Kauai County Criminal History Records

Kauai County criminal history records are handled through the Kauai Police Department Records Section and the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. If you need to look up a conviction, check a record, or get a clearance report for someone in Kauai County, this page covers your main options: what to request, where to go, what it costs, and how the Fifth Circuit Court fits into the process. Records are available in person, by mail, and online through the state's eCrim system. Most requests can be done without a lawyer or special access.

Kauai Police Department Records Section

The Kauai Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the entire island of Kauai. The department maintains arrest records and works directly with the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to supply criminal history information. The main station is at 3990 Kaana Street, Suite 200, Lihue, HI 96766. The main line is (808) 241-1900.

The Records Section is the part of KPD that handles criminal record requests. Staff there process insurance requests, report duplication, police and criminal record checks, and criminal conviction and sex offender registry inquiries. If you need to ask about the status of a report you already requested, call (808) 241-1929 or email kpdinsurance@kauai.gov. That line connects you to the Police Records Clerk. The Police Records Unit Supervisor can be reached at (808) 241-1660.

For clearance reports or full background checks, KPD will direct you to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. KPD does not issue its own standalone criminal clearance letters. The HCJDC is the state agency that manages all of that. KPD feeds arrest and booking data into the statewide system, which is how your record shows up when you request a check through HCJDC.

The Kauai Police Department website provides department contacts, news, and access to the Records Section and Firearms Section for criminal history-related services.

What the KPD Records Section Handles

The KPD Records Section handles a wide range of requests tied to criminal history in Kauai County. The unit is responsible for maintaining all police reports, from review and retrieval through to legal documents like warrants, subpoenas, summons, and temporary restraining orders. The section also manages NCIC records management system data entry, crime reporting statistics, and individual arrest records. It is a busy unit that touches nearly every part of criminal records work for the island.

In fiscal year 2021, the KPD Records Section processed 297 criminal reports, 1,027 traffic reports, 96 public access printouts, 506 Rapback fingerprints, 201 rolled fingerprints, 177 sex offender registry entries, 40 expungements, and 1,090 insurance requests. That volume shows how much records activity the island generates each year. The section also developed online request forms during the COVID-19 period so residents could submit UIPA and firearms requests without coming in person.

Other services the Records Section handles include civil employment fingerprinting, UIPA requests, expungement orders, and sex offender registry inquiries. For criminal history clearance letters specifically, KPD will point you to the HCJDC. But for police report copies, KPD is the right place to call.

Kauai County Public Access Site for Criminal History

Kauai County has a Public Access Site at the Kauai Police Department where you can get a criminal history printout in person. The address is 3990 Kaana Street, Lihue, HI 96766. Call (808) 241-1661 for hours before you go. Each printout costs $25. You pay by money order or cashier's check made out to "State of Hawaii." No cash is accepted.

At a Public Access Site, you can look up adult criminal conviction information from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center statewide database. The search uses name, date of birth, social security number, and gender. The printout shows convictions only. Non-conviction arrest records and pending charges are not available to the public through this route. If no record is found, the printout will say "No Criminal Convictions Found." That counts as a valid result.

If you can't get to the Public Access Site in Lihue, you can use the online eCrim system instead. eCrim is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each search costs $5. An official printed record costs $12. You must pay by credit or debit card. The results are the same as what you'd get at the Public Access Site: adult conviction records from the HCJDC database.

The full list of Public Access Sites across the state is on the HCJDC website. Kauai County's site at KPD is the only one on the island.

Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center and Kauai Records

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center is the state agency that runs the central criminal history database for all of Hawaii, including Kauai County. HCJDC handles the statewide criminal history record information system (CJIS-Hawaii), the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, the Sex Offender Registry, and the eCrim website. All counties feed their arrest data into this system.

If you need a criminal history record check for someone in Kauai County, HCJDC is where you go for an official result. You have three ways to do it: visit the HCJDC office in Honolulu, mail in a request, or use eCrim online. The HCJDC office is at 465 S. King Street, Room 102, Honolulu, HI 96813. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

The Criminal History Record Check form is HCJDC-073. A name-based check done by HCJDC staff costs $30. A fingerprint check costs $55 in person or $35 by mail. A public access printout at KPD in Lihue costs $25. The eCrim online search is $5 per search, plus $12 for an official record copy. Certification of a record adds another $20.

Name-based checks are faster and easier. Fingerprint checks are more accurate because they match actual fingerprint records, not just a name. If two people share a name and birth date, a fingerprint check sorts them out. For most personal use, a name check through eCrim or the Public Access Site is enough. For legal or court purposes, a fingerprint check is better.

HCJDC's database only includes Hawaii arrests and convictions. Records from other states or federal courts are not in the system. Juvenile records are also not included unless the case was moved to adult court. To look up juvenile records, contact the Hawaii State Judiciary Family Court Juvenile Records Department at (808) 954-8190.

Fifth Circuit Court Criminal Records in Kauai

The Fifth Circuit Court serves all of Kauai County. It is located in the Pu'uhonua Kaulike Building at 3970 Ka'ana Street, Lihue, HI 96766-1256. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except state holidays. It handles criminal court records for all cases filed in Kauai County.

The court has public access computer terminals on the first floor, to the left of the Fiscal Section at the Customer Service window. You can use them free of charge to review documents. If you want printed copies, you pay a per-page fee at the window. These terminals connect to the eCourt Kokua system, which is also available online. eCourt Kokua lets you search case information, docket entries, and court records from any computer.

If the case you're looking for is more than 10 years old, call (808) 482-2330 before you visit. Older case files may be stored off-site. Calling ahead saves a wasted trip. Most recent cases are available at the terminals without advance notice.

The Sheriff's Kauai Section also works out of the courthouse area. You can reach them at (808) 482-2470. The Sheriff handles civil process service and court security, but does not maintain criminal history records separately from KPD and the HCJDC.

KPD District Commands and Key Contacts

The Kauai Police Department divides the island into three districts. Each district has its own commander and patrol operations. If you have a specific concern tied to a part of the island, you can reach the right district command directly.

The contact page for the Kauai Police Department lists all division contacts, district commanders, and support unit numbers. It is the fastest way to find the right person to call for records-related questions.

Kauai County Firearms Section and Criminal History Checks

The KPD Firearms Section handles all firearms registration and permits for Kauai County. Criminal history checks are a required part of the firearms permit process. The Weapons Registration Clerk is at (808) 241-1663. Several state laws govern what the Firearms Section does and how criminal history information plays into it.

Under Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 846-2.7, criminal history record checks are required for certain firearms permit applications. The Firearms Section works with the HCJDC to verify an applicant's criminal history before issuing a permit. Other laws that apply include HRS Section 134-3 (firearms registration), Section 134-2 (permits to acquire), and Section 134-7 (ownership and possession prohibited in certain cases). If a person has a disqualifying conviction, the Firearms Section will not issue the permit.

The Firearms Section does not handle general public criminal history requests. That work goes through the Records Section and HCJDC. But if your question involves a firearms permit and a criminal record issue, the Firearms Section is your contact point within KPD.

Communities in Kauai County

Kauai County covers the entire island of Kauai. All criminal history records for residents of the island run through the Kauai Police Department and the Fifth Circuit Court in Lihue.

Communities on the island include Lihue (the county seat), Kapaa, Wailua, Waimea, Hanapepe, Koloa, Princeville, Hanalei, Kilauea, and Eleele. None of these communities has its own separate police department or records office. All criminal records, police reports, and court filings go through KPD and the Fifth Circuit Court in Lihue. There are no qualifying cities in Kauai County with separate city-level pages for criminal history records.

Other Hawaii Counties

Hawaii has four counties. If you are not sure which county applies to your records request, the county is determined by where the arrest or court case took place, not where you currently live.