What are Honolulu City Public Records?
According to Hawaii’s Uniform Information Practices Act, any information created, used, or maintained by a city official or employee is a Honolulu City public record. Public records may come in handwritten, typewritten, auditory, visual, electronic, or other physical forms. However, per §92F-13 of the UIPA, some government-generated records are considered confidential. These include:
- Government records which, if made available to the public, would comprise a patently nonessential invasion of personal privacy;
- Government records about the prosecution or defense of any judicial action to which Honolulu is a party, to the extent that such records would be confidential;
- Government records, closed by their nature so that the government can perform its legitimate functions.
- Government records which state or federal law declares as closed; and
- Inchoate and draft working papers
Honolulu City Crime Statistics
The Honolulu City Police Department collects all crime and arrest reports throughout the city and makes them available on an interactive online crime map. It also provides aggregated information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation annually for inclusion in its Uniform Crime Report. In 2018, the Police Department recorded 31,337 crimes, broken into 2,451 violent crimes and 28,886. Outnumbering all violent crimes, the Department reported 21,118 cases of larceny-theft, 4,191 instances of vehicular theft, and 3,577 burglaries. A breakdown of violent crimes revealed 1,282 cases of aggravated assault, 804 robberies, 340 cases of rape, and 25 murders. Compared to 2015, these figures represent a 0.65% increase in Honolulu City’s crime rate over four years. However, compared to 2008, overall crime rates in Honolulu City appear to have dropped by 8.78% in the last decade.
Are Honolulu City Criminal Records Public?
According to exemptions in the Uniform Information Practices Act, not all Honolulu City criminal records are public property. For example, arrest records that resulted in non-convictions are not available for general viewership. Juvenile criminal records are also unavailable for public viewership. However, criminal background records are available for inspection by the general public.
How to Obtain Police Reports and Arrest Records
The Hawaii Uniform Information Practices Act allows interested persons to obtain police reports that are open to the public, do not result in non-convictions or involve minors, and contain no personal details. Following these restrictions, Honolulu City residents and the general public may query the Honolulu City Police Department for police reports and arrest records.
The department maintains some of its reports online. For instance, interested persons may find arrest information on the daily arrest log. These logs are updated every day and provide information on arrests that local law enforcement officers make in Honolulu City.
For police reports that are not available online, interested persons may visit the Records and Identification Division anytime from Monday to Friday between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Police reports cost fifty cents for the first page copied and twenty-five cents for subsequent pages, payable by cash, personal, or cashier’s check. To send written requests for public Honolulu records, applicants must provide the following details:
- The involved party’s name(s) and address(es)
- Police report number.
- Type of report (MVC, Robbery, Assault, etc.)
- The date and time of the incident
Requesters must have the letter signed and notarized to confirm identification, include a check for the required fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope that is large enough for the report and has enough postage to return to the sender.
Honolulu Police Department
ATTN: Records Division
801 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Honolulu City
In Honolulu City, the Police Department’s Records and Identification Division is responsible for registering convicted sex offenders and forwarding their details to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC). The HCJDC maintains a central database of registered sex offenders in Hawaii and makes the database available online through the Attorney General’s website. Interested persons may query this database to find the details of registered, non-compliant, absconded, and incarcerated sex offenders. Users of the site can search for offenders by name, areas in Honolulu City, zip codes, and addresses.
How to Find Honolulu City Inmate Records
The Oahu Community Correctional Center maintains records of all the Honolulu City inmates incarcerated within its walls but does not make those records available online. To obtain Honolulu City inmate records, interested persons may query the Correctional Center in person, by mail, or by telephone. Interested persons may also query the Records and Identification Division of the Honolulu Police Department to find information on individuals arrested, convicted of crimes, and incarcerated in Honolulu City.
Honolulu Police Department
801 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 723-3284
How Do I Visit an Inmate in Honolulu City Jail?
The Oahu Community Correctional Center allows inmates to receive thirty-minute visits from family and friends once per week, Monday through Sunday, based on the following schedule:
Main Facility:
Male visits run from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Female visits run from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Laumaka:
7:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m. - 12:45 a.m.
Inmates may register up to twelve visitors on a list and submit that list for approval. Once on an approved list, visitors must contact the Visitation Officer between 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Monday through Fridays at least forty-eight hours ahead to schedule a visit. If a visitor attempts to cancel or reschedule a visit within twenty-four hours of the scheduled time, the Visitation Officer may not reschedule that visit till the following week.
Inmates are allowed a maximum of two visitors per period, and visitors may not “switch” during that period. Visitors must provide a valid form of ID and sign a full search consent form. Children or individuals younger than eighteen must visit with an adult and must present a valid birth certificate as identification. Prison staff will evict any visitor found with contraband or who disrupts the facility and other visitors. All visitors must dress conveniently but modestly, wearing adequately fitted shirts and pants or dresses and skirts below the waist.
Honolulu City Court Records
Part of the Hawaii State Judiciary, the Oahu First Circuit Court, and Oahu First Circuit District Courts are responsible for legal proceedings in Honolulu City. They provide various court records for traffic, appellate cases, and criminal cases.
Locations of Courts in Honolulu City
Oahu First Circuit Court
Ka`ahumanu Hale
777 Punchbowl Street,
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 539-4767
Oahu First Circuit District Court
Kauikeaouli Hale
1111 Alakea Street,
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 538-5767
Are Honolulu City Court Records Public?
Per state law, most Honolulu City court records are in the public domain. However, some court records are confidential and inaccessible to the public. Confidential Honolulu City court records include (but are not limited to):
- Court cases sealed by state or federal courts
- Criminal court cases involving minors
- Child custody cases
- Adult protective proceedings
Can You Look up a Honolulu City Court Case Online?
Interested persons can look up Honolulu City court records using the Ho ’ohiki and eCourt Kokua portals. They provide access to civil court case records filed in the city as well as traffic court records, appellate cases, and criminal court records.
How to Obtain Honolulu City Civil Court Case Records
Interested persons may obtain Honolulu City civil court records online, in-person, or by mail. The Ho ’ohiki portal provides interested parties with information on non-confidential court records. Individuals who do not have access to computers may use those provided in public libraries or the courthouse. Having obtained the necessary information, requesters complete an Access Circuit and Family Court Records Request Form or an Access or Purchase District Court Records Request Form and provide the following details:
- Case type;
- Case number (if not included, a $5 search fee applies);
- Names of parties to the case;
- Title or description of the court record sought;
- Number of copies required;
- Certification required (or not).
Requesters can submit the completed forms by email, fax, or mail. Copies of court records cost $1 for the first page and fifty cents per page for subsequent pages. Document certifications cost $2 per record. Upon receipt, the staff will send the requester an invoice for the total sum payable. Interested persons may also visit the courthouse in person, during regular hours, to obtain Honolulu City civil court records.
Oahu First Circuit Court
Ka`ahumanu Hale
777 Punchbowl Street,
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 539-4767
Oahu First Circuit District Court
Kauikeaouli Hale
1111 Alakea Street,
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 538-5767
How to Obtain Honolulu City Criminal Court Records
Interested persons may obtain Honolulu City criminal court records online, in-person, or by mail. The eCourt Kokua portal provides interested parties with information on non-confidential criminal court records. Individuals who do not have access to computers may use those provided in public libraries or the courthouse. Having obtained the necessary information, requesters complete an Access Circuit and Family Court Records Request Form or an Access or Purchase District Court Records Request Form and provide the following details:
- Case type;
- Case number (if not included, a $5 search fee applies);
- The defendant’s name
- Title or description of the court record sought;
- Number of copies required;
- Certification required (or not).
Requesters can submit the completed forms by email, fax, or mail. Copies of Honolulu City criminal court records cost $1 for the first page and fifty cents per page for subsequent pages. Document certifications cost $2 per record. Upon receipt, the staff will send the requester an invoice for the total sum payable. Interested persons may also visit the courthouse in person, during regular hours, to obtain Honolulu City criminal court records.
Oahu First Circuit Court
Ka`ahumanu Hale
777 Punchbowl Street,
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 539-4767
Oahu First Circuit District Court
Kauikeaouli Hale
1111 Alakea Street,
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 538-5767
What are Honolulu City Vital Records?
Honolulu City vital records are official documents that city agencies create to mark important events like births, deaths, marriages, or marital dissolutions. Per HRS § 338-18, copies of most vital records in Honolulu City are available only to eligible requesters, including the named registrant, immediate family members, the registrant’s legal representatives, and persons authorized by a certified court order.
Where and How to Obtain Honolulu City Divorce Records
The family court of the Oahu First Circuit Court facilitates divorces in Honolulu City and provides copies to eligible requesters, including:
- The divorcees
- The divorcees’ immediate family members
- The divorcees’ legal representatives
Eligible persons can obtain certified copies of Honolulu City divorce decrees from the family court by completing an Access Circuit and Family Court Records Request Form and providing the following details:
- Case number (if not included, a $5 search fee applies);
- The divorcee’s names
- The divorce date
- Number of copies required;
Requesters can submit the completed forms by fax or mail. Copies of Honolulu City divorce cost $1 for the first page and fifty cents per page for subsequent pages. Document certifications cost $2 per record. Upon receipt, the staff will send the requester an invoice for the total sum payable. Interested persons may also visit the courthouse in person, during regular hours, to obtain Honolulu City criminal court records.
Oahu First Circuit Court
Family Court - Legal Documents Branch
4675 Kapolei Pkwy,
Kapolei, HI 96707
Fax: (808) 954-8333
Eligible persons can also obtain certified Honolulu City divorce certificates from the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Vital Records office online, in-person, or by mail. The Department keeps certificates for divorces that happened between 1951 - 2002. Requesters can apply for records through the Department’s Vitrec portal. Certificates cost $10 for the first copy and $4 for additional copies of the same certificate, payable by credit card.
To obtain a divorce certificate in person or by mail, eligible requesters must complete a divorce record request form, attach a copy of a government-issued photo ID, proof of eligibility, and the stipulated fee, and submit it to:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
1250 Punchbowl Street,
Room 103,
Honolulu, HI 96801
Mailing Address:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801
Where and How to Get Marriage Records in Honolulu City
The Hawaii State Department of Health’s Vital Records office provides certified copies of Honolulu City marriage certificates to eligible persons, including:
- The couples
- The couples’ immediate family members
- The couples’ legal representatives
Eligible individuals may obtain copies of Honolulu City marriage records online, using the Marriage & Civil Union Certificate Ordering page. Marriage certificates cost $10 for the first copy and $4 for additional copies of the same certificate, payable by credit card. To obtain a marriage certificate in person or by mail, eligible requesters must complete a Request For Certified Copy of Civil Union or Marriage Record, attach a copy of a government-issued photo ID, proof of eligibility, and the stipulated fee and submit it to:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
1250 Punchbowl Street,
Room 103,
Honolulu, HI 96801
Mailing Address:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801
Where and How to Get Honolulu City Birth Records
The Hawaii State Department of Health’s Vital Records office provides Honolulu City birth certificates to eligible persons, including:
- The registrant
- A parent named on the record
- The registrant’s immediate family members
- The registrant’s legal representative
Eligible individuals may obtain copies of Honolulu City birth records online, using the Department’s Viral Rec page. Copies of birth certificates cost $10 for the first copy and $4 for additional copies of the same certificate, payable by credit card. To obtain a copy of a birth certificate in person or by mail, eligible requesters must complete a birth certificate request form, attach a copy of a government-issued photo ID, proof of eligibility, and the stipulated fee, and submit it to:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
1250 Punchbowl Street,
Room 103,
Honolulu, HI 96801
Mailing Address:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801
Where and How to Get Honolulu City Death Records
The Hawaii State Department of Health’s Vital Records office provides Honolulu City death certificates to eligible persons, including:
- The registrant’s surviving spouse
- The registrant’s immediate family members
- The registrant’s legal representative
Eligible individuals may obtain copies of Honolulu City death records online, using the Department’s Viral Rec page. Copies of death certificates cost $10 for the first copy and $4 for additional copies of the same certificate, payable by credit card. To obtain a copy of a death certificate in person or by mail, eligible requesters must complete a death certificate request form, attach a copy of a government-issued photo ID, proof of eligibility, and the stipulated fee, and submit it to:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
1250 Punchbowl Street,
Room 103,
Honolulu, HI 96801
Mailing Address:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801
