Honolulu County Criminal Court Records

Honolulu County criminal court records are on file at the First Circuit Court, which handles all criminal, civil, family, and probate matters for the island of Oahu. The county is home to roughly one million people, making it by far the largest in Hawaii. You can search criminal court records online at no cost through eCourt Kokua, request copies at the courthouse, or use the state's criminal history database for conviction information.

First Circuit Court - Honolulu County

The First Circuit Court is Hawaii's busiest judicial district, serving the entire island of Oahu. Criminal court records with convictions are public and available from the clerk during business hours. The Legal Documents Branch handles certified copy requests for circuit-level cases. The Circuit Court covers felonies, civil over $40,000, probate, family law, and mental health commitments.

Honolulu County has multiple courthouse locations across Oahu. The Ewa-Pearl City District Court at 870 Fourth Street, Pearl City, HI 96782, phone (808) 534-6900, serves the Ewa and Pearl City areas. The Kaneohe Division at Abner Paki Hale, 45-939 Pockela Street, Kaneohe, HI 96744, phone (808) 534-6300, covers Windward Oahu. The Wahiawa Division at 1034 Kilani Avenue, Wahiawa, HI 96786, phone (808) 534-6200, handles central Oahu. The Waianae District Court at the Kapolei complex, phone (808) 954-8575, serves Leeward Oahu.

District Courts handle misdemeanors, traffic violations, civil cases under $40,000, and small claims under $5,000. Warrant information in Honolulu County is issued by first circuit courts including both district and family courts. Warrants may also originate from outside courts, the Hawaii Paroling Authority, NCIC, and HIJIS. The Legal Documents Branch for circuit-level cases is at (808) 539-4300. For District Court criminal and traffic records, call (808) 538-5100. Family Court Legal Documents: (808) 954-8310.

The Honolulu County First Circuit system covers criminal, civil, family, and traffic matters for the island of Oahu, with online access available through eCourt Kokua and in-person access at multiple courthouse locations.

How to Search Honolulu County Criminal Court Records

The Hawaii State Judiciary provides eCourt Kokua as the primary online portal. It is free for basic case information. You can search by party name, case ID, attorney name, or citation number. The system shows case status, hearing dates, docket entries, party names, and case history. It covers traffic, District Court criminal, Circuit Court criminal, Family (Adult) Court criminal, civil, Land Court, Tax Appeal Court, and appellate cases.

To find Honolulu County criminal court records online, you need:

• Full name of at least one party to the case
• Case ID or citation number if available
• Approximate year of filing helps narrow results

The system is available Monday through Saturday, 4 a.m. to midnight HST, and Sunday from noon to midnight. Some records are not in the online system. Traffic cases before November 1995, District Court criminal cases before August 2012, and appellate cases before September 2010 require a courthouse visit or mail request. Documents in eCourt Kokua cost $3 for 1 to 30 pages and 10 cents per page after that. Subscriptions cost $125 per quarter or $500 per year.

For Family Court civil cases, the Ho'ohiki portal covers cases from 1983 forward. Public access terminals at each courthouse location provide free electronic record searching during business hours.

Honolulu County Criminal History Record Checks

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center maintains the statewide criminal history system. HCJDC is an agency of the Department of the Attorney General and is responsible for the CJIS-Hawaii database, the AFIS fingerprint system, the Sex Offender Registry, and the eCrim adult criminal conviction website. All Honolulu County arrests that result in convictions are part of this statewide system.

The HCJDC eCrim portal allows online name-based conviction searches for $5 per search. An official printed report costs $12. Name-based checks submitted by mail or in person cost $30. Fingerprint-based checks cost $55. Payment must be by money order or cashier's check to "State of Hawaii." The Honolulu Police Department at 801 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, phone (808) 529-3191, also serves as a public access site.

Only conviction information is public. Non-conviction records, pending cases, and juvenile records are confidential. The HCJDC FAQ explains what is included and what is restricted in the state criminal history system.

The Honolulu Police Department serves as a public access site for HCJDC criminal history records, allowing individuals to obtain conviction information in person at the department's location on South Beretania Street.

What Honolulu County Criminal Records Are Public

Criminal court records in Honolulu County follow Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act, Chapter 92F HRS. The general rule is public access. Once charges are formally filed, case files are open to the public. Available records include the criminal complaint or indictment, arraignment records, bail orders, hearing dates, motions, court orders, and final judgments or dispositions.

Certain records are restricted. Juvenile proceedings are confidential under HRS 571-84. Cases sealed by court order require a new court order to access. Ongoing investigations are not court records. Family Court domestic relations matters have limited public access. Social Security numbers and personal identifiers are redacted from public portions of court files under the Hawaii Court Records Rules. Under HRS Section 846-2.7, criminal history record checks for fitness determinations follow defined procedures and authorization requirements.

Honolulu County Court Record Copy Fees

Fees at all First Circuit locations follow the schedule set by the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Standard copies cost $1 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page. Certified copies carry an extra $2 per document. Expedited requests — copies ready within four hours of a morning submission — cost $10 plus standard copy fees. Faxing within Hawaii is $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page.

For off-site archived records, retrieval costs $5 plus standard copy fees. Mail requests need case information, payment by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call the Legal Documents Branch at (808) 539-4300 before mailing to confirm the current process and fees. Online document purchases through eCourt Kokua follow the same per-page rates with an optional annual subscription at $500 for unlimited downloads.

Criminal court records in Honolulu County are maintained across six courthouse locations and the statewide eCourt Kokua system, with uniform fee schedules applying at all First Circuit facilities.

Cities in Honolulu County

All communities on Oahu fall under Honolulu County. Criminal court records for residents of these cities are filed at the First Circuit Court location nearest to where the case originated.

Nearby Counties

Hawaii's other counties each have their own judicial circuit. Criminal court records for matters on other islands are held by the appropriate circuit court for that county.