Hawai‘i State Department of Health
- Birth certificates
- Death certificates
- Marriage certificates
Certificates for births, deaths, and marriages which occurred in Hawai‘i may be obtained from the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH). The following information will guide you through the vital records application process:
Applying in person
Vital records application forms are available in the lobby of the DOH building in Honolulu and should be completed prior to waiting in line.
Location:
1250 Punchbowl Street
at the corner of Beretania and Punchbowl streets
Room 103 (1st floor)
Hours of Operation:
7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday (except state holidays)
Fee:
$10* for the first certificate, $4* for each additional copy. Money orders, certified checks or cashier’s checks are accepted. Money Orders and checks should be made payable to: the State Department of Health.
*prices subject to change; refer to agency web site for current prices. http://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/
Certified copies are usually not issued on the day an application is filed. They are usually available for pick-up about 10 working days after receipt and approval of the application. The process may take longer if the records are very old. Same day service may be provided if you present a written document establishing a need for urgency.
Applying by mail
Vital records application forms are available in the lobby of the DOH building or may be downloaded at http://www.health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/.
Mail application to:
Mail application to: Hawai‘i State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378 Honolulu, HI 96801
Fee:
$10* for the first certificate, $4* for each additional copy. Money orders, certified checks or cashier’s checks are accepted. Money orders and checks should be made payable to: the State Department of Health.
*prices subject to change; refer to agency web site for current prices. http://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/
Certified copies will normally be sent out within 6-8 weeks after receipt and approval of the application. The return time may be extended for records that are very old.
What information to provide
Following is the information you will be asked to provide on the vital records application:
- Applicant’s name, address, and telephone number(s)
- Applicant’s relationship to the person named on the certificate
- Reason why you are requesting the certificate
- Full name(s) as listed on the certificate
- The certificate’s file number (if known)
- Month, day, and year of the event and the city or island where the event occurred
- For birth certificates requests, you must also provide the full name of the father and the full maiden name of the mother
- If you are applying for a certificate on behalf of someone else, you must provide an original letter signed by that person authorizing the release of their certificate to you and a photocopy of that person's valid government-issued photo ID
- Valid government-issued photo ID
For more information
If you have questions about the vital records application process, visit the DOH Web site at http://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/ or contact the department directly:
Phone: (808) 586-4539 or 586-4542
This information, which is provided for your convenience, was obtained from the Department of Health Web site and is subject to change without our knowledge.
Obtaining mainland documents
Certificates for births, deaths, and marriages that occurred outside of Hawai‘i may be obtained from the vital statistics office in the state in which the event occurred. For a list of offices nationwide, visit the National Center for Health Statistics Web site at: http://www.ncsc.org/information-and-resources/browse-by-state/sate-court-websites-aspx.
Hawai‘i State Family Courts
- Letters of non–identifying information of racial extraction of biological parents (LRE)
- Adoption decrees (available in limited circumstances)
- Pre adoption birth certificates (available in limited circumstances)
- Paternity affidavits
Documents for adoption and paternity related matters which occurred in Hawai‘i may be obtained from the Hawai‘i State Family Court. The following information will guide you through the document application process:
LREs*, adoption decrees, and pre adoption birth certificates
* LRE—Letter of non identifying information of racial extraction of biological parents
Applications for these documents should be obtained from the family court in which the adoption was granted. (See below for court locations and contact information.) Ask for and complete Form 1: “Request to Inspect Confidential Adoption Records of the Family Court.” The table below explains the options presented for item 9 of the form, along with the requirements to access that information and any fees that may apply:
ITEM 9
| Request is for | Requirements | Fees |
|---|
| Inspection of records | Available in limited circumstances
(court review of file required to determine permissions required from parties to adoption) | - If copies of the documents in the file are requested, there will be a nominal per copy fee plus certification fee. Other retrieval fees may apply.
- Substantial search fees will be incurred if any of the court notices sent to the adoption parties are undeliverable and the applicant opts to pursue a search for the parties via a court approved search agent.
|
| Non-identifying medical and racial background information on natural parents only | Request by the adult adoptee, adoptive parents, or legal parents. | None |
| Copy of adoption decree | Available in limited circumstances
(court review of file required to determine permissions required from parties to adoption) | Nominal per copy fee plus certificationfee. Other retrieval fees may apply. |
Copy of original birth certificate of child
(available to natural parents only) | Available in limited circumstances
(court review of file required to determine permissions required from parties to adoption) | Nominal per copy fee plus certificationfee. Other retrieval fees may apply. |
What information to provide
Following is the information you will be asked to provide on the application. Additional supporting documents may be required:
- Child’s name at birth or after adoption, (whichever is known)
- Date and place of birth
- Names (first, middle, last) of adoptive father and mother, if known
- Names (first, middle, last) of biological father and mother, if known
Person adopted
(in relation to person completing application form) | Requestor
(person who will be completing application form) | Documents to bring
(relationships based on columns 1 and 2) |
|---|
| Child (minor) | Adoptive Parent | - Child's current birth certificate
- Adoptive parent's ID
|
| Self (adult) | Self | |
| Parent | Child (adult) | - Parent's birth certificate
- Child's birth certificate
- Child's ID
- Parent's death certificate. If not deceased, the parent should complete the request for his or herself. Extenuating circumstances should be explained in a letter.
|
| Other | Other | - Contact the family court for information
|
Submitting adoption documents to the Data Center
At minimum, allow six weeks for the court to process your request. Submit the original document or a certified copy of the document issued by the court if you requested the LRE, adoption decree, or copy of the original birth certificate. If you requested an inspection of the adoption records, the Data Center will only accept court-certified photocopies of documents contained in the file.
Paternity affidavits
If a child’s parents were not married at the time of the child’s birth and the father is not present to sign paternity documents, the child’s father will not be listed on the birth certificate. If both parents later choose to add the father’s name to the birth certificate, they may file a notarized paternity affidavit with the Department of Health to amend the child’s birth certificate to reflect the biological father’s information. In other cases, parents who are married after a child’s birth may choose to legitimate the birth even if the father’s name was on the original birth certificate. Upon issuance of the amended birth certificate, the paternity affidavit is sealed and kept on file by the Department of Health. In Hawai‘i, the sealed affidavits can only be accessed through a court order from the Hawai‘i State Family Court.
Applying for the affidavit
Applications for a court order to obtain sealed paternity affidavits are available either at the Family Court, First Circuit (for O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and Kaua‘i births) or the Family Court, Third Circuit (Hawai‘i Island).
Request and complete an “Application Re Confidential Family Court Records" form. Select “Paternity Affidavit" under “Paternity records".
If applying in person, see below for court locations. If applying by mail, please send the application to:
Family Court, First Circuit
Judicial Services Office
4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, HI 96707
Phone: (808) 954-8145
What information to provide
The table below lists the supporting documents to bring with you when you apply for the paternity affidavit. If you are applying for the affidavit by mail, a photocopy of the original documents should be included in your request.
Obtaining the affidavit from the Department of Health
You will be notified by mail once the court order has been issued granting authorization to the DOH to open the sealed documents. Please allow at least 6 weeks for processing. Mail or hand carry the notification letter to the DOH and they will mail you a certified copy of the paternity affidavit. You may also request that the DOH hold the document and notify you when it is ready for pick-up. (See above for the DOH location.)
Fee:
$10 payable at time of request.
Cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks are accepted if requesting in person. Money orders, or cashier’s checks are accepted if requesting by mail. Checks should be made payable to: the State Department of Health.
Person whose BC was amended
(in relation to person completing application form) | Requestor
(person who will be completing application form) | Documents to bring
(relationships based on columns 1 and 2) |
|---|
| Child (minor) | Parent | - Child's birth certificate
- Parent's ID
|
| Self (adult) | Self | |
| Parent | Child (adult) | - Parent's birth certificate
- Child's birth certificate
- Child's ID
- Parent's death certificate. If not deceased, the parent should complete the request for his or herself. Extenuating circumstances should be explained in a letter.
|
| Other | Other | - Contact the family court for information
|
Submitting the paternity affidavit to the Data Center
Submit to the Data Center the certified copy of the paternity affidavit. Photocopies are not accepted.
For more information
If you have questions about the paternity affidavit process, visit the Hawai‘i State Judiciary Web site at: http://www.courts.state.hi.us or contact the department directly at (808) 954-8145. This information was current at the time of printing but is subject to change by the Family Court and/or Department of Health without our knowledge.
Obtaining mainland documents
Contact the vital records office of the state in which the birth occurred for more information. State by state contact information can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. You may also contact the family court of the state in which the birth occurred. Visit the National Center for State Courts Web site at: http://www.ncsc.org for contact information.
Family court locations and contact information
Hawai‘i Island
Family Court, Third Circuit
Juvenile Client Services
Hale Kaulike Judiciary Complex
777 Kilauea Ave, Suite A-01
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 961-7670
Kaua‘i
Family Court, Fifth Circuit
Juvenile Client & Family Services
3970 Ka‘ana Street, Suite A201
Līhu‘e, HI 96766
Phone: (808) 482-2350
Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i
Family Court, Second Circuit
Adoption Records
Juvenile Client & Family Services, Hoapili Hale
2145 Main Street, Suite 226
Wailuku, HI 96793-1679
Phone: (808) 244-2770
O‘ahu
Family Court, First Circuit
Judicial Services Office
4675 Kapolei Parkway
Kapolei, HI 96707
Phone: (808) 954-8145
Information Resources
State of Hawai‘i Archives
‘Iolani Palace Grounds, Kekāuluohi Bldg.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-0329
To obtain historical documents, including marriage documents, name change documents, and birth records. The Data Center will only accept photocopies of documents if certified by the State Historian.
State of Hawai‘i Bureau of Conveyances
1151 Punchbowl St. #120
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 587-0147
To obtain land titles and related documents, and name change documents.
Hawai‘i State Library, Main Branch
478 S. King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-3500
To access microfilm copies of vital records, old newspapers (which contain birth and death notices), and census documents. The Data Center does not accept microfilm copies, but this is a valuable resource to help you in your search for certified documents.
Web Resources
Hawai‘i State Department of Health
http://www.hawaii.gov/vital records/
Hawai‘i State Family Courts
http://www.courts.state.hi.us/courts/family/family_courts.html
National Center for State Courts
For a listing of family court Web sites in states other than Hawai‘i
http://www.ncsc.org/information-and-resources/browse-by-state/state-court-websites.aspx
Department of Health and Human Services
A resource for adoption information, including state by state availability of adoption records http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/
National Center for Health Statistics
A resource to help you obtain vital records for events that occurred outside of Hawai‘i http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
LDS Family History Center
Online family history, family tree and genealogy records
http://www.familysearch.org
American Association of Blood Banks
A resource for DNA testing http://www.aabb.org/SA/FACILITIES/Pages/RTestAccrFAC.aspx
