Find Civil Court Records in Honolulu County
Honolulu County Civil Court Records move through the First Judicial Circuit, the busiest court system in Hawaii. Cases sit with the circuit clerk at Ka'ahumanu Hale or the district court clerks at Kauikeaouli Hale and the Kapolei complex. You can search Honolulu County Civil Court Records online through eCourt Kokua, visit a public terminal at any First Circuit courthouse, or call the legal documents branch for copies. Family civil cases run through the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei. This page walks you through how to look up Civil Court Records in Honolulu County and where to go for each type of case.
Honolulu County Civil Court Records Overview
Where Honolulu County Civil Court Records Live
Honolulu County is the whole island of Oahu, and the First Judicial Circuit handles every civil case filed here. Circuit Court sits at Ka'ahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, and takes civil suits over forty thousand dollars. Honolulu District Court sits at Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, and takes civil cases under that amount plus small claims under five thousand dollars. Honolulu Family Court sits at the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex, 4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, HI 96707. Five satellite district courts also handle local matters on Oahu.
Each Honolulu County courthouse keeps its own paper files. The First Circuit legal documents branches can pull Honolulu records by party name or case number.
The Hawaii court locations page lists every Honolulu County courthouse with address, phone, and hours. Ka'ahumanu Hale's legal documents line rings at 808-539-4300. Kauikeaouli Hale's Legal Documents Branch 2 rings at 808-538-5149. Family Court runs 808-954-8310. A walk-in visit during morning hours tends to move faster than a phone call. All three main Honolulu County courts keep standard state hours from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Note: Ka'ahumanu Hale handles appeals from District Court, probate, and guardianship, in addition to large civil suits.
Search Honolulu County Civil Court Records Online
eCourt Kokua is the main online tool for Honolulu County Civil Court Records. The portal covers circuit, district, family, and appellate cases. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Results show hearing dates, filing summaries, and docket entries. Go to eCourt Kokua to start. The system is free to browse. Buying a document costs three dollars for up to thirty pages, then ten cents per extra page.
Family Court cases in Honolulu County also appear in Ho'ohiki, now part of the same JIMS database. Attorneys and parties can e-file through JEFS.
To get the most out of an online search in Honolulu County, it helps to have:
- Full name of at least one party
- A rough year for the filing date
- The case number if you already have it
- The court type, such as First Circuit or District
Third-party guides also cover Honolulu County Civil Court Records. The site at hawaiicourtrecords.us/honolulu walks through case types, local fees, and tips for working with the First Circuit clerks.
Honolulu County Courthouses and Clerks
The First Judicial Circuit spreads across seven main courthouses on Oahu. Each handles its own slice of Honolulu County Civil Court Records. Knowing the right building saves a trip.
The main Honolulu County Circuit Court is Ka'ahumanu Hale at 777 Punchbowl Street in downtown Honolulu. Phone 808-539-4767. It hears civil suits over forty thousand dollars, probate, guardianship, and appeals. Honolulu District Court sits in Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813-2801. Phone 808-538-5767. In-person service runs 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, first-come first-served.
Ewa/Pearl City District Court holds court at 870 Fourth Street, Pearl City, HI 96782. Phone 808-534-6900. It covers the Ewa Division, from Halawa to Makakilo. Kaneohe District Court, known as Abner Paki Hale, sits at 45-939 Pookela Street, Kaneohe, HI 96744. Phone 808-534-6300. It covers Ko'olaupoko, from Waimanalo to Kualoa. Wahiawa District Court is at 1034 Kilani Avenue, Wahiawa, HI 96786. Phone 808-534-6200. It covers Wahiawa and Waialua, from Poamoho to Kipapa Gulch. Waianae District Court at Kapolei shares the 4675 Kapolei Parkway address with Family Court. Phone 808-954-8575.
| Court | Address |
|---|---|
| Ka'ahumanu Hale (Circuit) | 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 |
| Kauikeaouli Hale (District) | 1111 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 |
| Ronald T.Y. Moon (Family) | 4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, HI 96707 |
| Ewa/Pearl City District | 870 Fourth Street, Pearl City, HI 96782 |
| Kaneohe District | 45-939 Pookela Street, Kaneohe, HI 96744 |
| Wahiawa District | 1034 Kilani Avenue, Wahiawa, HI 96786 |
Public Access Terminals in Honolulu County
Every First Circuit courthouse in Honolulu County runs free public access terminals. Honolulu residents can use them to search Honolulu County Civil Court Records without an eCourt Kokua subscription. Terminals sit in lobbies, records rooms, or near courtrooms.
Kauikeaouli Hale hosts terminals in the records room on the first floor. Ka'ahumanu Hale has terminals in the legal documents branch. Ewa/Pearl City District Court keeps terminals in the main lobby. Kaneohe District Court puts terminals near the main entrance on the right side. Wahiawa District Court has terminals near the courtroom. Waianae District Court at Kapolei keeps terminals in the Legal Documents Records Room on the first floor.
For a full list, see the Hawaii Judiciary public access page. Terminal hours match courthouse hours. Staff can help you start a search, but they cannot give legal advice. Bring a USB drive if you want to save files, or pay the standard per-page copy fee for a printout.
Honolulu Family Court Civil Cases
Honolulu's First Circuit Family Court at Kapolei is a major piece of Honolulu County Civil Court Records. The court hears divorce, paternity, child support, custody, adoption, guardianship, and abuse cases. Most filings happen by appointment only, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The Family Court has extra self-help options to make filing easier for people without a lawyer.
The Oahu family court forms page lists every form used at Kapolei, from divorce to paternity to protective orders. The Court Ho'okele Desk helps with filing questions. The Access to Justice Room offers free short consults with family law attorneys. The TRO hotline handles emergency restraining order needs. Email fccivil.1cc@courts.hawaii.gov for general family civil case questions.
Note: Family civil matters at Kapolei are by appointment only, so call 808-954-8310 before you show up at the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex.
Fees for Honolulu County Civil Court Records
Copy fees for Honolulu County Civil Court Records follow the Hawaii Rules of the Circuit Courts. At any Honolulu County clerk's counter, plain copies cost one dollar for the first page, fifty cents per extra page. A certification stamp adds five dollars. Fax service within Hawaii is two dollars first page, one dollar per extra page. Faxes to the mainland jump to five dollars first page, two dollars per extra page.
eCourt Kokua posts documents for three dollars a piece, up to thirty pages. Each extra page costs ten cents. Heavy users can buy a quarter pass for one hundred twenty-five dollars, or a yearly pass for five hundred dollars.
Filing fees for new civil cases vary by type. Small claims cases cost less than general civil cases. Cases that cross into Circuit Court carry higher filing fees. The First Circuit circuit court forms page posts the latest fee tables and filing packets. Fee waivers are available under the Hawaii Rules of the Circuit Courts for low-income filers. Ask the Honolulu County clerk for the in forma pauperis form.
Honolulu County Civil Records Access Rules
Access to Honolulu County Civil Court Records follows the Uniform Information Practices Act, coded as Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92F. UIPA says all government records stay open unless a specific law seals them. Court-specific rules come from the Hawaii Court Records Rules, especially Rule 10, and the Rules of the Circuit Courts of the State of Hawaii.
Most civil filings in Honolulu County stay public. Sealed Honolulu categories include juvenile records, some mental health cases, and adoption records. The clerk may ask for ID and contact info before handing over paper files under Rule 10.7.
The Office of Information Practices handles appeals if the court denies access. You can file a UIPA request for records the clerk says are off limits and let OIP review the call. Most requests are approved in a matter of weeks.
Legal Aid and Self-Help in Honolulu County
Several groups help Honolulu County residents with civil cases. The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii serves low-income Honolulu County clients across Oahu. Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii places volunteer attorneys on short-term Honolulu family and civil cases. The Hawaii State Bar Association runs a lawyer referral line for paid consults.
Legal Navigator Hawaii gives free online help that points users to forms, agencies, and aid groups for Honolulu County Civil Court Records and related civil issues.
Visit the Legal Navigator Hawaii First Circuit page for a guide to family civil filings. The third-party guide at hawaiicourtrecords.us/honolulu also covers civil case types, record requests, and tips for using eCourt Kokua in Honolulu County. Oahu's First Circuit Law Library at Ka'ahumanu Hale lets the public read court rules, case reporters, and treatises on civil procedure at no charge. The UH Manoa library posts a Hawaii courts research guide that speeds up self-help work.
Cities in Honolulu County
Honolulu County takes in all of Oahu. Civil cases from these cities route through the First Circuit courts listed above.
Nearby Hawaii Counties
The other four Hawaii counties sit on nearby islands. If a case was filed outside Oahu, check the county below.