Honolulu County
Incorporated on April 30, 1907, Honolulu County is Hawaii's most populous County, being home to nearly 1 million people - over 70% of the Hawaiin population. The county covers 600 square miles and landmark historic sites - notably, the Pearl Harbor National Museum.
The Honolulu County trial court system comprises the Circuit Court, Family Court, District Court, and Land and Tax Appeals Court. The Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters, with exclusive jurisdiction over civil cases involving over $40,000, probate, guardianship, and criminal felony cases. The court also hears mechanics' lien matters and misdemeanor violations transferred from the District Court for jury trials.
The Family Court has jurisdiction to hear matters relating to the family and children, such as termination of parental rights, guardianships, adoption, child support, divorce, paternity, and domestic violence.
Cases heard by the District Court are mainly civil actions involving $40,000 or less, traffic infractions and violations, probable cause hearings for felonies, and small claims, while the Land and Tax Appeals Court hears matters relating to the registration and dispute over title to land and tax-related appeals.
Public court records in Honolulu County refer to documents of legal proceedings decided or being heard by a court with jurisdiction over Honolulu County. These include court orders, judgments, filings, applications, and case transcripts. The Court Clerk of the respective courts typically stores, maintains, preserves, and organizes these records.
In Honolulu County, court records are generally available to the public. The Hawaii State Judiciary maintains eCourt Kokua, an online platform whereby interested persons may search for records of most cases and possibly obtain copies. Note that you may be required to pay a fee to obtain copies. Also, documents for older cases are not available on the platform. Depending on the court, this may include cases filed before 2019.
For cases unavailable on the platform, you can visit the respective court in person. Note that obtaining hard-copy documents from the Circuit Court costs $3 for the first 30 pages and $.10 for each additional page.
