Kalawao County Civil Court Records

Kalawao County Civil Court Records are unlike any other in Hawaii. The county sits on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north coast of Molokai and has no resident courthouse. Most modern Kalawao County Civil Court Records route through the Second Judicial Circuit at Hoapili Hale in Wailuku on Maui. Older files rest with the Hawaii State Archives, and settlement-era documents sit with the Kalaupapa National Historical Park. This page shows you how to search Kalawao County Civil Court Records online through eCourt Kokua, how to request paper copies from the Second Circuit clerk, and where to look when a record pre-dates 1905.

Where Kalawao County Civil Court Records Live

Kalawao County was carved out of Maui County on April 22, 1903. It was set up to run the Kalaupapa settlement for people with Hansen's disease. The county has no courthouse, no police force, and no resident judge. So Kalawao County Civil Court Records do not sit on Molokai. They sit in Wailuku.

The Second Circuit Court at Hoapili Hale, 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, HI 96793, holds modern civil filings for the county. The clerk there keeps the paper case files. The phone line is 808-244-2706. The Legal Documents Branch runs at 808-244-2969. Some sources place Kalawao with the First Circuit on Oahu for administrative reasons, but civil matters are filed and stored with the Second Circuit. Note both routes if a case cannot be found one way. Staff at Wailuku can redirect a search if needed.

Historical Kalawao County Civil Court Records, meaning files from the settlement era and early 1900s, sit with the Hawaii State Archives on Oahu. The archives hold Judiciary Branch records from 1839 to 1970. That covers commitment records, probate, land disputes, and early civil suits tied to the Kalaupapa settlement. Park Service records for Kalawao County sit at the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Museum. Those cover settlement administration from 1980 forward. A full search of Kalawao County Civil Court Records often means checking all three places.

The Hawaii court locations page lists every courthouse that serves Kalawao cases, including Hoapili Hale.

The directory lists the Second Circuit clerk, the Molokai District Court for local matters on the island, and the state judiciary main number. Kalawao County residents can call any of these to start a record request.

Search Kalawao Civil Court Records Online

eCourt Kokua is the main online tool for Kalawao County Civil Court Records. You can find the portal at the Hawaii Judiciary record search page. Kalawao cases show up when you set the circuit filter to Second Circuit. The system is free to browse. Buying a document costs three dollars for up to thirty pages, then ten cents per extra page. Most Kalawao filings from the last two decades are indexed in the portal.

Search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Given the small population of Kalawao, most name searches return a short hit list.

To get good results when you search Kalawao County Civil Court Records online, it helps to have:

• Full legal name of at least one party
• A rough year for the filing date
• The case type, such as civil, probate, or family
• The case number if the Second Circuit clerk gave you one

Cases filed before eCourt Kokua was built will not show online. Those need a paper search at Hoapili Hale or the state archives. Attorneys can e-file through JEFS at the Hawaii Judiciary e-filing page. A third-party guide at hawaiicourtrecords.us walks through civil case types that apply to Kalawao, including how the Second Circuit handles filings from the island.

Historical Kalawao Civil Court Records and Archives

This is the biggest piece of the Kalawao picture. Because the county was built to run the Kalaupapa settlement, most Kalawao County Civil Court Records from 1866 to the mid-1900s are historical records, not modern filings. About 8,000 people were sent to Kalaupapa between 1866 and 1969. Over 90 percent were Native Hawaiians. The paper trail from that era is held by several places, and it matters for genealogy, land title work, and ongoing legal research.

The Hawaii State Archives is the first stop. The archives hold Second Circuit Court records from 1848 to 1917. That series covers civil case files, divorce files, probate files, and minute books. Series 242 has the Civil and Criminal Minute Books of the Second Circuit. Series 243 holds district court magistrate reports for Molokai from 1890 to 1907. Some records are in Hawaiian with English translations on file. Researchers working on Kalawao County Civil Court Records often start with these series.

The UH Manoa Hawaii courts research guide shows where each series sits and how to request a pull.

The guide is a strong first read for anyone new to Kalawao County Civil Court Records research. It lists call numbers, contact info, and tips for working with Hawaiian language files.

The Kalaupapa National Historical Park holds another major set. The park museum has over 300,000 objects, including 70 linear feet of archival documents. These cover park service management from 1980 onward but also older settlement papers. Access is by appointment, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Contact the Park Museum Curator to set up a visit. For records that pre-date the National Park Service, the state archives is the right call. For church records of the Kalaupapa mission, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts archives on the mainland is the best source.

Requesting Kalawao County Civil Court Records

To request paper copies of Kalawao County Civil Court Records from the Second Circuit, you have three paths. Walk in, mail a form, or call. Walk-in hours at Hoapili Hale run 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The legal documents counter can pull case files by party name, case number, or approximate filing year.

Mail requests use the standard Second Circuit form. Download the Second Circuit request form, fill it out, and mail it with a check for the copy fee. Full filing packets live on the Maui circuit court forms page. The clerk will mail copies back or hold them at the counter for pickup.

A phone call to 808-244-2969 works for basic lookup questions. Staff can tell you if a Kalawao case exists in the Second Circuit index. They cannot give legal advice. For family cases, the Family Court side of the Second Circuit runs under the Hawaii Family Court Rules. Kalawao residents filing divorce, paternity, or custody cases use the Second Circuit Family Court process.

Fees for Kalawao County Civil Court Records

Copy fees for Kalawao County Civil Court Records follow the Hawaii Rules of the Circuit Courts. At the Second Circuit clerk counter in Wailuku, plain copies cost one dollar for the first page, fifty cents per extra page. A certification stamp adds five dollars. Fax service inside Hawaii is two dollars first page, one dollar per extra page. Faxes to the mainland are 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 depend on the case type. Small claims cost less than general civil suits. Cases that cross into Circuit Court carry higher filing fees. The Hawaii Court Records Rules and the Rules of the Circuit Courts spell out the fee tables. Fee waivers are available for low-income filers. Ask the Second Circuit clerk for the in forma pauperis form. Given the tiny population of Kalawao County, waivers are not uncommon for residents who qualify.

Hawaii Laws on Civil Records Access

Access to Kalawao County Civil Court Records follows the Uniform Information Practices Act, coded as Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92F. UIPA keeps government records open unless a specific law seals them. Court rules come from the Hawaii Court Records Rules, especially Rule 10, which governs public access to court documents.

Most Kalawao filings stay public. Sealed categories include juvenile records, some mental health cases, and adoption files. Older Kalaupapa settlement medical records carry extra privacy rules under federal health law, even when held in state archive boxes. A researcher who hits a wall can file a UIPA request and let the Office of Information Practices review the decision. Most requests close within a few weeks.

The Hawaii State Judiciary site posts the full rules and a public access policy. Kalawao County Civil Court Records sit under the same open-access standard as records from any other Hawaii county.

Terminals for Kalawao Civil Court Records

The Second Circuit courthouse at Hoapili Hale in Wailuku runs free public access terminals. Kalawao County residents and researchers use these terminals to search Kalawao County Civil Court Records without an eCourt Kokua subscription. The terminals sit in the Legal Documents Records Room on the first floor.

Terminal hours match courthouse hours. Staff can help you start a search but cannot give legal advice. Bring a USB drive to save files or pay the standard per-page fee for a printout. Because Kalawao does not have a local terminal on Molokai, the Wailuku terminals are the closest free option.

The Molokai District Court in Kaunakakai is staffed part-time and does not keep a full public access setup. For a full search of Kalawao County Civil Court Records, plan a trip to Wailuku or use eCourt Kokua from home. The Hawaii Judiciary main site also lists a statewide help line for record questions.

The main page links out to eCourt Kokua, forms, and rules that govern Kalawao civil filings.

Legal Aid for Kalawao County Civil Filings

Kalawao County has about 90 residents, and most live in the Kalaupapa settlement. That tiny population gets full access to the same legal aid groups that serve the rest of Hawaii. The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii covers low-income Kalawao County clients. Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii places volunteer attorneys on short-term civil matters. The Hawaii State Bar Association runs a lawyer referral line for paid consults.

The Second Circuit Self-Help Center at Hoapili Hale can help Kalawao residents with civil filings. Court Ho'okele Desk staff answer filing questions but cannot give legal advice. Phone help and email help work too for residents who cannot travel off Molokai.

The Kalaupapa settlement community has its own dedicated outreach from several state and federal agencies. For civil record needs tied to family history or land claims, Ka 'Ohana O Kalaupapa is a useful contact for genealogy work. Research files on the settlement often link back to Kalawao County Civil Court Records held at the state archives. A guide at hawaiicourtrecords.us covers civil case types and record requests in plain language.

Visiting Kalaupapa for Record Research

Research access to the Kalaupapa settlement area is tightly controlled. The National Park Service requires a permit to enter the peninsula. Most researchers never need to visit in person, because the archive material can be copied and mailed. If on-site review is needed, the park museum curator sets up an appointment.

Records held on-site relate to settlement history and are different from Kalawao County Civil Court Records held at the Second Circuit. A full research plan often combines Wailuku, the state archives on Oahu, and, when truly needed, a Kalaupapa visit. Email katie_matthew@nps.gov to ask about the archive.

Communities in Kalawao County

Kalawao County has no incorporated cities and none of its communities cross our population threshold for a dedicated page. The county covers the Kalaupapa Peninsula and includes the small unincorporated communities of Kalaupapa, Kalawao, Makanalua, and Waikolu. Civil filings from any of these settlements route through the Second Circuit in Wailuku, not a local court on Molokai.

Nearby Hawaii Counties

Kalawao sits on Molokai, inside the boundaries of Maui County. Researchers often cross-check nearby Molokai and Maui county files for related Kalawao civil cases. Check these counties next.