How to Search Honolulu County Court Records
The Hawaii State Judiciary runs eCourt Kōkua as the free official portal for Honolulu County court records. Coverage includes Traffic Court, District Court, Circuit Court, Family Court civil and criminal cases, Land Court, Tax Appeal Court, the Intermediate Court of Appeals, and the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Confidential, juvenile, and sealed cases are not in the public system.
Before starting a court records search, gather a full name, a case number, a plate or VIN, or a date range. The portal sometimes asks for a Google reCAPTCHA. Availability runs Monday through Saturday from 4:00 a.m. to midnight Hawaii time, plus Sunday noon to midnight.
- Open the Hawaii Judiciary court record access instructions page and click into eCourt Kōkua.
- Accept the disclaimer. The home screen shows tiles for Party, Vehicle, Case, Upcoming Court Hearings, and View/Purchase Documents.
- Pick a search tile that fits the info you have. Party Search by last name and first name is the most common starting point.
- Open the case from the result list. Read the Summary, Events, Dockets, and Offenses tabs.
- To buy a copy, click the PDF icon on a docket entry, pick Regular or Certified Copy, add to cart, then check out through Kala Payment Gateway.
People who cannot find a case online can visit a courthouse public terminal for free on-screen viewing or submit a written records request to the matching Legal Documents Branch.
Honolulu County Court Records Search Fields
The eCourt Kōkua search screens hold several distinct field sets. Party Search supports both person and business searches. Vehicle Search uses license plate or VIN. Case Search uses Case ID or alternate identifiers like OTN, SID, Application Number, Arrest Number, or TCT Number. The table below maps the most common fields a person uses when looking up Honolulu County court records.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name | Text | Yes for person search | Primary lookup field. |
| First Name | Text | Yes for person search | Required with Last Name. |
| Middle Name | Text | No | Optional precision field. |
| Phonetic Search | Checkbox | No | Finds names that sound similar. |
| Partial Search | Checkbox | No | Returns partial text matches. |
| Beginning / Ending Case Filing Date | Date range | No | 60-day cap on Filing Date Search. |
| Case Type | Dropdown | No | Narrows by court case category. |
| License Plate Number | Text | Yes for plate search | Vehicle Search; minimum field. |
| VIN | Text | Yes for VIN search | Vehicle Search; minimum field. |
| Case ID | Text | Yes for Case Search | Modern hyphenated or legacy converted ID. |
| OTN / SID | Text | No | Offender Tracking Number / State ID. |
| Court Type / Court / Location | Dropdown | Yes for Filing Date Search | Dependent fields enabled in order. |
| Calendar Date From / To | Date | Yes for hearing search | Used for Upcoming Court Hearings by location. |
The Filing Date Search caps date ranges at 60 days. A larger range triggers an error and asks the user to narrow the dates and try again.
Case Number Formats for Honolulu County Court Records
Honolulu County court records use two case number formats. Legacy cases convert into a 12-character JIMS/JEFS string. Modern cases use a hyphenated format. Both work in the Case ID field, but the leading digit "1" must be present because it marks the First Circuit.
- Modern criminal: 1CPC-17-0000001 (Circuit Penal Criminal, filed 2017, sequence 1).
- Modern civil: 1CCV-19-0000001 (Circuit Civil, filed 2019, sequence 1).
- Modern Family Court divorce: 1FDV-22-0000001.
- Legacy district civil: RC-16-1-123 converts to 1RC161000123.
- Legacy circuit civil: CIV-16-1-123 converts to 1CC161000123.
- Legacy criminal: CR-15-1-5678 converts to 1PC151005678.
- Probate / estate: EQ, G, P, SE, SG, TR, T, C, and CG codes convert the same way.
Modern eCourt Kōkua accepts the hyphenated format with leading zeroes either present or skipped, so 1CPC-17-1 returns the same case as 1CPC-17-0000001. Older paper filings often appear under both forms.
Types of Honolulu County Court Records
Honolulu County court records run across several distinct dockets. Each court level keeps its own files, and the matching Legal Documents Branch holds the originals when copies are needed.
The list below groups Honolulu County court records by the court that filed them and the kind of case they cover. Each item links to the deeper subpage on this site for that record type.
- Civil Circuit Court records — complaints, motions, judgments, agency appeals, and arbitration filings over $40,000.
- District Court civil records — small claims, regular claims, TROs, landlord-tenant cases, and civil claims up to $40,000.
- Criminal records — felony Circuit files and misdemeanor District files; see Honolulu County criminal records.
- Traffic records — citations, fines, court dates, and dispositions; see Honolulu County traffic court records.
- Family Court records — divorce, custody, juvenile, adoption; see Family Court records.
- Probate records — wills, estates, guardianships; see probate records.
- Land Court and Tax Appeal records — title registration and state tax disputes.
Many records are public by default. Some are restricted by statute, court order, or rule. Adoption files, juvenile delinquency files, and sealed criminal files are not available through eCourt Kōkua.
What Honolulu County Court Records Show
Each case detail screen in eCourt Kōkua holds a Summary tab, an Events tab, a Dockets tab, and, for criminal cases, an Offenses tab. The table below lists the fields a public user can expect to see.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case ID | Modern hyphenated case number or legacy 12-character JIMS/JEFS number. |
| Case Type | Civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, land, or appellate category. |
| Status | Open, closed, pending hearing, or other case state. |
| Last Updated | Date the case data was last refreshed in the system. |
| Filing Date | Date the case was opened in the court. |
| Court / Location | Specific First Circuit branch, building, and division. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, attorneys, and known aliases. |
| Bail / Bond | Bond amount and posting status for criminal cases. |
| Events | Scheduled and concluded events, with disposition where set. |
| Dockets | Each filing or court action with date and document icon when available. |
| Offenses | Charge codes and descriptions on criminal cases only. |
The site sample shown by the First Circuit forms page includes the Court Records Request Instructions and the matching access and purchase forms. Sealed dockets show in eCourt Kōkua as masked entries with the label "sealed" or "in camera." Sealed and in-camera dockets cannot be purchased through the public workflow.
Public Access Framework for Honolulu County Court Records
Hawaii law splits records access into two systems. The Uniform Information Practices Act, HRS Chapter 92F, controls state and county agency records, while the Hawaiʻi Court Records Rules control court files. UIPA exists for HPD reports, DCR custody data, and city records. Court files follow the Judiciary's own rules.
Anyone can request Honolulu County court records that are public. Confidential records need a court order or a statutory basis. HCRR Rule 9 protects Social Security numbers, full birth dates, the names of minor children, account numbers, and medical or health records. Parties submit protected information on the Confidential Information Form rather than in accessible filings.
Note: Most Honolulu County court records are open for viewing or purchase, but confidential filings require court approval and fees may apply.
Sealed and Confidential Honolulu County Court Records
Sealed, in-camera, juvenile, and confidential records are excluded from eCourt Kōkua. Adoption records, mental health filings, and assisted community treatment petitions also get heightened protection. HRS § 831-3.2 sets the framework for expunging eligible arrest records. As of July 1, 2025, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center handles expungement and related court-record removal in a single one-step process.
To view a sealed Honolulu County court record, a non-party usually files a written request, shows a legal basis, and asks the assigned judge for an order. Even after a court allows access, Rule 9 redactions stay in place.
Fees and Document Purchase
Searching Honolulu County court records is free. Buying a copy follows the Judiciary fee schedule. A regular file-stamped copy costs $3 per document for 1-30 pages or 10 cents per page over 30 pages. A certified copy adds $2 per document. The eCourt Kōkua subscription service costs $125 per quarter or $500 per year for high-volume document users.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Regular document, 1-30 pages | $3 flat |
| Each page over 30 | $0.10 |
| Electronic certification surcharge | $2 per document |
| Quarterly subscription | $125 |
| Yearly subscription | $500 |
| Public terminal viewing | Free |
Purchases run through the Kala Payment Gateway operated by Tyler Technologies. The receipt holds a Purchase ID needed to retrieve the document from View/Purchase Documents within two days of payment.
In-Person Honolulu County Court Records Requests
People who need older Honolulu County court records, confidential files, or originals can visit the matching Legal Documents Branch. The downtown counters open at 8:00 a.m. on weekdays. The Circuit Court file room runs to 4:15 p.m., while District Court traffic and filing windows close at 4:00 p.m.
The First Circuit Circuit Court forms page lists the Request to Access Court Records (1C-P-858), the Request to Purchase Court Records (1C-P-827), and the Schedule of Fees & Costs (1C-P-856). The lead-in record forms include the official Court Records Request Instructions (1F-P-1091).
Circuit Court Legal Documents Branch I
Kaʻahumanu Hale
777 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813-5093
(808) 539-4300
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Family Court Legal Documents
Kapolei Judiciary Complex
4675 Kapolei Parkway
Kapolei, HI 96707-3272
(808) 954-8310
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
The Judiciary publishes its forms package as a free download. People who request a copy by mail should include payment in the form of a cashier's check or money order made out to the State of Hawaii, along with a self-addressed return envelope.
The Circuit Court forms page screen shot below shows the record-request section that holds the access, purchase, and fee schedule forms.
The same page links the Court Records Request Instructions, the access and purchase forms, the fee schedule, and the HCRR Rule 9 confidential information forms used to protect personal data.