Hawaii
Hawaii Police Reports: How to Get a Copy From HPD or County Police
Hawaii does not run a single statewide system for police reports. Instead, each county police department handles its own requests, for a crash report and for any other kind of incident report alike. This guide covers the two largest departments most readers will deal with, Honolulu Police Department on Oahu and Hawaii Police Department on the Big Island, along with why Hawaii has no body camera access statute at all.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
How to Get a Copy of a Hawaii Crash Report
Hawaii does not run a single statewide crash report portal the way most states do; each county police department handles its own reports. On Oahu, Honolulu Police Department's Records Division processes Motor Vehicle Collision report requests, charging $0.50 for the first page and $0.25 for each additional page of a standard copy, $0.65 per page for a colored copy, and $1.00 for the first page plus $0.25 per page for a verification letter. HPD completes most online report requests within two business days, though anything over 10 pages may take longer. On the island of Hawaii, the Hawaii Police Department's Records and Identification Section charges $1 for the first page and 10 cents for each additional page, cash only, and targets a response within 10 business days.
When a Hawaii Report Is Available
Both departments withhold a complete report until the investigation is finished. Honolulu Police Department releases reports "when the investigative processes are complete and the case is closed," and offers a verification letter instead when a criminal report cannot yet be released. Hawaii Police Department describes the same limit: complete reports are not available until the case is closed, adjudicated, or the statute of limitations has passed. On the Big Island, a victim can typically still get a partial or redacted report for insurance purposes even before the case closes. Hawaii Revised Statutes section 287-4 requires a driver or officer to report a crash to the chief of police within 24 hours, but the statute does not separately address public access to that report once filed; access instead runs through Hawaii's general public records law described below.
Talk to a family-law attorney: free case review
Every case has details a formula cannot capture. Get a free, no-obligation review from a family-law attorney.
How to Get a Hawaii Police Incident Report
Hawaii does not split crash reports and other incident reports into separate systems the way Florida or Texas do. Any police report, whether from a crash or another incident, is requested from the same county records division described above. The governing law is Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act, specifically the general exceptions in section 92F-13, which lets an agency withhold "government records that, by their nature, must be confidential in order for the government to avoid the frustration of a legitimate government function." Hawaii does not have a separate, HI-specific law enforcement investigatory exemption the way many states do; agencies rely on this general clause to keep an active investigation closed. Honolulu Police Department also withholds medical reports, restraining orders, injunctions, court documents, clearance letters, and criminal history abstracts from a released report, and redacts juvenile information.
Body Camera Footage in Hawaii
Hawaii has no statute governing access to police body camera footage. County police departments handle bodycam requests as a matter of internal policy rather than a state access law, and disclosure runs through the same general section 92F-13 exemption described above. Honolulu Police Department does maintain a dedicated email address for body-worn camera video requests, separate from its general and government report-request channels, which shows HPD has built an operational process for these requests even without a statute requiring one. Readers should be cautious of claims circulating online that a specific Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter creates a bodycam retention or access right; no such provision currently exists in Hawaii's statutes. For the state's fuller legal picture, see Hawaii's body camera laws.
Corrections and Practical Notes
No dedicated correction process for a Hawaii police report was located for this guide, and Hawaii does not appear to run a separate driver exchange of information form. If a report contains an error, or a crash falls below the threshold that requires an officer's report, contact the investigating department's records division directly.
Related Resources
Police Reports by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also how to file a police report, how to read a police report, are police reports public, how to request body camera footage, Hawaii bodycam laws, Hawaii car accident laws, Hawaii public records laws, and Hawaii court records.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Hawaii's police report and public records process. It is not legal advice. Fees, portals, and eligibility rules change; verify current details with the agencies named above or a licensed Hawaii attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and portals reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a statewide Hawaii police report portal?
No. Hawaii has no statewide system. Requests go directly to the county department that investigated, most often Honolulu Police Department or Hawaii Police Department on the Big Island.
How much does a Hawaii police report cost?
Honolulu Police Department charges $0.50 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page. Hawaii Police Department on the Big Island charges $1 for the first page and 10 cents per additional page, cash only.
How long does it take to get a police report in Hawaii?
Honolulu Police Department typically completes online requests within two business days. Hawaii Police Department targets a response within 10 business days.
When is a Hawaii police report available?
Generally once the investigation is complete and the case is closed or adjudicated, though a verification letter or partial redacted report may be available sooner.
Does Hawaii have a body camera access law?
No. Hawaii has no bodycam statute. County departments handle requests through policy, and Honolulu Police Department maintains a dedicated email address for body-worn camera video requests.
Updates
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on 2 statutory provisions held in our own legal record, each retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 287: MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY ACT
§ 287-4Report required following accidentIn force
The driver of every motor vehicle which is in any manner involved in an accident within this State in which any person is killed or injured or in which damage to the property of any one person, including the driver, to an apparent extent in excess of $3,000 is sustained shall at the earliest practical time, and in any event within twenty-four hours after the accident, report the matter in writing or in person to the chief of police. The report, the form of which shall be prescribed by the chief of police and administrator, shall contain information to enable the administrator to determine whether the requirements for the deposit of security under sections 287-5 and 287-6 are inapplicable by reason of the existence of insurance or other exceptions specified in this chapter. If the driver is physically incapable of making the report, any other occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of making the report shall make or cause to be made the report not made by the driver, and the registered owner of the motor vehicle involved in the accident shall, unless the report is filed, within ten days after learning of the accident make the report.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-30 · Read the full section at capitol.hawaii.gov
Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 92F: UNIFORM INFORMATION PRACTICES ACT (MODIFIED)
§ 92F-13Government records; exceptions to general ruleIn forcecited in 2 of our articles
This part shall not require disclosure of: (1) Government records which, if disclosed, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; (2) Government records pertaining to the prosecution or defense of any judicial or quasi-judicial action to which the State or any county is or may be a party, to the extent that such records would not be discoverable; (3) Government records that, by their nature, must be confidential in order for the government to avoid the frustration of a legitimate government function; (4) Government records which, pursuant to state or federal law including an order of any state or federal court, are protected from disclosure; and (5) Inchoate and draft working papers of legislative committees including budget worksheets and unfiled committee reports; work product; records or transcripts of an investigating committee of the legislature which are closed by rules adopted pursuant to section 21-4 and the personal files of members of the legislature. [L 1988, c 262, pt of §1; am L 1993, c 250, §1]
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-30 · Read the full section at capitol.hawaii.gov
Also relied on in: Hawaii Recording Laws (2026): Hybrid Consent State Rules
Search our full record of US law — 1.79 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Hawaii Revised Statutes section 92F-13, Government records; exceptions to general rule(capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- Hawaii Revised Statutes section 287-4, Report required following accident(capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- Honolulu Police Department, Police Reports(honolulupd.org)
- Hawaii Police Department, Get a Police Report(hawaiipolice.gov).gov