Hawaii County Genealogy Records

Hawaii County genealogy records on the Big Island go back to the mid-1800s, covering births, deaths, marriages, probate filings, land transfers, and court cases that span well over a century of island life. This guide walks you through the key offices, online tools, and local collections that hold family history data for the Big Island.

Hawaii County Clerk and Health Office Records

The Hawaii County Clerk is the main local government contact for administrative records on the Big Island. The clerk's office is at 25 Aupuni Street, Room 209, Hilo, HI 96720-4252. You can reach them by phone at (808) 961-8255. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk does not issue certified vital records directly. Those come from the state health office.

For birth, death, and marriage certificates, you go through the Hawaii District Health Office. The Hilo location sits at 75 Aupuni Street, Suite 201, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, and their number is (808) 974-6008. A second office serves West Hawaii from 67-5189 Kamamalu Street, Kamuela, Hawaii 96743 at (808) 887-8114. Both offices keep the same hours as the clerk: Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. Staff can help with certificate applications and point researchers toward genealogy resources. Under HRS §338-18, access to vital records is restricted to the registrant, immediate family, legal representatives, and others who can show a direct and tangible interest.

Land records are a separate matter. The Bureau of Conveyances handles all real property documents for the state. Their main office is at 1151 Punchbowl St #120, Honolulu. You can call them at (808) 587-0147. The Bureau of Conveyances website also provides online search tools. For genealogical work, land records can confirm family relationships, trace property through generations, and help establish dates of residence on the Big Island.

Note: Indexes to birth records from 1896 to 1909 are available on microfilm at the Hilo Public Library, which can be useful when the health office cannot provide a certificate for older entries.

Third and Fourth Circuit Courts in Hawaii County

Two circuit courts serve Hawaii County. The Third Circuit covers Hilo and the East Hawaii side of the island. The Fourth Circuit handles West Hawaii, including the Kailua-Kona area. Both courts have generated records that genealogists rely on heavily, from probate files naming heirs and creditors to marriage certificates and civil case records going back into the 1800s.

The Third Circuit Court is at 777 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI 96720. You can call (808) 961-7440. The Hawaii State Judiciary website hosts the eCourt Kokua portal, which lets you search Third Circuit cases by party name. Document access runs $3 for a regular copy and $5 for a certified copy. Marriage certificates from the Big Island Third Circuit from 1905 to 1950 are on microfilm arranged alphabetically by the groom's name. That microfilm is an important resource when researching early 20th century marriages on the island.

The Fourth Circuit built its own record base over the years. Probate records from the Fourth Circuit run from 1847 to 1904. Those files name heirs, list assets, and can reveal family structures that vital records alone won't show. The Third Circuit holds probate records from 1854 to 1897. When you combine both sets, you get a fairly complete picture of estate filings across the Big Island from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s.

The Hawaii State Archives also holds a significant collection of Big Island court records. Birth records covering Hawaii from 1853 to 1861, 1869 to 1897, and 1900 are there, along with death records from 1853 to 1896. Third Circuit marriage certificates from 1905 to 1950 are part of the archives collection too. The Hawaii Digital Archives has made portions of this collection searchable online.

The Hawaii State Judiciary's online portal gives you direct access to Third Circuit cases, letting you search by party name and purchase document copies without a courthouse visit.

Hawaii County Genealogy Record Dates and Coverage

Hawaii County has one of the deeper record sets of any county in the state. Death records start in 1841. Marriage records go back to 1846. Birth records begin in 1859, though compliance with registration requirements was uneven before 1896 and did not reach general levels until around 1929. Court records open in 1854. Land records date from 1848. Probate records also start in 1854. Census records for the county begin with the 1890 count.

Statewide vital registration actually began in 1842, but very few records from before 1896 have survived. If you are researching family on the Big Island before the turn of the century, you will likely need to supplement vital records with church registers, tax rolls, and land documents. Mission records from the early Protestant and Catholic missions on the island can fill gaps that government records leave open. FamilySearch has digitized and indexed many of these collections, making them accessible without a trip to Honolulu.

Census records give you population snapshots. Hawaii County had 46,843 residents in 1900, growing to 55,382 by 1910, then 64,895 in 1920, 73,325 in 1930, and 68,350 by 1950. The 2000 count reached 148,677 and the 2010 count came in at 185,079. Earlier census rolls are available on microfilm at the Hawaii State Library.

Note: FamilySearch has indexed Hawaii birth records from 1841 to 1944, marriage records from 1803 to 1940, death records from 1841 to 1942, divorce records from 1848 to 1892, probate records from 1814 to 1917, and a grantor-grantee land index from 1845 to 1909, all freely searchable at familysearch.org.

Kona Historical Society and Local Collections

The Kona Historical Society holds collections that matter to anyone researching West Hawaii families. The society focuses on the Kona district and keeps documents, photographs, and records tied to the communities that grew up on the western slopes of the Big Island. For genealogists with roots in that part of the island, the society's holdings can be hard to find anywhere else.

Their collections directory organizes the holdings so you can identify what is relevant before visiting. The Kona district had its own distinct population mix, with Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Filipino, and Native Hawaiian families all farming coffee and other crops along the hillsides. Records tied to these communities, including plantation labor documents and community organization records, can help trace family lines that did not generate much in the way of formal government paperwork.

The Kona Historical Society archives preserve records specific to West Hawaii communities that are not held by state or county offices, making it a key stop for Big Island genealogy research.

The collections directory at the Kona Historical Society lets you browse holdings by subject and record type before making a research visit or inquiry.

The Hawaii State Archives in Honolulu also holds materials relevant to Hawaii County genealogy research. Their online gateway at digitalarchives.hawaii.gov gives access to digitized records including land documents, court files, and vital records indexes. The Archives of Hawaii maintains records transferred from county and state offices going back well into the territorial and kingdom periods.

Cemetery and Burial Records in Hawaii County

Cemetery records add a layer to Hawaii County genealogy research that vital records sometimes miss. Burial inscriptions often include birth dates, death dates, and family relationships carved directly on markers. Several online databases index Big Island cemeteries, and local organizations have done transcription work on the island's graveyards.

Find a Grave and BillionGraves both have Hawaii County entries contributed by volunteers over many years. Interment.net also carries listings for the island. The USGW Tombstone Transcription Project has collected data from Hawaiian cemeteries as part of its broader national effort. These free databases are a good starting point before reaching out to local funeral homes or cemetery offices for records.

Several funeral homes serve Hawaii County. Ballard Family Mortuary operates in both Hilo and Kailua-Kona. Dodo Mortuary, Inc. and Crematory has locations in Hilo and Kealakekua. Homelani Memorial Park and Crematory is in Hilo. Kona Memorial Park serves the Holualoa area. Cremation Services of West Hawaii is in Kailua-Kona. Funeral home records sometimes document information not captured in state death certificates, including names of survivors and places of origin for immigrants.

Hawaii County HI GenWeb also lists cemetery resources for the Big Island. For broader genealogy research on the island, the Hawaii State Genealogy Society can point you toward local collections and research guides specific to Big Island families and communities.

Hawaii County genealogy research resources include cemetery transcriptions, county record indexes, and links to local organizations that help researchers find Big Island family records.

Libraries and FamilySearch Centers in Hawaii County

The Hilo Public Library is the primary library genealogy resource on the Big Island. It holds microfilm copies of birth indexes from 1896 to 1909, which can help verify early births when original certificates are missing or restricted. The library is part of the Hawaii State Public Library System. You can check holdings and hours through librarieshawaii.org.

Two FamilySearch Family History Centers operate in Hawaii County. The Kau center can be reached at (808) 929-7123. The Kona center is at (808) 329-4469. FamilySearch centers provide free access to microfilm collections and digital records through the FamilySearch library system. Center volunteers can help you navigate both the online catalog and physical film collections. You do not need to be a member of any organization to use a FamilySearch center.

The FamilySearch website itself is a major tool for Hawaii County genealogy research. Tax assessment rolls from 1847 to 1903 are indexed there. The grantor and grantee land index from 1845 to 1909 is also on FamilySearch and is free to search. These records cover the kingdom, provisional government, republic, and early territorial periods, which are the most challenging eras for Big Island family research. All of those indexed collections are searchable by name without any subscription or fee.

Note: The Hawaii State Library in Honolulu holds additional census microfilm and research tools for Hawaii County that are not always available at the Hilo branch. If your research requires census records from 1910 through 1940, contact the state library or check their catalog online.

Cities in Hawaii County

Hilo is the county seat and the largest city on the Big Island. All major Hawaii County offices, including the circuit court and health office, are based there.

Other communities on the Big Island include Kailua-Kona, Waimea, Pahoa, Keaau, and Volcano. These areas file records through the Hawaii County court system and the state health offices in Hilo and Kamuela.

Nearby Counties

Hawaii County shares state waters with the other Hawaii counties. Each county has its own circuit court and health office handling local genealogy records.