What is a background check?
A background check is an investigation into an individual’s criminal record, employment history, driving record, education, finances, or other aspects of their personal history.
Background checks are often performed by an organization or company in order to screen a subject before a significant financial or legal agreement. However, individuals regularly perform background checks on themselves to make sure that the public information on them matches their personal records.
For more general information on background checks, consult our Background Checks FAQS page.
How do I run a criminal background check in Hawaii?
The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center hosts an online search tool called eCRIM that allows individuals to search the state repository for the criminal history information or arrest records of anyone on-file. Click here to visit the site.
Each search costs $5 and the cost of a single report is $10 which is emailed to the requester upon payment.
What can I do if my Hawaii criminal history record has incomplete or inaccurate information?
Individuals may challenge an error on a Hawaii criminal through the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. Required to make a challenge are a copy of a certified criminal history record and an official fingerprint card with all ten fingerprints taken obtained at a local police department or sheriff’s office.
Contact the HCJDC at [email protected] for more information.
How do I search Hawaii court records?
Hawaii has two online services available to the public for looking up court records:
- Hoohiki – Free to use
Hoohiki contains the following court records:
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- Family Court civil case records
- eCourt Kokua – Individual documents cost $3 for a full document or $0.10 a page. Subscriptions can be purchased for $125 per quarter or $500 a year and allow subscribers to view unlimited records.
eCourt Kokua contains the following court records:
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- Traffic cases
- District and Circuit Court criminal cases
- District and Circuit Court civil cases
- Family Court criminal cases
- Land Court cases
- Tax Appeal Court cases
- Appellate cases
Where can I find Hawaii driving records online?
Hawaii driver history records are not available online.
To obtain a copy of a Hawaii driver history record, you must visit the District Court nearest you and request a record (click here for a District Court contact information).
The cost of one driver history record is $9.
If you have any questions, contact the Hawaii Department of Transportation at 808-692-7656.
How do I look up Hawaii vital records such as birth certificates and marriage licenses?
Vital records are records of important life events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that are kept by government agencies and accessible upon request.
Vital records are not public records that can be viewed by anyone, but the subject(s) of the record and authorized family members can view them in-person or order copies through a number of means. Additionally, one or more vital records may be required to complete a background check.
The Hawaii State Department of Health enables individuals to order copies of vital records online. Signing up for an eHawaii account is optional but allows for quicker form completion and makes the reordering process more convenient.
Available vital records include:
- birth certificates
- marriage/civil union certificates
Click here to order a Hawaii vital record.
For more information, contact Hawaii State Department of Health at 808-586-4400.
How do I search for a person’s sex offender status in Hawaii?
Persons convicted of sex-related crimes or certain crimes against children are required to register as sex offenders in the state.
The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center makes the Hawaii Sex Offender Registry available online to the general public. Users can search for offenders by name or area.
Click here to search for Hawaii sex offenders.
How do I perform a credit history background check in Hawaii?
Performing a credit check in Hawaii follows the same process as in other states. A federal law known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) grants every American one free annual credit report each from the three main U.S. credit bureaus:
In order to obtain your free credit report from one of these three bureaus, you must provide the following information:
- Full name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Social security number
