What are Hawaii Criminal Court Records?

Hawaii criminal court records are official accounts (written or otherwise) that chronicle criminal case proceedings at the Hawaii state courts. The records of a criminal court case include creating documents spanning complaints filed at the initiation of the trial to the final court judgment. In Hawaii, court clerks have custody of these records. While they are available to the public by default, some records are sealed by court order or state/federal statutes.

What Does a Criminal Court Record Contain

The documents included in a criminal court record depend on case type, trial duration, and jurisdiction. A typical Hawaii criminal court record may consist of these documents:

• Complaint and indictment;
• Hearing proceeding discussing probable cause and grounds of arrest;
• An arrest order or related Hawaii arrest records;
• Payment receipts of court fees and associated charges;
• Juror list for jury trials
• Written notice of the rights of protection of the defendant;
• A written court judgment;
• Audio and/or written transcripts of court proceedings; and
• Notice of executed sentence
• Where relevant, executed Hawaii warrants

How to Obtain Hawaii Criminal Court Records

Hawaii Circuit and District Court criminal court records are accessible to the general public. Members of the public may view and/or obtain copies of these records in person, by mail, and online.

To find Hawaii criminal court records in person, requesters may need to visit the courthouse that heard the case and provide relevant information to help court staff quickly find and retrieve the requested records. Required information may include the full names of the person(s) involved in the case, the case ID number, and the case status (active or closed). Residents may also visit the courthouse during business hours to apply to the clerk.

To request Hawaii criminal court records by mail, download and complete a request form for the court where the case was heard and mail it to the clerk of that court. Call the clerk’s office to inquire about the cost of court record copies and other requirements for obtaining them.

There are two online portals for accessing criminal court records in Hawaii. The first one is the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System (JEFS), which is typically restricted to authorized users and may provide access to some records considered confidential or sealed from public access.

Judiciary Information Management System (also known as eCourt Kokua), on the other hand, provides general public access. Almost anyone may view and order records available on this portal. Confidential or sealed records are unavailable on this site. The eCourt Kokua platform provides options to search for Hawaii criminal case records by the names of the parties involved or case IDs. The platform also provides a link for the public to view copies of court documents they purchased. Members of the public may also be able to pay to subscribe to view and buy criminal court records via this portal.

Additionally, publicly available records may be accessible from some third-party websites. Operating autonomously as a private entity, distinct from any affiliation with state government agencies, these websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability and may often serve as a starting point when researching a specific or multiple records. To find a record using the search engines on these sites, interested parties must provide:

• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state name

Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites, and record results and availability may differ from official channels.

Are all Hawaii Criminal Court Records Public?

Most of them are public records. However, certain criminal court records are confidential under Hawaii law. These include:

• Juvenile criminal case records;
• Adult Probation records
• Grand jury proceedings
• Mental health evaluation reports
• Substance abuse treatment records
• Records of pending cases

Some information may be redacted in publicly available records. Judges usually make these confidential to protect the identities and privacy of the parties concerned. Examples of confidential information in a typical criminal case file include social security numbers and identities of minors and victims of a state or federal crime.

Can I Access Sealed Criminal Court Records?

Criminal court records in Hawaii may be sealed by court order or state/federal statute. One or more parties involved in a criminal case may request the court to seal part or all of the records of the case. In such cases, criminal court judges weigh the need to maintain open records against potential or perceived damage to the parties involved when deciding whether to seal or keep court records open. Records of cases where the accused has been acquitted are expunged.

Sealed criminal records in Hawaii are generally only accessible to the parties involved, the legal representatives, and members of the judiciary and administrative branches. To obtain information from sealed records, qualified persons above must present valid means of identification. A third party may access sealed records only with a court order authorizing access to those specific records. A copy of the expungement certificate is needed to access expunged records.

How Do I Obtain Hawaii Criminal Records?

Criminal history records in Hawaii are public records that are available and accessible as “Police Abstracts” or “Police Clearance”. Public criminal records in Hawaii are typically restricted to Adult conviction records or arrests that led to convictions. They may be found at designated police departments. These law enforcement agencies provide inmate records, name-based criminal history searches, and fingerprint-based criminal history searches.

The E-crim website is another portal for accessing and obtaining criminal records in Hawaii. Information about sex offenders is, however, not available on this website. After creating a user account and signing in, search for a Hawaii criminal record by providing name, gender, social security number, and date of birth. The Department of the Attorney General charges nominal fees for each search as well as copies of criminal records requested. Requested records may be delivered in person, by email, and by regular mail.

Understanding the Hawaii Criminal Court Structure

The Hawaii state court system is structured into two tiers which administer the four judicial districts in the state. These are the appellate and trial courts, the appellate being the higher court.

Appellate Courts

The appellate courts are further structured into the Supreme Court and the Intermediate Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court represents the administrative head and highest court in the Hawaii state judicial system. Both appellate courts hear first trial criminal cases and also appeals of criminal cases from the lower trial courts.

Trial Courts

The trial courts of the state are the Circuit, Family, and District Courts. Of these, the Circuit and District Courts hear criminal cases. The District Courts have jurisdiction over:

• Criminal cases with penalties up to a maximum of one year's jail term
• Preliminary hearing of probable cause (that is, to provide grounds for the lawful arrest of the offender)

There are 10 District Courts in all four judicial districts of Hawaii. These are presided over by 30 judges and several per diem (part-time) judges as needed.

Hawaii Circuit Courts have broader jurisdictions and hear a wider variety of criminal felony and misdemeanor cases. There are 30 circuit judges that preside over the four circuit courts in the state.

Hawaii Crime Statistics

In Hawaii, crime statistics are compiled into annual Uniform Crime Reports (Crime in Hawaii) by the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division of the state’s Department of the Attorney General, per the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) guidelines. According to the 2021 Crime in Hawaii report, 41,892 Group A offenses were reported to law enforcement officials in the said year, a 9.96% increase from 2020.

Age Demographics

Law enforcement officers in Hawaii arrested 3,335 adults and 214 juveniles for Group A offenses in 2021.

Hawaii Crime Trends by Category

Property Crimes

Violent Crimes

Based on data, Hawaii recorded more cases of motor vehicle theft, rape, and larceny in 2021. Despite the notable increase in total Group A offenses across the state, there was a decrease in the incidence of arson and murder.

Crime Prevention &Justice Assistance Division
Department of the Attorney General
235 South Beretania Street, Suite 401
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 586-1150
Fax: (808) 586-1097