Hawaii Public Records

Hawaii, known for its beautiful beaches and massive volcanoes, also offers tremendous history for genealogy researchers. Many of these records are available to the public. Unfortunately, vital records, which include birth, death, marriage and divorce records, are restricted. These can be requested by authorized individuals from the Department of Health. Also part of Hawaii public records are court records, both civil and criminal, and divorce records, which are not restricted in the Aloha State. The Hawaii State Judiciary provides limited online access to court records and contact information for local courts throughout Hawaii. Also available are Hawaii criminal records online through eCRIM, operated by the state Criminal Justice Data Center. Anyone may perform a name-based search for a fee. Public records in Hawaii include access to historic military records, vital records and obituaries from the Hawaii State Archives located in Honolulu.

About Hawaii Public Records

Although there are restrictions on ordering Hawaii vital records, these don’t apply to the historic birth records, death, marriage and divorce records collections housed at the State Archives. Otherwise, these Hawaii public records may only be requested by authorized recipients, which includes the person of record, an immediate family member or legal representative. Those working on genealogy projects may also make requests to view vital records, but must submit proof of the project in writing. After 75 years, however, these records are released to the public.

Hawaii divorce records are available through the court that handled the case. Although the Department of Health restricts access to official divorce certificates, the divorce court records are a matter of public record and may be viewed by anyone.

Searching Hawaii Public Records Online Free

While some records are available online, many must be requested in person or by mail. An exception is certain Hawaii court records. The Hawaii State Judiciary website offers links to the online court records databases available and also provides information on contacting other local courts within the state. Online court records available include civil, criminal and divorce records in several of the state’s Circuit and District Courts. These online public records in Hawaii are free to access.

If you need additional information, or the court records you want aren’t available online, you can visit the courthouse that handled the case and request the specific court records in person. A telephone call will also ascertain whether that particular courthouse accepts phone or mailed requests for copies of Hawaii online public records. Criminal records are online public records in Hawaii readily available to the public, but access to eCRIM requires a fee. This search is name-based. Criminal court records can also be searched to try and put together someone’s criminal history in Hawaii, which is free.

Searching Gov Public Records in Hawaii

The Hawaii State Archives in Honolulu offers researchers and the public access to a variety of records. These include important genealogy records like Hawaii military records, vital records and obituaries. These are useful to those conducting family history research. Anyone may visit the State Archives to search for gov public records in Hawaii. The State Archives does offer some online search tools to learn what specific records are housed within individual collections, although most records aren’t digitized, and an in-person visit is required. There is no fee to enter, but there is a fee to make copies of Hawaii gov public records.

The Hawaii State Library also has important genealogical resources available to the public concerning Hawaii’s past. There are many historic Hawaii birth records, death records, marriage records and divorce records that can help the search for family history. There is no fee to perform research here, but there is a fee to make copies.