Search Hawaii Civil Court Records
Hawaii Civil Court Records cover every civil case filed in the state judiciary, from small claims under five thousand dollars to business lawsuits worth millions. Most of these records sit in the Judiciary Information Management System and are open to the public. You can search Hawaii Civil Court Records online through eCourt Kokua, the free portal run by the state courts. For full case files or older Civil Court Records, the circuit court clerk in the proper judicial circuit is the next stop. Public access terminals at each courthouse let you look up civil cases at no cost. This page covers how to find, request, and use Hawaii Civil Court Records.
Hawaii Civil Court Records at a Glance
Where Hawaii Civil Court Records Live
The Hawaii State Judiciary keeps Civil Court Records at each circuit and district courthouse across the islands. Four judicial circuits cover the state. The First Circuit takes in Oahu and Kalawao. The Second Circuit serves Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. The Third Circuit covers the Big Island. The Fifth Circuit reaches Kauai and Niihau. Each circuit has a clerk's office that holds the full case file for every civil suit filed in its area. Hawaii Civil Court Records also move through the Judiciary Information Management System, which the courts call JIMS. The Hawaii State Judiciary site links to every courthouse address and phone line.
The Hawaii judiciary homepage is the first stop for any civil case search in the state. It lists court hours, forms, and online tools. Use it before you drive to a courthouse.
The site also links the JIMS status page and the Judiciary Electronic Filing System, called JEFS. Attorneys use JEFS to file motions, replies, and exhibits in civil cases. The public side shows fee charts and hours for each court. You can pick a circuit from the menu to reach local phone numbers, address maps, and the legal documents branch for that island. Most items filed in Hawaii courts after April 2022 live in JIMS in full electronic form. Older Hawaii cases stay in paper files at the clerk's office.
Note: The Hawaii State Judiciary also runs Ho'ohiki for Family Court cases, which now sits on the same JIMS backbone as civil dockets.
How to Search Hawaii Civil Court Records Online
eCourt Kokua is the free online search tool for Hawaii Civil Court Records. The Hawaii site covers Supreme Court, Intermediate Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, District Courts, and Family Court cases. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Results show case summaries, filing details, and hearing dates. The system does not display sensitive data like Social Security numbers or full home addresses. Go to eCourt Kokua to start a search.
The search page looks plain, but it holds decades of Hawaii Civil Court Records. A clean user screen makes it easy to check a case status fast.
You can pull up civil suits, small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, probate filings, and land court cases from one search. Browsing eCourt Kokua costs nothing. Buying a document from the portal runs three dollars for the first thirty pages, then ten cents for each extra page. Frequent users can sign up for a quarter pass at one hundred twenty-five dollars. A full-year subscription runs five hundred dollars. Both passes give unlimited single downloads of public Hawaii Civil Court Records. For copies that carry the court seal, you still need to contact the circuit clerk in person or by mail.
To run a solid search on eCourt Kokua, have these items ready:
- Full name of at least one party
- The circuit where the case was filed, if known
- A rough year for the filing date
- The case number if you have it
Types of Hawaii Civil Court Records
Hawaii Civil Court Records cover a wide set of case types. The most common are small claims, which run up to five thousand dollars and get heard in District Court. General civil cases under forty thousand dollars also stay in Hawaii District Court. Hawaii Circuit Court hears civil cases above forty thousand dollars, plus probate and guardianship. The Hawaii Land Court handles quiet title suits and land registrations. The Hawaii Tax Appeal Court takes property tax disputes. Each of these leaves its own case file in the clerk's office.
Third-party portals offer help for people who get lost in the Hawaii state system. One Hawaii court records guide sits online and walks readers through the maze.
Most Hawaii Civil Court Records include a petition or complaint, a response, motions, hearing notes, and a final order. Some cases add exhibits, sworn statements, and expert reports. Others hold settlement papers that end the fight before trial. The hawaiicourtrecords.org guide lists each case type in plain speech. It also points out what the clerk's office can and cannot release without a court order. Look there if the state site feels too technical for a first try.
Note: Hawaii Family Court runs its own civil docket for divorce, custody, paternity, and abuse cases, all searchable through Ho'ohiki within JIMS.
Hawaii Civil Court Records by Judicial Circuit
Each judicial circuit has its own main courthouse and clerk's office. The circuit clerk holds the paper case files. The First Circuit works out of Ka'ahumanu Hale at 777 Punchbowl Street in Honolulu, plus Kauikeaouli Hale for District Court matters. The Second Circuit sits at Hoapili Hale in Wailuku. The Third Circuit uses Hale Kaulike at 777 Kilauea Avenue in Hilo, with a branch at Keahuoluu Courthouse in Kailua-Kona. The Fifth Circuit holds court at Pu'uhonua Kaulike at 3970 Ka'ana Street in Lihu'e.
A quick look at the statewide Hawaii court map shows how far each island sits from its courthouse. The Hawaii Judiciary lists every address on one page.
Call the Hawaii clerk before you drive over. Most Hawaii circuit clerks take walk-in requests during morning hours. The First Circuit legal documents branch runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Second and Third Circuit clerks keep similar hours. You can also find the mailing address, forms, and record request process on the court locations page. Mail requests to Hawaii courts take longer, but they work well when you live on a different Hawaiian island from the case.
Hawaii Civil Court Records that predate 1900 often live in the State Archives, not the circuit clerk's office. The judiciary keeps newer files, while the archive holds the old minute books and docket sheets.
Public Access Terminals for Court Records
Hawaii runs free public access terminals at many courthouses. You can use them to pull up Hawaii Civil Court Records without a home computer. The terminals sit in the lobby or records room at each Hawaii court. Staff can point you to the machine and show you the basic steps. The terminals show the same data as eCourt Kokua but skip the subscription fee.
A list of terminal sites lives on the judiciary site, along with current hours.
First Circuit terminals sit at Honolulu District Court in Kauikeaouli Hale, at Ka'ahumanu Hale for circuit cases, and at each satellite district court on Oahu. Wahiawa, Kaneohe, Ewa/Pearl City, and Waianae District Court at Kapolei all host public terminals. The Second Circuit terminal is in Hoapili Hale, and the Third Circuit has terminals at Hale Kaulike in Hilo and Keakealani Building in Kealakekua. The Fifth Circuit terminal is in Pu'uhonua Kaulike in Lihu'e. Visit the public access terminal page for full addresses and hours.
Fees for Hawaii Civil Court Records
Fees to copy Hawaii Civil Court Records follow the Hawaii Rules of the Circuit Courts. Plain copies cost one dollar for the first page and fifty cents for each added page at the Hawaii clerk's counter. Certified copies cost five dollars for the certification plus the per-page rate. Fax service costs more. A fax within Hawaii runs two dollars for the first page and one dollar per added page. Faxes outside Hawaii cost more still.
Civil filing fees depend on the case type and the amount in controversy. Small claims filings cost less than general civil suits. Hawaii Circuit Court cases that cross the forty thousand dollar mark carry higher filing fees. The self-help forms page posts the current fee charts.
Use Hawaii's eCourt Kokua if you want a low-cost way to grab Hawaii Civil Court Records without a clerk visit. The portal charges three dollars flat for the first thirty pages of a document, then ten cents per added page. That rate beats most in-person copy fees for medium-size case files. Heavy users can buy a quarter pass at one hundred twenty-five dollars or a yearly pass at five hundred dollars.
Note: Fee waivers are available for low-income filers under the Hawaii Rules of the Circuit Courts. Ask the clerk for the in forma pauperis form.
Hawaii Laws on Civil Records Access
Access to Hawaii Civil Court Records sits under the Uniform Information Practices Act, coded as Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92F. UIPA says all government records are open unless a specific law shuts them off. The Hawaii Office of Information Practices, known as OIP, runs the statewide UIPA program and issues opinions on tough cases. Most civil cases are public under this rule.
The OIP site posts guidance manuals, opinion letters, and forms. It is the go-to source for anyone facing a records denial.
Hawaii court-specific access rules live in the Hawaii Court Records Rules, often shortened to HCRR. Rule 10 sets the baseline: court records are open to the public. Rule 10.2 spells out how the public can view electronic records through JIMS and eCourt Kokua. Rule 10.7 lets the clerk ask for ID and contact info before handing over paper files. The HCRR also names the types of cases that stay closed, such as adoptions, sealed juvenile files, and some mental health cases.
Hawaii civil cases follow the Hawaii Rules of Civil Procedure and the Hawaii Rules of the Circuit Courts. The Hawaii Rules of the District Courts apply to small claims and lower-amount civil suits.
Legal Help and Self-Help Resources
Many Hawaii courts offer free help for people filing or tracking Hawaii Civil Court Records without a lawyer. The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii serves people with low income across all islands and handles civil cases like housing, public benefits, and family matters. The Hawaii State Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service through hsba.org. Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii places volunteer attorneys on short-term cases.
Hawaii's First Circuit Family Court hosts a Court Ho'okele Desk for forms and filing help. The Access to Justice Room at the same court offers free short consults with family law attorneys.
Legal Navigator Hawaii is a free online Hawaii tool that walks users through common civil legal issues. The site asks questions, then points you to forms, agencies, or legal aid groups. Visit legalnavigatorhawaii.org for the First Circuit family court resource page. For family civil procedure, see the Hawaii Family Court Rules. Each Hawaiian island also has law libraries open to the public at the main courthouses.
Historical Hawaii Civil Court Records
The Hawaii State Archives holds Hawaii civil court files from 1839 through about 1970. Records go back to the Kingdom era. The archive has minute books, equity files, law cases, probate, marriage, and divorce records for each circuit. First Circuit files run from 1844 to 1967. Second Circuit files cover 1848 to 1917. Third Circuit files cover 1850 to 1943. Fifth Circuit files cover 1848 to 1970. After those years, the files live at the circuit clerk's office.
The University of Hawaii law library keeps a helpful research guide on Hawaii court records.
The UH Manoa research guide lists statute links, case reporters, and tips for finding older Hawaii Civil Court Records. Law students and the public can both use it. The guide also points to federal court records for Hawaii, which sit apart from state Hawaii Civil Court Records and live with the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.
Browse Hawaii Civil Court Records by County
Hawaii has five counties, and each one routes civil cases to a specific judicial circuit. Pick a county below to find the right clerk's office, hours, and online resources for Civil Court Records in that area.
Hawaii Civil Court Records in Major Cities
Most Hawaii residents file civil cases at the nearest district or circuit courthouse. Pick a city below to see which Hawaii court serves it and where to find local Hawaii Civil Court Records.