Wahiawa Genealogy Records
Wahiawa sits in central Oahu and falls under Honolulu County, where the First Circuit Court and state agencies hold genealogy records going back to the mid-1800s. This guide covers the main sources, how to reach them, and what each one holds for family history research in this area.
Wahiawa Quick Facts
Honolulu County and First Circuit Court Records
All civil and family court filings for Wahiawa go through the First Circuit Court, which serves all of Oahu. That means divorce decrees, probate files, and civil case records are filed there. The court's online system, eCourt Kokua, lets you search by party name or case number at no charge. You can find it at courts.state.hi.us. Copies of documents cost $3 for the first page and $5 per page after that.
For older court files, researchers often find more at the Hawaii State Archives. Divorce case files from the First Circuit covering the years 1848 to 1915 are held there rather than at the court itself. Probate records from the First Circuit spanning 1847 to 1921 are also available at the Archives. These older files can name spouses, children, heirs, and other relatives, making them useful for tracing family lines back several generations.
Hawaii State Department of Health Vital Records
The Hawaii State Department of Health issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records. For genealogy work, records that are at least 75 years old are open to the public under HRS ยง338-18. More recent records require proof of a direct family connection.
You can request records in person, by mail, or online. The office is at 1250 Punchbowl St., Room 103, Honolulu, and is open Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The phone number is (808) 586-4539. The fee for the first certified copy is $10, with each extra copy at $4. Online orders through the state portal at vitrec.ehawaii.gov carry a $2.50 processing fee on top of the per-copy cost.
The Department of Health also runs a separate genealogy request page at health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/genealogy. That page explains what documentation researchers need to submit and which records fall under the open-access rule. It is a good first stop before you send in a request.
The main vital records site is health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords. Mailed requests should go to the same Punchbowl Street address.
Hawaii State Archives
The Hawaii State Archives is one of the most valuable sources for Wahiawa genealogy research, especially for families with roots going back to the Kingdom of Hawaii era. The Archives holds Oahu birth records from 1852 to 1885, death records from 1852 to 1873, and marriage records from 1826 to 1929. These predate the formal state vital records system and cover the period when Hawaii was a kingdom and later a territory.
The Archives is located at 367 S. King St., Honolulu. The phone number is (808) 586-0329. A genealogy research guide is posted at ags.hawaii.gov/archives, and it outlines holdings by record type, date range, and access method. The digital collections are at digitalarchives.hawaii.gov, where some records can be viewed for free without a trip to Honolulu.
The Archives also holds First Circuit probate files from 1847 to 1921, as noted above. Probate records often list full names of heirs, ages, addresses, and family relationships, so they are worth checking even when you already have birth or marriage data.
Military Records for Wahiawa and Schofield Barracks
Wahiawa sits next to Schofield Barracks, one of the largest Army installations in the country. Many families in this area have ties to military service, and that shapes where certain genealogy records can be found. Service members' official military personnel files are not held by the state or county. They are held by the federal government.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) handles requests for military service records. You can submit a request through archives.gov. NARA holds Army service records, discharge papers (DD-214), and related files that can document a family member's rank, duty stations, dates of service, and more. These records are separate from Hawaii vital records and must be requested through federal channels, not through the state DOH or Honolulu County.
For families researching relatives stationed at Schofield during World War II or later, NARA's National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis is the primary repository. Note that a 1973 fire destroyed many Army records from that era, but partial records and reconstructed files may still exist.
FamilySearch and Local Family History Centers
FamilySearch, run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers free access to a large collection of Hawaii genealogy records. The online database at familysearch.org includes digitized vital records, census data, and other primary sources. Many Hawaii records from the Archives and the DOH have been indexed on FamilySearch, making them searchable by name.
The nearest FamilySearch Center to Wahiawa is the Mililani FamilySearch Center. Staff there can help with record lookups, microfilm access, and research strategy. The phone number is (808) 623-1712. No appointment is required during open hours, though calling ahead is a good idea. FamilySearch Centers provide free access to tools and databases that would otherwise require subscriptions.
Hawaii State Library and Online Databases
The Hawaii State Library system offers free in-library access to Ancestry.com, which holds a broad range of records including census data, passenger lists, and vital records indexes. You can use this at any branch, including the Wahiawa Public Library, without a paid subscription. The library system's main site is librarieshawaii.org.
The Wahiawa Public Library is a local option for in-person research. Staff can help you access microfilm indexes and online databases available through the library system. It is a good starting point before driving to Honolulu for records held at the State Archives or the DOH.
Ulukau and Hawaiian-Language Records
Ulukau is a free online library of Hawaiian-language materials and genealogy resources at ulukau.org. It holds transcribed marriage records from 1826 to 1929 and probate records from 1847 to 1917. These overlap with what the State Archives holds in original form. If you find a name match in Ulukau, you can then request the original file from the Archives for more detail. Ulukau is especially useful for families with Native Hawaiian roots or ancestors who lived in Hawaii before American annexation in 1898.
Access Genealogy Hawaii Resources
Access Genealogy at accessgenealogy.com/hawaii offers free transcribed genealogy records for Hawaii. The site aggregates records from multiple sources and makes them searchable by name. It is a useful supplementary tool alongside the official state and county sources. You won't find certified copies here, but you can often spot names, dates, and relationships that point you to the right official record to request.
Bureau of Conveyances and Land Records
If your Wahiawa genealogy research involves property ownership, the Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances holds land records going back to 1845. Property transfers, deeds, and land court documents can name owners, heirs, and sometimes spouses or children. The bureau's site is at dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc and the phone number is (808) 587-0147. Land records are not a primary genealogy tool but can fill gaps when vital records are missing or incomplete, particularly for families who owned land in central Oahu during the plantation era.
How to Start Your Wahiawa Family History Search
Most researchers find it helpful to start with what they already know and work backward. Here is a basic order that works well for Wahiawa and central Oahu research:
- Search eCourt Kokua for any civil, probate, or family court filings linked to your relatives
- Check FamilySearch online or visit the Mililani FamilySearch Center for digitized Hawaii records
- Request certified vital records from the Hawaii State DOH for births, deaths, and marriages
- Visit or contact the Hawaii State Archives for records predating 1900
- If military service is part of the family history, submit a request to NARA separately
Starting online saves time. Many Hawaii vital records indexes are now searchable through FamilySearch and Ancestry without leaving home. Once you identify specific documents you need, you can request certified copies from the DOH or originals from the Archives.
Nearby Cities for Genealogy Research
Other central Oahu communities near Wahiawa also fall under Honolulu County and the First Circuit Court. Researchers with family ties across the area may find related records filed in these locations: