How to Get a Death Certificate in Hawaii

Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Hawaii, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Hawaii.

Who issues death certificates in Hawaii?

Certified copies come from the Hawaii Department of Health’s Vital Records office in Honolulu, with offices serving Hawaii Island, Maui County, and Kauai. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.

How much does a certified copy cost in Hawaii?

Hawaii charges $10 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time. Online orders add a $2.50 administration fee per order for up to 5 copies, and the same amount for each further group of 5 copies (6 through 10 copies adds $5). The department’s own price table lists ten copies at $46 by mail or in person and $51 online.

Who can order a copy in Hawaii?

Hawaii issues a certified copy only to an applicant with a direct and tangible interest in the record, and you must provide documentation showing your eligibility. If you are not eligible for the copy you requested, the order will not be fulfilled.

How do I order more copies in Hawaii?

• Online: through the department’s vital records ordering system (vitrec.ehawaii.gov), with a debit or credit card. You can pick the order up in Honolulu or have it mailed.
• By mail: to the State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records Issuance Section, Honolulu, HI 96801, with a money order, cashier’s check, or certified check payable to the Hawaii State Department of Health. Personal checks are not accepted.
• In person: at Room 103, 1250 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, paying by cash, cashier’s check, certified check, or money order.
• On other islands: Hawaii Island and Maui County have their own vital statistics offices (Maui has no pickup service), and Kauai can be reached at (808) 241-3498.

What else should I know before I order?

Ordering all the copies you need at once matters most online, because the administration fee is charged per order of up to 5 copies.

What should I do next?

Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Hawaii and our general guide to death certificates.

Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.

Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Hawaii Department of Health Vital Records before you send payment.