How to Find Hawaii Birth Records

Are Birth Records Public in Hawaii

Yes, uncertified birth records are public birth records in Hawaii. The general public can view and obtain copies of uncertified Hawaii public birth records. However, certified birth records are confidential. Therefore, they are only accessible to individuals with direct or tangible interests. For instance, certified copies of birth certificates are available to the persons named on the certificates, their spouses, parents, siblings, grandparents, children, legal guardians, and legal representatives.

What are Birth Records in Hawaii?

A birth record in Hawaii is a document containing information about a person's birth event that occurred in the state. It is a permanent record of the existence of any child. Birth registration in Hawaii is essential as it is a means of collecting data on vital statistics regarding the development of the state and the United States at large. For instance, the Hawaii Bureau of Vital Statistics uses the information from birth records to report that about 11,129 births occurred in the state between January and September of 2022. The benefit of having a birth record in Hawaii is enormous. It can be used as proof of age for employment and marriage, for school enrolment, for insurance, and to establish parentage. A Hawaii birth record is also a requirement to apply for a driver's license and obtain social security.

Statewide registration of birth events in Hawaii started in 1842 but with low compliance as of that year. Appreciable birth registrations began in 1896, while by 1929, there was general compliance. All birth records in Hawaii are closed records but become open records 100 years after the birth events. The Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records Office of the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) collects and maintains birth records in Hawaii. This official government organization allows eligible individuals to inspect and obtain certified copies of birth records. The following are some of the information contained in a person's Hawaii birth record:

The full name of the person
Date of birth
Place of birth
Sex of the person
Parents' names (in full)
Mother's maiden name
Mother's marital status
Type of birth
Place and date of birth registration
Birth registration number

Information regarding other vital events and their records can also be obtained from the DOH Vital Records Office. For instance, record seekers can find information on obtaining marriage, death, and divorce records on the DOH official website. The DOH only issues certified copies of vital records.

Where to Find Public Birth Records in Hawaii

Record seekers can find Hawaii public birth records at the State Department of Health (DOH) Vital Records Office. Requests for Hawaii public birth records can be made online, by mail, or in person at a small fee of $12.50. However, DOH does not offer expedited services and has its own online vital ordering platform. Hence record seekers need not obtain birth records from any third-party online vendor.

Alternatively, record seekers can find public birth records at the Digital Archives of Hawai?i official website. To search, type the phrase “birth records” in the search box at the upper right of the screen. The search result will reveal every death record available in the database. The Digital Archives of Hawai?i also maintain information on marriage, divorce, and death records. Public birth records can be found via third-party online vendor websites. However, records obtained from third-party sites cannot be used for official purposes.

How to Find and Request Birth Records Online in Hawaii

The Vital Records Office of the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) manages an online Vital Records Ordering platform. However, the platform does not have a feature to enable anyone to look up birth records. An interested individual can obtain a Hawaii birth record via this portal by either making an order as a guest or creating an eHawaii Account at first. Online orders are faster and the eHawaii account is free. Registered users can check the status of their orders and easily make re-orders on the Vital records portal. The State Vital Records Office does not provide expedited service. Hence, record seekers should expect their online orders between 8 and 10 weeks.

Users who are registered on eHawaii can track their orders via the My Orders section of the portal. Guest users can do so using the Track Order page provided by the DOH. When requesting Hawaii birth records online, applicants must choose a delivery method and select their relationship to the persons named on their records of interests. Requesters must also have valid government-issued IDs ready for upload when applying. Requested birth records are delivered to applicants by mail to the return addresses provided at the time of requests.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.

How to Get Birth Records in Hawaii

The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for registering recording birth events in Hawaii. All birth records from 1896 to the present are maintained by the Vital Records Office of the DOH. However, access to records of births whose registrations have not exceeded 100 years is limited to only certain persons. In Hawaii, the Vital Records Office issues only certified copies of birth records. It sometimes releases letters of verification in place of certified copies of birth records.

Letters of verification in Hawaii are documents attesting to the existence of birth certificates and other vital records in the DOH's custody. They also contain the information provided by applicants for verification regarding birth events. The same application forms and requesting methods for certified copies of Hawaii birth records apply to verification letters. Applicants must, however, understand that the verification process will only reveal information in the birth record known and provided by them in their requests. Besides online orders, eligible persons can equally request and obtain Hawaii birth records in person and by mail. Contact the DOH for more information on getting birth and other records like death records in Hawaii.

How to Get Birth Records in Hawaii in Person

To apply for Hawaii birth records in person, interested parties should complete the Request For Certified Copy Of Birth Record and submit it at the Vital Records Office. They must ensure to provide accurate information on the form and attach their valid government-issued photo IDs. Requesters can pick up requested records on the same day, provided they make full payments. Note that walk-in services are available; hence no need to call ahead to schedule a meeting.

How to Get Birth Records in Hawaii by Mail

Mail order for a birth record in Hawaii must include a completed Request For Certified Copy Of Birth Record and proof of payment of applicable fees. Requesters should also enclose copies of valid photo IDs and self-addressed stamped envelopes with their Hawaii birth certificate applications and mail them to the Vital Records Office. An expedited service is not guaranteed for mail-in requests because processing takes about 8 to 10 weeks.

Where Can I Find Birth Records in Hawaii?

Interested and qualified parties can find Hawaii birth records at the Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records Office of the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH). They can do this by mail or in person, or even online.

For mail-in orders of birth records in Hawaii, applicants should mail their requests to:

State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801

The DOH also offers walk-in services. Hence, persons interested in Hawaii birth records walk-in requests should submit their Hawaii birth certificate applications with other requirements at the DOH main office located at:

1250 Punchbowl Street
Room 103 (First Floor)
Honolulu, HI 96813

Requesters can contact the DOH at (808) 586-4539 or by email for inquiries about the status of their birth record requests. They should leave messages with the following information about their orders for unanswered calls:

Their names in full
The type of record requests (birth record in this case)
Their daytime phone number and working email address
The names on the birth records of interests

The Hawaii State Archives holds birth records from the following islands:

Oahu birth records for 1852 to 1885
Maui birth records for 1860 to 1846 and 1899
Hawaii birth records for 1853 to 1861 and 1869 to 1897
Niihau birth records for 1853 to 1856

The address listed for the Hawaii State Archives is:

Kekauluohi Building
Iolani Palace Grounds
364 S. King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 586-0329

How to Get Birth Records From a Hospital in Hawaii

Although hospitals in Hawaii issue certificates of birth, they are different from the official birth records. In Hawaii, hospitals are not birth records custodians, and therefore, are not authorized to issue them upon request. Birth records in Hawaii can be obtained from the Vital Records Office of the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH). It is only open to authorized few like the record holder, spouses, parents, siblings, grandparents, children, legal guardians, and legal representatives. The most important thing expected from hospital administrators, physicians, and midwives is to ensure that birth certificates are registered and signed on the Hawaii birth registry website.

Can Anyone Get a Copy of a Birth Certificate in Hawaii?

In Hawaii, certified birth certificates are only available to specific persons. Such persons must have direct and tangible interests in the records. However, records of birth events that have occurred for over 100 years are public records in Hawaii and can be accessed by anyone. Applications to the Vital Records Office for Hawaii birth records by requesters who cannot establish direct and tangible interests in requested birth documents are usually not processed. Persons listed below are eligible to apply for certified copies of birth records in Hawaii:

The person named on the birth record (Registrant)
The registrant’s parents
The registrant’s spouse
A legal guardian of the registrant
A descendant of the registrant such as a child or grandchild
A person having a shared ancestor with the registrant, such as a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin
A person who needs a death certificate to determine payments under a credit insurance policy
Adoptive parents who have filed a petition for adoption and need to ascertain the death of one or more of the prospective adoptee's birth or legal parents
A person or agency acting on behalf of the registrant like legal representatives
A personal representative of the registrant’s estate
A person who has obtained an order of a court of competent jurisdiction
A person who wants to determine the marital status of a former spouse in a bid to provide alimony
A person who needs to determine the death of a non-related partner of property acquired under a joint tenancy agreement

The afore-mentioned individuals can request birth certificates online, by mail, or in person from the official government organization in charge of birth records in the state.

How Much Does a Birth Certificate Cost in Hawaii?

The first copy of a certified birth certificate in Hawaii costs $10, while each additional copy is $4. There is a general administrative fee of $2.50 paid for getting up to five copies of Hawaii birth certificates. Administrative fees, however, increases as the requested copies in the same order increases. Requesters must add another $2.50 fee for each additional increment up to five copies of requested birth certificates. The cost of a letter of verification is $5 per letter. These fees are payable to the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH). These same fees apply to Hawaii marriage certificates.

Certified checks, money orders, cashier's checks are allowed for birth record orders completed by mail. For walk-in Hawaii birth certificate applications, requesters may pay fees with certified checks, cash, money orders, cashier's checks, and credit card. The Vital Records Office accepts payments with credit or debit cards for online orders. Applicants should note that the names on payment cards must match their names on online orders. All fees are non-refundable.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Birth Certificate in Hawaii?

It takes an average of 21 business days to process an online order of a Hawaii birth certificate for an applicant that opts for mail delivery. However, this excludes delivery time. The Vital Records Office makes no provision to expedite ordering online. Most in-person requests at the Vital Records Office are processed and delivered to requesters on the same day of application. The average time to receive Hawaii birth certificates requested via mail is between four to six weeks.

How to Get a New Birth Certificate in Hawaii

Per §338-17.7 of the Hawaii Code, the Department of Health will issue new birth certificates to residents with existing birth certificates in the following circumstance:

Legitimation: A new birth certificate is typically issued when the natural parents of a child get married after the birth of the child. The parents would have to submit their Hawaii marriage certificate and pay the required fees to be able to request a new birth certificate.
Adoption: The state vital records office will issue a new birth certificate when a certified copy of a final adoption decree or an abstract is provided alongside the necessary fees.
Paternity acknowledgment: There are two ways to establish a paternity acknowledgment:
- Both parents must sign a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity by Parents form in the hospital in front of hospital staff. The hospital will send the completed form to the Department of Health upon completion.
- Request a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity by Parents form in person at the Department of Health.
Court order establishing paternity: Submit a court order at the state vital records office after filing a paternity case in court, where a judge has established that the biological father is the legal father.
A new birth certificate will be issued when there is a court order, judgment, or decree that reflects the nonexistence of a parent-child relationship between the birth registrant and the father named on the certificate. The court order, judgment, or decree must be submitted alongside the necessary fees.
An affidavit from a physician showing that the physician has examined the record holder and has noticed the following:
- Incorrect sex designation on the birth certificate
- The birth registrant has undergone a sex change operation making the sex designation on the birth certificate invalid. The requestor must submit a completed and signed Affidavit and Application for Amendment of Birth Record Sex Designation and Physician’s Affidavit forms alongside a $3 fee to the state vital records office.
- A law enforcement agency makes a request certifying that a new birth certificate showing different information would provide for the safety of the record holder.

When a new birth certificate is issued, the new information on it will reflect in the database of all official government organizations maintaining the vital records in the state. Hence, record seekers will be able to inspect information in the new birth certificate in the Hawaii birth index.

Can You Find Hawaii Birth Certificates Online?

Yes. Unlike other states who offer online services through a third-party online vendor, the Hawaii State Department of Health has an online ordering system that record seekers can use to obtain certified copies of birth certificates. An online order costs $12.50 per copy. To request certified copies of Hawaii birth certificates online, record seekers must provide the following information:

Delivery method
Their relationship with the person on the certificate
Requester’s information, including full name, address, email, and phone number
Birth record information, including the record holder’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents full names
Upload a valid government-issued ID

Additionally, Hawaii marriage certificates can be ordered via the online ordering system. However, record seekers cannot access marriage and death certificates online using this tool. Contact the DOH on how to find divorce and death records online.

How to Expunge Your Birth Records in Hawaii

In Hawaii, record expungement mostly applies to criminal records. It is a court process that destroys a record in such a manner that suggests the event which created the said record never happened. Hawaii does not expunge birth records.

How to Seal Your Birth Records in Hawaii

Generally, the sealing of birth records comes with adoption. Adoption is the process by which a person known as the adoptive parent takes legal responsibility for another person, usually a child, known as an adoptee. Typically, birth parents relinquish the legal right to custody of their child once an adoption is finalized. In Hawaii, the Vital Records Office of the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) issues a birth certificate to a child at birth, but this is usually replaced by a new certificate after adoption. A new birth certificate for an adoptee reflects the name of the adoptive parents, while in most cases retains the adoptee's name as is on the original birth certificate.

Although Hawaii is now an open adoption record state, an adoptee's original birth certificate and other adoption documents are sealed after the adoption process. Hence, a petition to seal adoption records does not have to be done immediately after the adoption process. Such documents may be accessed by adoptees once they attain a particular age. The reason for sealing birth records in adoptions is to discourage a reference to adoptions and the sense of shame placed upon adoption.

How to Unseal Your Birth Records in Hawaii

Hawaii is an open adoption record state. Hence, adoptees at age 18 and over and birth parents of adult adoptees have unfettered access to the court file of adoption. The Hawaii adoption records law was amended, effective June 21, 2016, and applies to adoptions granted by a court in Hawaii. The amended law also allows adoptive parents to access Hawaii adoption records.

To obtain non-identifying information in an adoption record, especially those relating to health history, an adult adoptee can apply to the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) to release the standard medical information form. It is a form completed by birth parents of minor adoptees containing their medical information. The DOH is authorized to disclose such information without prior approval by the court. However, to inspect identifying information in an Hawaii adoption record, the adoptee age 18 years or older should submit a written request to the Family Court and show a good cause. The same process applies to birth parents and adopted parents, provided the adoptee has attained the age of 18. A Family Court order is required to open an original birth certificate sealed and filed with adoption in Hawaii.

Who Signs Birth and Death Certificates in Hawaii?

Authorized individuals are required to register and sign certificates of vital events when they occur in the state. For instance, Per §338-5 Hawaii Code, birth certificates are signed by the administrator or designated representative of the birthing facility, physician, midwife, or other legally authorized people present during the birth; or if they are absent by any of the parents. Once birth certificates are registered with the Hawaii birth registry, record seekers can inspect or obtain copies of them from the State Vital Records Office's official website. Note that walk-in services are available at the Office.

Per §338-9 Hawaii Code, death certificates are typically signed by the physician or advanced practice registered nurse who last attended to the deceased prior to death. In the event of fetal death, the physician, advanced practice registered nurse, midwife, or other people who last attend to the fetus before death can sign the death certificate. A record seeker can obtain a death certificate online, by mail, or in person at the State Vital Records Office.

What is a Hawaii Birth Index?

A Hawaii birth index is an online database that contains information on births that occurs in the state. For instance, the Digital Archives of Hawai?i birth index contain details like the image of the birth certificate, image file name, unique ID, island, source description and year range, district of recording county of birth, and city on record. Records seekers can obtain birth information for free via the Hawaii birth index.