Hawaii Death Certificate

Qualifications

The following people may request death certificates from the state of Hawaii:

• Spouse
• Parents
• A descendant of the deceased (e.g., a child or grandchild)
• A person having a common ancestor with the deceased (e.g., a sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or cousin)
• Legal guardian of the deceased
• A person or agency acting on behalf of the deceased
• A personal representative of the deceased's estate
• A person whose right to obtain a copy of the record is established by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction
• Adoptive parents who have filed a petition for adoption and need to determine the death of one or more of the prospective adopted child’s natural or legal parents
• A person who needs to determine the death of a non-related co-owner of property purchased under a joint tenancy agreement
• A person who needs a death certificate for the determination of payments under a credit insurance policy

Cost

The fee to search for a death certificate is $10.00, which includes one certified copy of the death certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $4.00. You may pay with a certified check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to the "State Department of Health." Cash is not accepted. Fees are not refundable.

Required Information

• Applicant's relationship to the person named on the certificate
• Reason why you are requesting the certificate
• Full name(s) as listed on the certificate
• The certificate’s file number (if known)
• Month, day, and year of the death
• City or town and the island where the death occurred
• A photocopy of your government-issued photo ID, such as a State ID, driver's license, etc. (when applying by mail)

Submitting Your Request

By Mail:
Send the completed application and the appropriate fee to:
State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801

In Person:
You may apply for a certified death certificate in person at the Health Department building, Room 103, located at:
1250 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The Health Department is open from 7:45 am to 2:30 pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). When applying in person, the applicant must show a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a State ID, driver's license, etc.

Certified copies are usually not issued on the day the application is made. Same-day service may be provided upon presentation of written documentation establishing the need for urgency. Certified copies will normally be available for pick-up about 10 working days after the request is approved. The pick-up time may be extended for records that are very old, because the search to locate the record may take longer, or in the process of being filed, because the official record is still being created.

Download the Application

Click here to download the application for a certified Hawaii death certificate.

See our complete list of resources for Hawaii.