Look Up Free Hawaii Marriage Records & Licenses

Track down free Hawaii marriage records on anyone using the streamlined methods outlined in this resource.

Marital records may be needed or desired for several reasons — such as obtaining proof of matrimony, changing a name or for adoption purposes. Whatever the reason, interested persons can search for records quickly and seamlessly regardless of the agency or database that hosts them.

Access to these marriage records is possible due to the state’s Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA) and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). As a result, marriage records can be found at no cost at both county and state levels.

Public Availability of Marriage Records & Certificates in Hawaii

Vital records, which include marriage records, are not publicly accessible as Hawaii state laws limit the accessibility of public records only to authorized individuals.

Pursuant to HRS §338-18, these authorized individuals include–but are not limited to–the parties of the record (bride and groom), parent, child, or legal representative of the registrant.¹

However, when marriage records exceed 75 years in age, they now become part of public record which means anyone can access these records—particularly when it is for genealogy purposes to investigate family lineage, or when trying to find out if someone is married in Hawaii.

There is a difference between marriage licenses and certificates—licenses give validation for the wedding to take place and certificates are proof of the legal union.

Marriage or civil union records in Hawaii come in two forms: certified certificates and letters of verification. As per HRS §338-14.3, verification letters can be issued instead of certificates and prove the marriage took place, but the letters do not reveal information on the actual certificate that the requestor may not know or provide in the request.

The Vital Statistics Section of the State of Hawaii Department of Health maintains a census of marriages that have taken place in the state for residents and non-residents.² This includes same sex marriages. Members of the public may also request this information by contacting the Vital Statistics Office.

As stated earlier, Hawaii marriage records that are less than 75 years old are closed for public access. Therefore, interested parties who need to run a marriage background check (such as when looking up a partner’s past) in Hawaii may do so from third-party vendors.

These companies scour records from government databases that may display marital agreements that interested parties cannot otherwise retrieve from public channels.

How To Search Hawaii Marriage Records & Licenses for Free

Interested parties can acquire marriage records and obtain licenses from the State of Hawaii Department of Health – Vital Statistics using three methods: online, through mail and in person requests. As mentioned earlier, only authorized persons such as the owner of the record, their parents or spouse can request a copy of a certified marriage certificate.

Each certificate costs $10.00 and additional copies incur a $4.00 charge for up to five copies; the charge drops to $2.50 for the sixth copy onwards. Requestors may also order letters of verifications which cost $5.00 per letter and have the same eligibility requirements as certificates.

Applicants may order marriage certificates online which serves as the quickest, most convenient and recommended method—requests using this method are paid for using debit/credit cards only. Ensure to have a copy of valid government issued ID such as driver license and passport to upload into the portal.

Interested parties can alternatively obtain records by mail or in person by completing an application for a copy of marriage/civil union record.⁵ Include photocopies of a valid ID in the packet, as well as exact payment in the form of cashier’s check or money order payable to the “Hawaii State Department of Health.”

Mail the request to the Hawaii State Department of Health, whose address appears below:

Hawaii State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Vital Records Issuance Section
Post Office Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801

Alternatively, in-person requests are done at the Honolulu office Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:45 AM to 2:30 PM except on holidays.

Hawaii State Department of Health
Rm. 103, 1250 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The Vital Statistics Office also furnishes apostilles and authentication of certified copies via mail requests.

Processing time for marriage records requests through the Vital Statistics Office will be 8-10 weeks. It is imperative to satisfy the requirements of the application to prevent any delays.

Requesters can also find older marriage records through archived indexes, particularly as it relates to genealogy research. This is discussed in the sections that follow.

Searching Marriage Records in Hawaii Through County Agencies

While state-level searches for marriage records offer a wider scope to locate records, they may also be found at the county level. In some cases, only certified records can be obtained from the county where the marriage occurred, although this is not the case in the state of Hawaii.

To locate records from a particular county, interested persons can use this search query “[county name] County Hawaii marriage record search.” County agencies will usually provide similar request methods as state agencies, such as ordering online, by mail and in person. Often, requests through these channels are processed much quicker than their state counterparts.

In addition, since the counties deal with a smaller population, their offices tend to be smaller and comprise staff that are sensitive and attentive to the needs of patrons.

Below are three major counties in the state through which interested parties can obtain Hawaii marriage records–Honolulu, Hawaii and Maui County–along with the methods for acquiring records in each. Note that not all counties offer these records locally and instead refer inquirers to the state custodian outlined above.

Acquire Marriage Certificates in Honolulu County: There are no county agencies that issue marriage certificates in Honolulu County; instead, interested persons must obtain these records from the Hawaii State Department of Health of which the process was outlined earlier.

Find Marriage Records in Hawaii County: As with Honolulu County, no Hawaii County agencies exist to process marriage requests or ascertain someone’s marital status; interested persons must acquire these records from the Hawaii State Department of Health in the manner outlined earlier.

Order Marriage Certificates in Maui County: The Maui District Health Office issues marriage certificates through an online request via the Hawaii State Department of Health.⁶ Patrons can use the same process and forms when ordering certificates through the Vital Records Office and may drop their applications at the Maui District Health Office in Wailuku:

Maui District Health Office
State Office Building
Rm. 301, 54 South High Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793

Major cities in Hawaii–such as Honolulu, East Honolulu and Pearl City–do not have services that allow members of the public to order marriage records. Therefore, the search for records will default to the county or state level, as covered above.

Additionally, members of the public can search free marriage records from the archived records, particularly if they are investigating their genealogy to determine their ancestry. This resource will cover how to find ancestral marital records below.

How To Research Your Family Lineage & Genealogy for Free Through Archived Marriage Records in Hawaii

Marriage records are a viable resource to use to establish family lineage by providing concrete evidence about a person’s ancestors—the Department of Accounting and General Services maintains the Hawaii State Archives, giving the public access to records that are permanent in nature; this includes wedding records.⁷

These Hawaii marriage records reflect information such as names of a husband and wife, the place of residence and their parents’ birthplaces–providing crucial information to pinpoint ancestry origins.

Vital statistics reports, while incomplete since some records are under-reported, are available in two sets of marriage indexes at the Archives Vital Statistics Collection.⁸ These records span between 1832-1910 and 1911-1929 and are arranged by island, alphabetically; they can be viewed at the Archives reference room.

Patrons can contact the Hawaii State Archives by calling 808.586.0329 or emailing archives@hawaii.gov. They may also visit the Hawaii State Archives Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM, at the address below:

Hawaii State Archives
Kekāuluohi Building
‘Iolani Palace Grounds
364 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813

Interested persons can also acquire archived marriage records electronically using Ulukau; here, patrons can search for, view, download and print documents. Users can additionally browse through the Archives. Data provided includes volume (book), section, page and case number.

Having this information also helps the requestor find the original record at the reference room.

To find more information, patrons can explore the Vital Statistics collection.

Additionally, citizens can search marriage records for genealogy research at no cost from other sources such as the Hawaiʻi State Library branches or newspapers to perform genealogy research:

• Digital Archives of Hawaiʻi— Interested parties can view historical marriage records from the Digital Archives of Hawaiʻi.
• Hawaii State Archives Digital Collections— Patrons can run a genealogy search via the Hawaii State Archives Digital Collections.
• Hawaiʻi State Public Library System—The Hawaiʻi State Public Library System has two search tools listed on its site: the Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online.
• UHM Hamilton Library—Users can access marriage notices published in Hawaii newspapers from 1850-1950 recorded in microfilm.
• Newspapers— A genealogy search can be done electronically using Papakilo Database’s Newspaper Search to find Hawaiian newspapers ranging from 1834-1980, Honolulu Star Advertiser has an electronic record of newspapers from the state from 1840-2023.
• Library of Congress—An electronic search through the Library of Congress (Chronicling America) can also uncover digitized newspapers between 1770-1963.

How To Obtain a Hawaii Marriage License (Application Process)

Interested couples who are looking to wed will first need to acquire a marriage license from an authorized entity pursuant to Section 572-1.7 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. This document will permit the ceremony to take place.

Couples can apply for a marriage/civil union license online; the cost for the license is $60.00 and the portal charges a $5.00 convenience fee.¹⁰ Ensure to print or note the authorization code or the locator Identification.

Set up an appointment with an authorized agent within 30 days prior to the ceremony date; the agent will inform the couple when they can come in and what to bring for the appointment. The applicants will need to appear with valid ID, upon which the agent will review the application and any relevant documents.

Once the license is approved, it will be issued by the agent at the appointment. The license becomes void 30 days after it is issued. It is therefore advisable for the couple to arrange to complete their nuptial vows with an authorized performer before the license expires.

Common law marriages are unlawful in the state of Hawaii. A common law marriage is a form of union without the formalities of acquiring a license, solemnization or performing a matrimony—cohabitation does remain a required trait.¹¹

However, it is possible to obtain a divorce in Hawaii if a common law marriage is held in a state that recognizes it such as Alabama, South Carolina or Texas.

Call 808.586.4400 or email webmail@doh.hawaii.gov for any questions or inquiries on the process to obtain a license.

Hawaii marriage records are mainly retrieved from state agencies, and occasionally through county resources; this article furnishes helpful resources and links that make it convenient to acquire records for research, genealogy purposes and to get married legally in the state.

For citizens seeking other kinds of public information (e.g. property taxes, court documents, divorce details, arrest information, etc.), using the steps for looking up free public records in Hawaii will offer streamlined guidance and helpful databases.