Kalawao County Criminal Court Records

Kalawao County criminal court records are handled by Maui County's Second Circuit Court, since Kalawao has no separate court system of its own. Kalawao County is the smallest county in the United States by population — fewer than 100 residents — and is a judicial district of Maui County. All criminal court records for Kalawao matters are filed and maintained at the Second Circuit Court in Wailuku, Maui. You can search them online through eCourt Kokua or request copies at the Wailuku courthouse.

Kalawao County Court Records Access

Kalawao County has no county government and no courthouse of its own. It is administered by the Hawaii Department of Health and is a judicial district of Maui County. All criminal court records for matters in Kalawao County fall under the Second Circuit Court's jurisdiction. Records are held at and accessible from the Wailuku courthouse. The Maui County Sheriff's Office and police stations on Molokai Island serve Kalawao County for law enforcement matters.

Kalawao County is located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north coast of Molokai Island. It was established in 1905 and is the site of Kalaupapa National Historical Park, historically known as a settlement for people with leprosy. The county has a population of roughly 88 people as of the last count. Its land area is about 12 square miles with a water area of about 41 square miles. Because Kalawao County is administered as part of Maui County for all judicial purposes, criminal court records would be filed through the Second Circuit Court in Wailuku.

Kalawao County criminal court records are maintained at the Maui County Second Circuit Court in Wailuku, since Kalawao is a judicial district of Maui with no separate court system.

Searching Kalawao County Criminal Court Records

To search Kalawao County criminal court records, use the statewide eCourt Kokua portal and filter by Second Circuit. Since Kalawao County has very few residents and correspondingly few court cases, records from the area are rare but would appear in the Second Circuit system alongside Maui County cases. Basic case information is free. Search by party name, case ID, or citation number.

For in-person record requests, contact the Second Circuit Court Records Division at Hoapili Hale, 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, HI 96793. The Records Division phone is (808) 244-2752. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. Provide the subject's name, date of birth, and case number if known. Present valid government-issued ID and pay applicable copy fees.

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center maintains statewide criminal history records including any Kalawao County arrests that are reported to state authorities. Their eCrim portal provides online name-based conviction searches for $5. In-person or mail requests cost $30 for name-based checks.

Understanding Kalawao County's Unique Status

Kalawao County is unlike any other county in the United States. It has no county government, no county seat, and is administered entirely by the Hawaii Department of Health. Year established: 1905. The county consists of the Kalaupapa Peninsula (also called Makanalua Peninsula) on Molokai's north coast. The peninsula sections include Kalaupapa on the west side, Makanalua in the center (including the airport), Kalawao on the east coast with Waialeia Valley, and Waikolu which includes Waikolu Valley.

Because the county has such a small and specialized population, criminal court matters there are extremely rare. When they do arise, they are handled through the Maui County judicial system. The Maui County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement coverage for Molokai, which is the island that Kalawao County sits on. Molokai police stations handle any law enforcement records from the area. For criminal court matters specifically, the Second Circuit Court in Wailuku is the filing and records location.

For genealogical and historical research involving Kalawao County, researchers can consult the FamilySearch Center and the Kalaupapa project, which preserves records of patients, employees, volunteers, and kokua (helpers) from the Kalaupapa settlement beginning in 1865. Records include arrivals, births, marriages, deaths, burials, and census population schedules.

Kalawao County on Molokai's Kalaupapa Peninsula is the smallest county in the United States by population and has no county government, making it a judicial district entirely under Maui County's Second Circuit Court.

Kalawao County Criminal Background Check Information

For criminal background checks specific to Kalawao County, the process mirrors that for Maui County since the judicial systems are the same. Contact the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center for statewide conviction history checks. Use eCourt Kokua filtered by Second Circuit to search court case records. For in-person records, visit Hoapili Hale in Wailuku.

Any criminal court records from Kalawao would appear in the HCJDC statewide criminal history system alongside records from any other Hawaii county. The HCJDC maintains only adult criminal history information unless a juvenile case was transferred to adult court. For juvenile record inquiries, contact the Hawaii State Judiciary Family Court Juvenile Records Department at (808) 954-8190.

Background checks for Kalawao County run through the same Second Circuit Court system and HCJDC statewide database as Maui County checks, since Kalawao is a judicial district of Maui.

Nearby Counties

Kalawao County is administered as part of Maui County. The nearest county with its own full judicial system is Maui County, followed by the other Hawaii islands.