requests)
Case number or full legal name of parties

Fee

eCourt Kokua online searches: free for basic case information; certified copies: contact specific court clerk for current schedule (typically a per-page fee plus certification fee)

Processing Time

Immediate online searches; same day or by mail for certified copies

Online Option

Yes - eCourt Kokua at hoohiki.courts.state.hi.us (statewide)

Where to Go

Circuit Court or District Court in the relevant circuit (county); Land Court (Oahu) for land title matters

County-specific variations apply

Court records are organized by the 4 circuits corresponding to Hawaii's 4 counties. eCourt Kokua covers statewide case information. First Circuit (Oahu/Honolulu) has the most comprehensive online records and in-person access. Neighbor island circuits (Second/Maui, Third/Big Island, Fifth/Kauai) have fewer locations and may have limited online document access. Contact the specific circuit court clerk for document retrieval.

Hawaii Notes

Important state-specific details

eCourt Kokua (hoohiki.courts.state.hi.us): Hawaii's unified statewide case information portal; search by party name or case number.
LAND COURT: Hawaii has a unique Land Court system for land title registration - separate from Circuit Court; handles land title and ownership disputes. Land Court documents may require in-person access in Honolulu.
Hawaii State Judiciary: unified 4-circuit system (no Fourth Circuit); courts.hawaii.gov.
Hawaii Supreme Court and Intermediate Court of Appeals opinions: courts.hawaii.gov/opinions.
Criminal history background checks: Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC) - ag.hawaii.gov/hcjdc; name-based and fingerprint searches available.
Sex offender registry: Hawaii Sex Offender Registry - pahoehoe.ehawaii.gov/sexoffender.
Juvenile records are sealed and not publicly accessible.
Hawaii's criminal courts circuit corresponds to county geography - circuit court location matters for which county's records you're accessing.

Official Source

State office contact

State Office

Hawaii State Judiciary - courts.hawaii.gov | (808) 539-4916; eCourt Kokua: hoohiki.courts.state.hi.us; HCJDC: ag.hawaii.gov/hcjdc | (808) 587-3100