Kauai County Genealogy Records

Kauai County holds genealogy records that reach back to the mid-1800s, giving family researchers access to birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and court documents tied to the island's past. Records are spread across several offices in Lihue, and this guide covers each one so you know exactly where to look and what to ask for.

Kauai County Clerk Records Access

The Kauai County Clerk's office sits at 4396 Rice Street, Suite 101, Lihue, HI 96766. You can reach them by phone at (808) 241-4800. Hours run Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk handles public records requests under Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA), which gives the public a right to inspect government documents. Copies cost $0.25 per page. Search time runs $2.50 per 15 minutes, though the first hour is free. These fees are modest compared to many other states, so budget requests rarely get expensive.

Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records are not held at the County Clerk's office. Those come from the state Department of Health. The County Clerk does maintain tax records, business licenses, meeting minutes, and property-related documents that can help fill gaps in a family search. If you need land records, the Bureau of Conveyances handles those separately. Their phone number for Kauai inquiries is (808) 587-0147.

Kauai District Health Office Vital Records

The Kauai District Health Office at 3040 Umi Street, Lihue, HI 96766 is the local arm of the Hawaii Department of Health. They process vital records requests for Kauai residents and assist with genealogy research tied to birth and death certificates. You can call them at (808) 241-3498 or email doh.kauaivitalrecords@doh.hawaii.gov. Office hours match the county clerk: Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM.

Hawaii vital records go back a long way. Birth records on file start from 1853. Marriage records begin as early as 1846. Death records for Kauai start in 1852, with additional years covered from 1856 to 1857. Access to these records is governed by Hawaii Revised Statutes section 338-18 (HRS §338-18), which limits who can get certified copies. Eligible requesters include the person named on the record, their spouse, parents, children, or a legal representative. Genealogical researchers who need records for deceased persons more than 75 years old can apply through a separate process. The health office staff can walk you through the right form to use.

Birth indexes covering 1896 to 1909 are available at the Lihue Public Library. If you want to check names and dates without ordering a certified copy, that index is a useful free resource. The Hawaii Digital Archives also holds some older state records that may help bridge gaps in your research.

The Kauai District Health Office page on the DOH website shows current fees, required forms, and mailing instructions for remote requests. If you cannot visit in person, a mail request is an option. Include a copy of your ID and a signed statement of your relationship to the person on the record.

Note: FamilySearch has digitized Hawaii birth records from 1841 to 1944, marriage records from 1803 to 1940, and death records from 1841 to 1925. These are free to search online and can help confirm dates before you order official copies.

The image below comes from the Kauai District Health Office vital records page, which shows current services and contact details.

The page lists current processing times and any temporary closures, so check it before you make a trip to Lihue.

Kauai County Fifth Circuit Court Records

The Hawaii State Judiciary operates the Fifth Circuit Court at 3970 Kaana Street, Suite 210, Lihue, HI 96766. This court serves Kauai County and the island of Niihau. Phone: (808) 482-2300. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For genealogists, the Fifth Circuit is a key source. Court records go back to 1851. Land records begin in 1848. Probate records start in 1851 and run through 1914 on microfilm labeled MFL 51.

Marriage certificates from Kauai and Niihau filed through the Fifth Circuit cover the years 1905 to 1949. These are different from the vital records held at the health office and can fill in gaps for that time period. Probate files are especially useful for genealogy work because they name heirs, list assets, and sometimes include letters and statements from family members. The Fifth Circuit's older probate records through 1914 have been microfilmed and may be accessible through the Hawaii State Archives or through research libraries with microfilm access.

Online case searching is available through eCourt Kokua. Case IDs for Fifth Circuit cases follow the format 5XX##########. You can search by party name or by case ID. Documents are available for purchase through the portal. Older records may not be fully digitized, so an in-person visit or a written request to the court clerk may be needed for pre-1990 files.

Divorce records from Kauai County courts are filed at the Fifth Circuit. Divorce records from 1848 to 1892 are also held in the FamilySearch collection for Hawaii. If you need a certified copy of a divorce decree, contact the Fifth Circuit Court directly. They can tell you the cost and turnaround time based on your request.

Kauai County Bureau of Conveyances Land Records

The Bureau of Conveyances maintains land title records for the entire state of Hawaii. The Kauai branch is at 3060 Eiwa Street, Room 210, Lihue, HI 96766. Call (808) 241-3223. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Staff can assist with genealogy research by helping you use the Grantor/Grantee index to trace property ownership through generations. Land records for Kauai go back to 1848, making them among the oldest official records available on the island.

Land conveyance records are public and can show property transfers between family members, sales, inheritances, and boundary descriptions. FamilySearch holds a digitized Grantor and Grantee Index covering 1845 to 1909, which is a good starting point before you contact the Kauai branch directly. Tax records on FamilySearch cover 1847 to 1903 and can help establish residence, property ownership, and family connections for that era.

Note: Document recording services are also available at this location if you need to file updated land documents as part of an estate or probate process connected to your genealogy research.

Kauai Historical Society and Kauai Museum

The Kauai Historical Society is located in the Historic County Building at 4396 Rice Street, Suite 101, Lihu'e, HI 96766. Phone: (808) 245-3373. Email: info@kauaihistoricalsociety.org. The society holds local history records, photographs, and documents tied to Kauai families. If your ancestors lived on Kauai, the society's collection may have materials not found in any government archive. Researchers can contact them in advance to schedule access to their holdings.

The image below is from the Kauai Historical Society website, where you can learn more about their collections and research services.

Their site lists current hours and any research fees that may apply for non-members.

The Kauai Museum also holds collections relevant to Kauai family history. The museum's materials include photographs, documents, and artifacts from plantation-era families and earlier periods. It is worth contacting them if your research covers the late 19th or early 20th century, when plantation records and immigration documents were common sources of family data.

The image below links to the Kauai Museum's website, which describes current exhibits and research access options.

The museum and historical society are both housed near the county government complex in Lihue, so you can visit multiple research sites in one trip.

Note: The Hawaii State Archives in Honolulu holds birth records for Kauai from 1856 to 1857, death records from 1852 and 1856 to 1857, marriage certificates from the Fifth Circuit covering 1905 to 1949, and probate records from 1851 to 1914. If you cannot find what you need locally, the state archives is the next stop.

Kauai County Libraries and FamilySearch Centers

Hawaii's public library system offers free research tools for genealogists. Libraries Hawaii maintains six branches across Kauai County: Hanapepe, Kapaa, Koloa, Lihue, Princeville, and Waimea. The Lihue Public Library is particularly useful for genealogy work because it holds birth indexes covering 1896 to 1909. These indexes let you verify names and dates without ordering certified copies from the health department. Many branches also provide access to online genealogy databases like Ancestry and Newspapers.com through library card logins.

Three FamilySearch centers operate in Kauai County: the Kapaa Hawaii FamilySearch Center, the Kauai Hawaii FamilySearch Center, and the Kekaha Hawaii FamilySearch Center. These centers are free to use and offer access to FamilySearch's full digital library, including microfilm viewing equipment for older records not yet digitized. Volunteers at FamilySearch centers can help you navigate the Hawaii record collections and show you how to use online indexes effectively. No appointment is typically required, but calling ahead is a good idea.

FamilySearch's Hawaii collections are broad. Birth records run from 1841 to 1944. Marriage records cover 1803 to 1940. Death records span 1841 to 1925. Divorce records go from 1848 to 1892. Probate records run 1814 to 1917. Land records include the Grantor and Grantee Index from 1845 to 1909. Tax records cover 1847 to 1903. These are all free to search at familysearch.org or at a FamilySearch center near you.

Funeral home records are another resource for death research. Three funeral homes serve Kauai County: Borthwick Kaua'i Mortuary in Koloa, Garden Island Mortuary in Lawai, and Kauai Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home in Lihue. Funeral homes sometimes retain records beyond what appears in official death certificates, including names of next of kin and place of burial.

The image below comes from the Kauai County Government website, which links to public records request forms and department contacts.

The site includes a directory of all county offices, which is helpful when you are not sure which department holds the record you need.

For older digitized state records, the Hawaii Digital Archives and the Hawaii State Archives both offer online finding aids. The state archives holds Fifth Circuit Court records for Kauai and Niihau, and their staff can assist with remote research requests by mail or email.

Note: If you plan to request records from multiple offices in Lihue, call ahead to confirm current hours and any walk-in restrictions. Some offices require appointments for in-depth research assistance.

City-Level Access in Kauai County

Kauai County has no incorporated cities with a population over 100,000, so there are no separate city-level genealogy pages for this county. All genealogy and vital records access for communities across Kauai, including Lihue, Kapaa, and Waimea, runs through the county-level offices described on this page. Whether you are researching family lines from the north shore, the west side, or the east coast, the same offices in Lihue handle your request. The county system is centralized, which makes it straightforward once you know which office holds the record type you need.

Smaller communities like Koloa, Hanapepe, and Princeville do not have their own vital records offices. Residents and researchers from those areas use the same Kauai District Health Office, Fifth Circuit Court, Bureau of Conveyances, and County Clerk offices listed above. This applies to all record types: birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and court filings.

Nearby Hawaii Counties

Kauai County is one of four counties in Hawaii. If your family research extends to other islands, each county has its own circuit court and health office managing records for that area. The links below go to genealogy pages for the other Hawaii counties.

• Honolulu County - Oahu island, First Circuit Court, largest records collection in the state
• Maui County - Maui, Molokai, and Lanai islands, Second Circuit Court
• Hawaii County - Hawaii Island (Big Island), Third Circuit Court
• Kalawao County - smallest county in the United States, records administered through Maui County

Records for families who moved between islands may be split across multiple county courts and health offices. The Hawaii State Archives in Honolulu holds statewide collections that can help bridge those gaps without requiring visits to each individual county.