Hawaii County Public Records

Hawaii County public records cover the whole Big Island and include court case files, land and property records, police report records, and county council records. Most Hawaii County public records can be pulled online through county portals and state tools. The Third Circuit Court in Hilo keeps court records for the island. The County of Hawaii runs its own real property records, planning records, and clerk records systems. This page lays out where to look for each type of Hawaii County public records and lists the offices that hold those records.

Hawaii County Property Records

The Hawaii County Real Property Tax Office keeps property records for the whole Big Island. These Hawaii County records cover assessed value records, owner records, parcel records, sales records, and exemption records. Each parcel holds a Tax Map Key, or TMK, that ties the parcel records to tax records, map records, and permit records. You can search Hawaii County property records by TMK, address, owner name, or subdivision name. Basic record lookup is free. Print copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified records cost $5.00 each. Research help runs $20.00 per hour after the first 30 minutes.

The Hilo office sits at 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 4, Hilo, HI 96720. Call (808) 961-8201 for Hilo records. The Kona office sits at 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. Call (808) 323-4880 for Kona records. Both offices open Monday to Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. They close on state holidays. To start a Hawaii County property records search, visit the Hawaii County Real Property Tax Division page for the Big Island.

For a second Hawaii County property records view, try the county GIS Web App. It shows parcel boundary records, zoning records, flood zone records, and conservation district records. Older property records that are not online can be pulled from the state Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu. Some Hawaii County records go back more than 100 years in paper form only.

For deed records and state-held land records that back up county parcel data, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources page is the right start.

The state land records site links out to county property records and helps tie Hawaii County parcel records to deed records held by the state.

Hawaii County Court Records

The Third Circuit Court serves all of Hawaii Island. The main Hilo court sits at 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720. A second courthouse in Kona handles West Hawaii court records. The Hawaii State Judiciary runs all court records for Hawaii County through eCourt Kokua, the statewide online records portal. You can search Hawaii County court records by party name, case ID, citation number, license plate, or vehicle VIN.

Circuit 3 case records use a 12-character ID. Regular court records copies cost $3. Certified court records cost $5 or 10 cents per page, whichever is more. A records subscription runs $125 per quarter or $500 per year and covers full download access to Hawaii County public records. The Hilo courthouse has a public records access terminal open 8 AM to 4 PM each weekday. Walk-ins are first come, first served. Staff can help you pull older court records that are not online. File a court records search at the Hawaii eCourt Kokua portal.

Family court records, probate records, and traffic records all route through the Third Circuit in Hawaii County. Some older records may be held offsite. For protective order records, call the court records room. Release of some court records is limited under HRS §92F-13. The state Office of Information Practices gives written guidance on what court records can and cannot be shared.

Hawaii County Police Records

The Hawaii County Police Department, or HCPD, keeps police report records, arrest log records, and incident records for the Big Island. The main Hilo Police Station sits at 349 Kapiolani Street, Hilo, HI 96720. Call (808) 935-3311 for Hilo police records. The department runs district stations in Kona, Waimea, Puna, Kau, and Hamakua. Each holds local records for its part of Hawaii County.

Police records requests go in by mail, by email, or as a walk-in at the Records Section. A copy of the requester's photo ID must be attached. Staff redact personal data such as home address records, Social Security numbers, date of birth records, and phone numbers from Hawaii County records under HRS §92F-13. Some Hawaii County police records are held back for privacy or active case reasons. Submit a report records request through the Hawaii County Police Department records page, which lists the right contact for each record type.

The HCPD records page gives a direct route for police report records, traffic collision records, and most other Hawaii County police record requests.

The department does not release medical records, juvenile records, or active case records to the general public. Fees for Hawaii County police records copies match what state law allows. Call the Hilo Records Section for a fee quote before you file. Walk-in hours run Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:00 PM. The Records Section closes on state holidays and county holidays.

Hawaii County Permit Records

The Hawaii County Planning Department and the Building Division handle permit records, zoning records, subdivision records, and land use records for the Big Island. The Building Division sits at 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720. Call (808) 961-8331 for permit records. Many Hawaii County permit records can be searched by TMK, address, or permit number. The county GIS tool ties zoning records to parcel records so you can view land use records for any Hawaii County site.

To start a Hawaii County permit records search, visit the county planning page. Open building permit records, grading permit records, and plumbing permit records can all be pulled online. Older paper permit records may need a walk-in visit. The department keeps code book records, zoning map records, and public notice records for review.

Hawaii County Clerk Records

The Office of the County Clerk sits at 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, HI 96720. Call (808) 961-8277 for clerk records. The clerk runs elections for all of Hawaii County and keeps council records, board records, and commission records. The Hawaii County Council meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 9:00 AM in the Council Chambers at 25 Aupuni Street. Council meeting records, agenda records, and minutes records are open to the public.

The County of Hawaii uses the Laserfiche Weblink portal to hold and serve public records. The records archive covers agenda records, minutes records, forms records, map records, and more. To get in, use Username: public, Password: weblink808. Documents can be viewed as a TIF image record, as a text record, or as a PDF record for download. Visit the Hawaii County Public Documents system to start a records search.

Search tools in the Laserfiche records portal include Text Search, Phrase, And, Or, Not, and Within. Fuzzy Search lets the Hawaii County records tool find similar spellings. Wildcards work too. An * stands in for any number of characters in a records search. A ? stands in for a single character. Use these to widen or narrow Hawaii County records results. The clerk also keeps voter records, campaign finance records, and candidate nomination records.

Hawaii County has run elections entirely by mail since 2020. Ballots go out about 18 days before Election Day. The clerk keeps ballot counting records, precinct-level results records, and voter registration lists. Visit the Office of the County Clerk page for records contact info.

Hawaii County UIPA Requests

A UIPA records request lets anyone ask a Hawaii County agency for a public record. There is no charge to file the records request. The agency can bill for search, review, and redact time, but only up to actual cost. Most small Hawaii County records requests are free. Write a clear, short description of the records and the date range. The more specific the Hawaii County records ask, the faster the reply.

Common Hawaii County records you can get through UIPA include police report records, arrest log records, permit records, agency contract records, council correspondence records, and board meeting records. Some Hawaii County records may be held back for privacy, security, or active case reasons under HRS §92F-13. The state rule in HRS §92F-11 sets the right of the public to look at most county records during office hours.

For a records request to a state agency with offices on the Big Island, use the Hawaii DCCA open records form. The state Office of Information Practices posts rules and opinions that apply to every Hawaii County records request. See the Hawaii Office of Information Practices UIPA page for guidance.

Other Hawaii County Records

Some Hawaii County records sit with state offices rather than the county. Vital records, land deed records, and state tax records are state-run. Use the list below to jump to the right page for the Hawaii County records you need.

• Hawaii Department of Health Vital Records for Big Island birth, death, marriage, and civil union records
• Hawaii eCourt Kokua portal for Hawaii County court case records
• Hawaii Department of Taxation for Hawaii County state tax records
• Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources for state land use records
• Hawaii Office of Information Practices for UIPA rules and records opinions

The Hilo Public Library at 300 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720 also helps with records. Cardholders can get to genealogy records, historical newspaper records, and Hawaii government records. Reference staff can point you to the right Hawaii County records office. The Hawaii Community Correctional Center in Hilo holds local custody records. The Hilo Bankruptcy Court keeps federal case records for the Big Island.

Cities in Hawaii County

Hawaii County covers the whole Big Island. All Big Island records route through the Third Circuit Court, HCPD, and the Hawaii County real property system. Pick a community below to see local records contacts.

Nearby Hawaii Counties

These counties lie across the channels from the Big Island. If the record you need sits on a different island, use the links below to jump to that county.