How to Get Court Disposition Records in Hawaii

Why You Need Certified Court Dispositions

If the state's Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) doesn't have your final disposition — and it frequently doesn't, especially for older cases — you may need to obtain a certified copy of the court's dismissal or acquittal order and attach it to your Form 159(b).

This is one of the most common rejection points. The HCJDC's database often lacks critical details like the specific outcome of an arrest, the type of drug involved in a possession charge, or whether a case was dismissed with or without prejudice. For non-conviction applications, certified dismissal documentation is not required but is helpful; if the HCJDC lacks critical details, supplying it can help prevent a rejection and retention of the $10 non-refundable administrative fee.

Step 1: Search eCourt Kōkua

Start by searching the Hawaii Judiciary's eCourt Kōkua system (courts.state.hi.us) to locate your case. You can search by name, case number, or date range — and the search itself is free.

What you're looking for is the final docket entry showing the disposition: dismissed, acquitted, nolle prosequi (the prosecution dropped the charges), or the discharge and dismissal order from a completed deferred acceptance plea. Note the exact case number, the circuit (First through Fifth), and the date of the final entry.

If your case doesn't appear on eCourt Kōkua at all, it may predate the system's digital records. Older cases from the 1980s and 1990s may require a request to the originating courthouse's physical records.

Step 2: Request Certified Copies

Once you've identified your case, you can request certified copies of the disposition through the court clerk's office. The fee structure is straightforward:

• 1–30 pages: $3 flat fee
• Over 30 pages: $0.10 per additional page

For a standard dismissal or acquittal order, you're looking at a single document of one to three pages — so the typical cost is $3.

You can request documents in person at the courthouse records room, by mail, or through the eCourt system for courts that support electronic document requests. In-person requests at the Honolulu courthouse (First Circuit) are generally processed the same day. Mail requests take longer — typically one to two weeks.

Courthouse Locations by Circuit

The court that has your records is the court where your case was prosecuted — not necessarily where you live now:

• First Circuit (Oahu): Kaʻahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu — handles the highest volume of records requests
• Second Circuit (Maui County): Hoapili Hale, 2145 Main Street, Wailuku — covers Maui, Molokai, and Lanai
• Third Circuit (Hawaii Island): Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo — or Keahuolū Courthouse for West Hawaii cases
• Fifth Circuit (Kauai): Puʻuhonua Kaulike Building, 3970 Kaʻana Street, Lihue

If you were arrested on a different island from where you currently live, you'll need to contact the records room of the courthouse in the circuit where the case was prosecuted. Phone requests for document availability can save you an unnecessary inter-island trip.

The Rap Sheet Alternative

If you need a complete picture of every arrest on your record — not just one case — request a copy of your state rap sheet directly from the HCJDC using Form HCJDC-073. This is a fingerprint-based criminal history search that costs $25 and shows every entry in the state's centralized system.

The rap sheet is particularly useful when you're filing multiple expungement applications or when you're not sure exactly what's on your record. It also helps you verify that the information on your Form 159(b) matches the HCJDC's database exactly — a mismatch in name, date of birth, or arrest number is another common rejection trigger.

Connecting Dispositions to Your Expungement Application

Our Hawaii Expungement Guide includes a step-by-step walkthrough for obtaining certified dispositions across all four judicial circuits and for completing the Form 159(b) with the exact data the HCJDC requires. The guide's checklist covers the specific documents you need for each type of case — dismissals, acquittals, completed deferred pleas, and juvenile records.

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