Find Criminal History Records in Hawaii County

Hawaii County criminal history records cover the entire Big Island and are kept by the Hawaii Police Department, the Third Circuit Court, and the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. If you need to look up a conviction record, check an arrest, or get a certified copy of a court document, this page walks you through the right agencies and the steps to take. The island is split into East Hawaii and West Hawaii districts, each with its own records office, so knowing which side of the island you need can save time.

Hawaii County Criminal History and the Police Department

The Hawaii Police Department is the main law enforcement agency for the Big Island. It handles all patrol, investigations, and arrest records for Hawaii County. There is no separate city police force on the island. The department runs two main records offices, one in Hilo for East Hawaii and one in Kailua-Kona for West Hawaii. Both offices are Public Access Sites where you can view adult criminal conviction records.

Public Access Site terminals let anyone look up conviction information from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center database. Each printout costs $25. You do not need an appointment to use the terminals, but you should call ahead to confirm current hours. The Hilo office sits at 349 Kapiolani Street. The Kona office is at the Kona Police Station on Queen Kaahumanu Highway. Both sites pull from the same statewide conviction database, so either location works regardless of where the arrest happened in Hawaii County.

The department also coordinates with the statewide Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to make sure conviction data is accurate and up to date. For a full background check with an official embossed seal, you go directly to HCJDC rather than the local police office.

Third Circuit Court Hawaii County Criminal Records

The Third Circuit Court handles all criminal cases filed in Hawaii County. It has two courthouse locations: the Hilo Courthouse for East Hawaii matters and the Kona Courthouse for West Hawaii cases. Both courthouses keep official criminal court records including charges, hearing dates, dispositions, and sentencing documents. If you need a certified copy of a court document from a criminal case, you must contact or visit the courthouse where the case was filed.

The Hawaii State Judiciary operates eCourt Kokua, a free online search tool that lets you look up case information from the Third Circuit and other courts across the state. You can search by case ID, party name, or citation number. The system shows basic case details: party names, charges, court dates, and dispositions. It does not give you certified copies, but it is a fast way to confirm whether a case exists and get the case number before you go to the courthouse.

To get certified copies of Third Circuit criminal records, visit the Hawaii State Judiciary's records office at the appropriate courthouse. You can also submit a written request by mail. Processing times vary, so calling ahead is a good idea if you need records quickly.

The image below shows the Third Circuit Court Hawaii County records portal through the Hawaii State Judiciary website.

The Hawaii State Judiciary's website at courts.state.hi.us is the official source for Third Circuit case records.

The eCourt Kokua portal gives you free access to basic case data for Hawaii County criminal cases. For full documents and certified copies, you need to go through the courthouse directly.

Statewide Criminal History Record Checks for Hawaii County

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC) is the state agency that runs all official background checks in Hawaii. It covers Hawaii County along with every other county in the state. If you need an official criminal history report with an embossed seal, this is where you go. The HCJDC is located at 465 S. King Street, Room 102, Honolulu, HI 96813. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with a lunch break from noon to 1:00 p.m. and closures on state holidays.

The HCJDC offers two types of checks through its criminal history record check page. A name-based check searches by name, date of birth, social security number, and gender. A fingerprint-based check is more precise and uses actual fingerprint records to eliminate confusion from similar names. Both types use the HCJDC-073 form. Fingerprint appointments are by request only.

The fastest way to search for conviction records linked to Hawaii County is through eCrim, the state's online adult criminal conviction database. Each search costs $5.00. An official eCrim report costs $12. The system is available around the clock and accepts credit or debit card payments only. You must complete your search and purchase in a single logged-in session because the site logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity. eCrim shows conviction data only. It does not show arrests that did not lead to a conviction or cases that are still pending.

Hawaii County residents can also view conviction records at the Public Access Sites at both the Hilo and Kona police offices for $25 per printout. The HCJDC also has its own list of public access sites across the state. For questions about the data or accuracy of a criminal history record, call (808) 587-3279.

The HCJDC site at ag.hawaii.gov/hcjdc is the official source for state-level criminal history record checks covering all Hawaii County convictions.

Sheriff and Department of Law Enforcement in Hawaii County

The Department of Law Enforcement provides Sheriff services for Hawaii County through the Sheriff - Hawaii Section. You can reach them at (808) 933-8833. The Sheriff's Division handles law enforcement at state facilities and supports county agencies. For criminal history record check information from the state side, you can also call the Department of Law Enforcement at (808) 587-3100, or check their contact page for a full list of numbers.

The Department of Law Enforcement works alongside the Hawaii Police Department on the Big Island. If you are unsure which agency handles the records you need, the Sheriff - Hawaii Section at (808) 933-8833 is a good first call.

How to Search Hawaii County Criminal History Records

There are three main ways to look up criminal history records tied to Hawaii County. Each method gives you different levels of detail and comes with different costs.

Online through eCrim is the fastest option. Go to ecrim.ehawaii.gov and search by name, date of birth, or social security number. Pay the $5.00 search fee. If a conviction record comes up and you want the full report, pay the additional $12.00. You get results right away. This works any time of day or night. Keep in mind that eCrim shows conviction records only. No pending cases. No arrests that did not result in a conviction.

In person at a Public Access Site gives you a printed record for $25. Go to either the Hilo Records office at 349 Kapiolani Street or the Kona Records office at the Kona Police Station. No appointment is needed for Public Access Site terminals. Call first to confirm hours: East Hawaii at (808) 961-2233 or West Hawaii at (808) 326-4646 ext. 285. If you also need court case records from the Third Circuit, you can use eCourt Kokua online for free, or visit the Hilo or Kona courthouse.

By mail through HCJDC takes longer but gives you a certified report with the department's embossed seal. Download and complete the HCJDC-073 form from the CHRC page. Send it with a money order or cashier's check payable to "State of Hawaii." No personal checks are accepted. Mail to: HCJDC, 465 S. King Street, Room 102, Honolulu, HI 96813. For fingerprint-based checks, attach a full set of fingerprints to the form.

Expungements and Sex Offender Registry in Hawaii County

If you have an arrest record in Hawaii County that did not lead to a conviction, you may be able to get it expunged. The HCJDC handles expungement requests for Hawaii state records. Visit the HCJDC expungements page to get the right forms and learn what is needed. Expungement removes an arrest record from public access. It does not erase the record entirely, but it takes it out of what shows up on public criminal history checks. Call the HCJDC expungements line at (808) 587-3348 with questions.

The state also keeps a public sex offender registry. Hawaii County offenders appear in the statewide database. You can search it through the HCJDC sex offender registry page. The registry lists sex offenders and other covered offenders who are required to register under state law. For registration questions, call (808) 587-3350.

Hawaii County has an Equal Opportunity Policy that bars the county from discriminating based on arrest or court records. This applies to county jobs and county-related decisions. It does not affect how criminal history records are kept or who can view them.

Hawaii County Criminal History Record Laws

Hawaii law controls who can see criminal history records and how they can be used. The key statute is Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 846-2.7, which sets out when criminal history record information can be disclosed. Under this law, conviction records are public, but non-conviction records are restricted to authorized agencies. This is why Public Access Site terminals and eCrim only show conviction data.

Juvenile records are kept separate. The HCJDC does not include juvenile records in its criminal history checks unless the case was moved to adult court. To get juvenile records, contact the Hawaii State Judiciary's Family Court Juvenile Records Department at (808) 954-8190.

Federal records are also outside the scope of what HCJDC provides. If you need a federal criminal history check, you contact the FBI directly. HCJDC covers only Hawaii state records, which includes all Third Circuit Court cases from Hawaii County.

Cities in Hawaii County

Hawaii County (Big Island) has one qualifying city with its own records page. All criminal history records for any community on the island go through the same Hawaii Police Department system and the Third Circuit Court.

Other communities on the Big Island include Kailua-Kona, Waimea, Pahoa, Naalehu, Captain Cook, Holualoa, Keaau, and Mountain View. None of these communities have separate records systems. Criminal history records for residents of any Big Island community are handled through the East Hawaii Records office in Hilo or the West Hawaii Records office in Kailua-Kona, depending on location.

Nearby Counties

Hawaii has four other counties. Each has its own court circuit and police department. If you are not sure which county is relevant to your records search, use the county where the arrest or case was filed.