Hawaii Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get Them

Hawaii is a closed-record state for death certificates. Only a person with a direct and tangible interest in the record, such as the spouse, a parent, a child or grandchild, a relative who shares a common ancestor, a legal guardian, or an estate representative, can buy a certified copy. Death records become open to the public for genealogy roughly 115 years after the event.

Are Death Records Public in Hawaii?

No. Hawaii is a closed-record state for recent death certificates. The Hawaii Department of Health issues a certified copy of a death record only to an applicant who can establish a direct and tangible interest in the record.

This rule comes from Hawaii Revised Statutes section 338-18, which directs the department not to permit inspection of vital statistics records, or to issue a certified copy, unless the applicant has that direct and tangible interest. The standard protects the privacy of the deceased and their family.

There is a public-access exception built into the same statute. For genealogy projects, the department may grant access to copies of vital records of events that occurred more than 115 years before the current year. After that point, a death record is effectively open for research even to people unrelated to the deceased.

Hawaii also makes limited index data public, such as the registrant name and the type of vital event. That index helps people locate a record, but it is not the same as a certified copy of the death certificate itself. For a broader view of how states differ, see our Death Records by State guide.

Who Can Request a Hawaii Death Record?

Only a person with a direct and tangible interest may request a certified Hawaii death certificate. The Department of Health lists the people who qualify, and the requester must show how they fit one of those categories.

Eligible requesters include the following:

• The registrant, meaning the person the record concerns
• The registrant's spouse
• The registrant's parent or parents
• A descendant of the registrant, such as a child or grandchild
• A person who shares a common ancestor with the registrant, such as a sibling or cousin
• A legal guardian
• A personal representative of the estate
• A person acting under a court order, or someone who needs the record to verify marital status, property co-ownership, or an insurance claim

If you cannot establish a direct and tangible interest, you are ineligible and the department will not issue a certified copy. Every applicant must also provide a government-issued photo ID with the request.

These eligibility limits track the way Hawaii treats other sensitive vital records. The same closed-record logic governs birth certificates, which are also restricted to qualifying family members and representatives.

How to Get a Hawaii Death Certificate

You order a Hawaii death certificate through the Department of Health Vital Records office. There are three ways to apply: online, by mail, or in person.

The standard fee is $10.00 for the first certified copy of a death certificate and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. A processing fee of $2.50 applies to orders of up to five certificates.

Online. Use the state ordering portal at vitrec.ehawaii.gov. This is generally the fastest option because it avoids mailing time on the front end.

By mail. Send a completed application, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and payment to the State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Issuance/Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801.

In person. Visit the Vital Records office at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, in Honolulu, open Monday through Friday during posted hours.

Processing time varies with volume and order method. Mail requests take longer than in-person service because of transit time in both directions, so order well ahead of any deadline. For current turnaround estimates, contact the Vital Records office directly before you submit.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Hawaii?

No, the cause of death is not public in Hawaii for recent records. The cause of death is recorded on the certified death certificate, and that certificate is released only to people with a direct and tangible interest, not to the general public.

Because Hawaii is a closed-record state, the medical cause-of-death information stays within the circle of eligible family members, estate representatives, and court-authorized requesters until the 115-year genealogy threshold passes. There is no separate informational copy that strips the cause of death for casual public requests.

Cause-of-death access is a recurring question across states, and the rules vary widely. For a national overview, read our explainers on whether cause of death records are public and whether autopsies are public records.

How Far Back Do Hawaii Death Records Go?

Hawaii death records held by the Department of Health become open for genealogy after the 115-year mark. Under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 338-18, the department may give genealogy researchers access to vital records of events that occurred more than 115 years before the current year.

For deaths within that 115-year window, you still need a direct and tangible interest to obtain a certified copy. The public index of names and event types can help you confirm that a record exists, but it does not unlock the full certificate.

At the national level, there is no single federal database of death certificates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the National Center for Health Statistics, confirms that death certificates are issued by the states, and the federal National Death Index is restricted to approved researchers rather than the public.

A separate national tool, the Social Security Administration Death Master File, lists many deaths but is incomplete. The public version excludes deaths that occurred within the most recent three calendar years, a restriction added by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, and it omits many state-only reported deaths.

Hawaii Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about access to Hawaii death records, not legal advice. Eligibility rules, fees, and processing times change, and individual situations vary. Confirm the current requirements with the Hawaii Department of Health Vital Records office before you rely on them.

Sources

This page is based on official Hawaii Department of Health Vital Records guidance, Hawaii Revised Statutes section 338-18, and federal CDC/NCHS and Social Security Administration sources, all cited below.