Find Felony Records in Hawaii County

Hawaii County felony records are held by the Third Circuit Court and the Hawaii Police Department on the Big Island. You can search criminal case records online through the state court system, visit the Hilo or Kona courthouse in person, or request conviction data at a local HCJDC public access site. The county covers all of the Big Island, and both the Hilo and Kona divisions handle felony case files. Whether you need a certified copy of a court record or a name-based conviction search, this page covers the main ways to find Hawaii County felony records and who to contact.

Hawaii County Felony Records at the Third Circuit Court

The Third Circuit Court handles all felony criminal cases in Hawaii County. The court has two divisions: Hilo and Kona. Hilo serves the eastern side of the Big Island, covering Hilo, Puna, and Hamakua. Kona serves the western side, covering Kailua-Kona and surrounding communities. When a felony case is filed in Hawaii County, the record becomes part of the Third Circuit Court's official case file. Those files are public unless sealed by a judge.

You can search Hawaii County felony case records online through the state judiciary's eCourt Kokua system at courts.state.hi.us. The tool lets you look up cases by name, case number, or court location. It shows party names, charges, hearing dates, and case status. You don't need to make an account. Basic case info is free to view. Certified copies cost $2.00 per page plus a $2.00 certification fee, and you get those from the clerk's office at the courthouse.

Felony case records in Hawaii County are kept for 75 years. That means older cases are still accessible. If you know the year a case was filed, that can help narrow a search. The clerk's office at both locations can help you pull files in person if the online system doesn't give you what you need.

Hawaii Police Department and Felony Records

The Hawaii Police Department is the law enforcement agency for all of Hawaii County. They maintain arrest reports, police incident reports, and related records for felony cases on the Big Island. Their Records and Identification Section handles requests for police reports. You can make a request in person, by phone, or by mail.

The main office is at 349 Kapiolani Street in Hilo. The mailing address is the same: 349 Kapi'olani Street, Hilo, HI 96720. The main phone number is (808) 935-3311. Note that their email domain changed to @hawaiipolice.gov, so older @hawaiicounty.gov addresses no longer work. You can also pick up completed reports at any district station, which is useful if you're on the Kona side.

There's a time limit on when you can get a complete police report. Full reports are only available once the related case is closed, adjudicated, or after the statute of limitations has passed. If you're a victim who needs the report for insurance, you may be able to get a partial report before the case is closed. Processing takes about 10 working days for finalized and redacted arrest reports. The department's report request page at hawaiipolice.gov has current instructions and forms.

The screenshot below shows the Hawaii Police Department's main website, where you can find department contacts, services, and record request information for Hawaii County.

The Hawaii Police Department serves all of Hawaii County and is the primary agency for arrest records and incident reports tied to felony cases on the Big Island.

The page below is the HPD police report request portal, where you can start a request for records related to a Hawaii County felony case or other incident.

Use the HPD report request page to ask for police records by mail or in person at the Hilo headquarters or any district station.

Note: Complete police reports are not always available right away. If your case is still open, expect to wait until it is closed before getting the full file.

HCJDC Conviction Records in Hawaii County

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, run by the state Attorney General's office, maintains statewide conviction records. They operate public access sites across the state, including two in Hawaii County. These sites let you do a name-based conviction record search for adult felony and misdemeanor convictions. The search only covers adult records. Juvenile records and non-conviction data are not included.

Each printout costs $25. You go in person to one of the two locations listed below. These sites are useful when you need a quick, official record of someone's conviction history in Hawaii County or elsewhere in the state. The HCJDC does not provide arrest records or pending case information. Their public access sites page lists all locations statewide.

The screenshot below is the HCJDC main page, which explains how the state manages criminal justice data and what kinds of records it provides.

The HCJDC is the state's central source for conviction record data, and their public access sites in Hilo and Kona serve Hawaii County residents directly.

The page below lists all HCJDC public access sites by island, including both Hawaii County locations.

Both Hawaii County HCJDC sites are listed here. The Hilo location is co-located with the police department, and the Kona location is on Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

For statewide searches without visiting in person, the HCJDC also operates eCrim at ecrim.ehawaii.gov. Online searches cost $5. A full conviction report is $12. These are name-based and return adult conviction data only.

Hawaii County Traffic and Accident Records

Not all traffic records in Hawaii County rise to the felony level. Minor accidents, defined as those with no injuries and under $3,000 in damage, are treated as civil matters. In those cases, drivers exchange information using the Accident Exchange Form, and no police report is required. A more serious crash changes the picture fast. Under Hawaii state law, specifically HRS § 291C-16, a law enforcement officer must file a written report when a crash involves injuries or property damage of $3,000 or more.

Felony-level traffic offenses in Hawaii County can include cases with serious injuries, deaths, or an impaired driver. Those reports go through HPD and eventually into the court system if charges are filed. The resulting criminal case records would appear in the Third Circuit Court system and can be found through eCourt Kokua.

The image below shows a Hawaii County Police Department page explaining how minor accident procedures work, which helps clarify what generates an official police record versus a simple exchange of information.

For accidents involving injuries or significant damage, HPD files a report that may later become part of a felony case record in the Third Circuit Court system.

Online Access to Hawaii County Felony Records

Hawaii County felony records can be searched online through a few state-run tools. The main one is eCourt Kokua, the Hawaii judiciary's public case search system. You can find it at courts.state.hi.us. This system covers all circuit courts in the state, including the Third Circuit in Hawaii County. You search by name or case number. Results show charges, hearing events, and case status.

The HCJDC's online eCrim tool at ecrim.ehawaii.gov gives you conviction record data statewide. It's separate from the court search. eCrim shows you whether someone has a conviction on record in Hawaii. It costs $5 for a search and $12 for a full report. This is the faster path if you just need to know about a conviction rather than pull court documents.

For records that aren't available online, Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA) under HRS Chapter 92F gives the public a right to request government records. The default rule is that all government records are open unless restricted by law. You can submit a UIPA request to Hawaii County for county-held records. The state Office of Information Practices at oip.hawaii.gov explains the process and your rights under the law.

Note: UIPA requests can take up to 10 business days for an initial response. Complex requests may take longer depending on the volume of records involved.

Expungement of Hawaii County Felony Records

Some people with felony records in Hawaii County may be able to get those records expunged. Expungement removes the record from public view. Not all felony convictions qualify. Hawaii law limits who can apply. Cases that were dismissed or resulted in a not-guilty verdict are generally eligible. Convictions for first-time drug offenses under certain programs may also qualify. Serious violent felonies typically do not.

The HCJDC handles expungement applications for Hawaii. Their expungement page at ag.hawaii.gov explains who qualifies, what forms to fill out, and how to submit a request. The Attorney General's office reviews applications and issues expungement orders. Once an order is issued, the HCJDC notifies the relevant agencies, including HPD. After that, the record should no longer appear in public searches.

Hawaii's criminal record access rules are found in HRS § 846-2.7, which governs who can access criminal history record information and under what conditions. Understanding this law can help clarify what records are public and what has been restricted. You can also find the full text of Hawaii statutes at law.hawaii.gov.

Cities in Hawaii County

Hawaii County covers the entire Big Island. Hilo is the county seat and the largest city on the island. Felony cases from anywhere in the county go through the Third Circuit Court system in either the Hilo or Kona division.

Other communities in Hawaii County include Kailua-Kona, Pahoa, Captain Cook, Waimea, Honoka'a, and Naalehu. Felony records for all of these areas are filed at the Third Circuit Court.

Nearby Counties

Hawaii is made up of four counties. The other three are accessible by the links below. If you're not sure which island or county a case was filed in, the eCourt Kokua search system covers all of them statewide.