How Do I Look Up Warrants in Hawaii?

You can use HawaiiCourts.us to locate a warrant in Hawaii, as it compiles publicly available information reported by Hawaii's courts and law enforcement agencies into a single search. A search reveals the warrant type, issuing court, case number, alleged offense, and bail or bond amount, when available.

Hawaii's law enforcement structure differs from every other state. There are no county sheriffs and no state police. The state's four counties - the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i County, Maui County, and Kaua'i County - each operate an independent police department that handles everything from traffic enforcement to warrant service. The state Department of Law Enforcement employs deputy sheriffs who serve the courts, but those officers do not maintain the county-level warrant databases that matter for a public records search. The Hawaii State Judiciary does run eCourt Kokua, a free online case-lookup tool, but it displays docket entries and case information - not a dedicated warrant index. If a criminal case has been filed, you can piece together whether a bench warrant exists from the docket. Active arrest warrants that have not yet led to a filed case are another matter entirely.

With only four counties, the scope of a manual search is smaller than in states like Georgia or Texas. But the tradeoff is that Hawaii's police departments are not structured around providing public warrant lookups - there is no online warrant list published by any of the four departments - which makes a consolidated search through HawaiiCourts.us a practical starting point rather than a convenience.

Are Warrants Public Information in Hawaii?

Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act (HRS § 92F-11) establishes a broad default: all government records are open to public inspection unless access is restricted or closed by law. Agencies must make disclosable records available for inspection and copying during regular business hours, and the statute does not require the requester to state a reason for the request.

Arrest warrants issued under HRS § 803-1 and bench warrants issued for failures to appear become part of the court file upon issuance. Once a case is docketed, its existence - including any associated warrants - is accessible through the judiciary's records system. The affidavit of probable cause supporting an arrest warrant is also a court record, though individual agencies vary in how readily they produce it.

Search warrants and records tied to active investigations are treated differently. HRS § 92F-13(3) exempts government records that "by their nature, must be confidential in order for the government to avoid the frustration of a legitimate government function." Law enforcement agencies routinely invoke this provision to withhold search warrant affidavits and investigative files while a case remains open. The Hawaii Supreme Court has upheld this exemption in multiple contexts, giving agencies substantial discretion over the timing of disclosure. Warrants connected to sealed grand jury proceedings or juvenile cases carry additional statutory protections that override the UIPA's default of openness.

The gap between what is legally a public record and what is published online is pronounced in Hawaii. None of the four county police departments maintain a searchable warrant database on their websites, and the judiciary's eCourt Kokua system indexes case dockets rather than warrant status.

How to Search for a Warrant in Hawaii

1. Use HawaiiCourts.us first. Our Instant Warrant Lookup presents you with warrant record data compiled from available public resources in one convenient search. When available, you can find warrant type, issuing court, case number, alleged offense, and bail/bond amount, among other details, depending on the record type and issuing county.
2. Search eCourt Kokua. The Hawaii State Judiciary's eCourt Kokua provides free access to traffic, criminal, civil, family, land court, and appellate case information statewide. You can search by name or case number. The system covers all four circuits, but it displays docket entries and case status - not a warrant-specific index. A bench warrant for failure to appear will show up as a docket event within an existing case; a pre-arrest warrant with no filed case will not appear at all.
3. Call the county police department. Hawaii does not have county sheriffs. Warrant inquiries go to the police department in the relevant county. Have the subject's full legal name, date of birth, and any known case details. The four departments and their non-emergency numbers are: Honolulu PD at (808) 529-3111, Hawai'i PD at (808) 935-3311, Maui PD at (808) 244-6400, and Kaua'i PD at (808) 241-1711.
4. Visit in person. Each county police department accepts walk-in records requests at its headquarters. Anyone checking on a warrant issued against themselves should be aware that appearing in person at a police facility may result in immediate arrest if an active warrant is confirmed.
5. Retain an attorney. An attorney can contact the county prosecutor's office or police records division on a client's behalf without triggering an arrest, and can advise on whether to arrange a voluntary surrender or file a motion to quash or recall the warrant.

How Long Is a Warrant Active in Hawaii?

Arrest warrants and bench warrants in Hawaii do not expire. They remain active until the subject is arrested, the court recalls the warrant, or the case is resolved. Search warrants carry a strict execution deadline: under HRPP Rule 41(c), a search warrant must command the officer to search within a specified period not to exceed ten days from issuance. Any warrant not executed within the court-specified window is void. Hawaii is also one of the few states with no state police force and no statewide law enforcement computer system that is open to the public for warrant checks - meaning an outstanding warrant could sit undetected in a single county's records indefinitely if the subject never encounters law enforcement in that jurisdiction.

Hawaii Warrant Records by County

Hawaii has only four counties, the fewest of any U.S. state. Each county's police department - not a sheriff's office - is responsible for serving and tracking warrants within its jurisdiction. There is no centralized statewide warrant database accessible to the public. The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, housed within the Attorney General's office, maintains criminal history records but does not publish an open warrant list. A warrant search must be directed to the police department in the specific county where the warrant may have been issued. The table below lists all four county law enforcement agencies.