Execute a Free Hawaii Warrant Search (Step-by-Step Guidance)

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Free Hawaii Warrant Search

Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in Hawaii, free of charge.

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Run a free Hawaii warrant search by using official public record databases and other online resources.

A warrant is a legal document that gives law enforcement the power to make an arrest, conduct a search, or carry out some other designated act.

The state of Hawaii allows individuals to request warrant information and look up a specific case online. The process can be as hassle-free as entering the desired subject’s first name, last name, or case type in a searchable database.

This streamlined resource gives a quick overview of how to check if someone has a warrant in Hawaii. It also covers the most effective ways to resolve an outstanding warrant.

Who Is Authorized To Access & View Warrants Issued in Hawaii?

Under the “Uniform Information Practices Act” §92F-11 of Hawaii Revised Statutes, all government records are available for public inspection unless exempt by law.¹ A warrant issued in Hawaii is typically a matter of public record.

However, the availability of information may vary depending on the type of warrant it is. It also depends on the phase of execution in which the warrant currently is.

For example, arrest warrant information that relates to an ongoing criminal case, may be available to only authorized persons (e.g., a police officer or an assigned investigator) until the warrant is carried out.

Only when an arrest results in a conviction (the arrestee is found guilty) and the case is officially docketed, it becomes a public record (Haw. R. Pen. P. 42.3) and can be discovered by running a Hawaii warrant check online.

Misdemeanor warrants or traffic warrants are public records which can be found using online search portals provided by the state government’s judicial branch.

On the other hand, arrest warrants that are executed but do not result in convictions may be expunged (erased) from the arrestee’s history altogether so they cannot be viewed by the general public.

Also, any record pertaining to the arrest of a minor (including juvenile arrest warrant details) is considered confidential and not public information.²

A Look at Searching for Warrants in Hawaii

Anyone can run a Hawaii warrant search on themselves or someone else as long as they can provide identifying information such as the name, age, the county/city where the person resides or where the order might have been issued.

Staying aware about active warrants helps citizens ensure personal safety and preparedness to protect their interests and rights.

Once a warrant is issued by a Hawaii court, it is served and executed by state agencies such as the Department of Public Safety’s Sheriff Division, the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) or a police department.³ For a free arrest warrant check, searchers need to approach the relevant authority.

Some warrants are readily available online while some of them are kept in federal or local law enforcement and criminal records systems and may be disclosable only to certain requesters.

It is advisable to have a step-by-step approach when running a Hawaii warrant check. For example, beginning with state agencies and then moving on to counties and towns can provide quick and more specific results.

How To Run an Online Hawaii Warrant Search for Free

Searchers may use various online sources to see if themselves or someone else has a warrant for arrest in Hawaii.

The State Judiciary’s EBench Warrants Online Database is a dedicated central repository of all warrants electronically issued by the state courts, however, only approved law enforcement and criminal justice personnel can access and use it.

Those interested in running an online warrant search can use the following resources:

1. ECourt Kokua Case Status and Information Search Portal
2. ECrim Criminal History Search Portal

A warrant is typically issued by a judicial court and the Hawaii State Judiciary allows anyone to find a specific court record online through eCourt Kokua portal.⁴ This website provides immediate access to public information on traffic cases, district, circuit, family court criminal as well as civil cases filed in the state of Hawaii.

Cases may be searched by a person’s name, case filing date, case ID, citation number or case type.

Basic court case information can be viewed online completely free of charge by utilizing the eCourt Kokua database.

To access the actual court documents or to get more detailed information on a particular case, the documents can be purchased online. Each individual court case document costs $3.00 and an additional $2.00 is required to obtain a certified copy.

Interested individuals can also go to a courthouse and make a formal court record request to the relevant Hawaii courthouse. The court records request form, required fees, eCourt Kokua FAQs and other instructions have been provided on the website.⁶

Another way to look for warrant information is to perform a standard criminal record check online through the eCrim platform provided by Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC).⁷ The website allows users to instantly check criminal records by name and other search criteria.

Anyone can sign up for a free account on the eCrim website. When logged in, searchers may use the conviction records lookup tool by paying a minimal fee of $5.00 per search. Warrants that resulted in convictions will show up in the search results.

HCJDC also allows the public to access Hawaii’s Sex Offender Registry to locate persons convicted of sexual crimes.⁸ There is an option to filter the search by Offender Status. By selecting “non-compliant”, “absconded”, or “confirmed out-of-state”, the user can find sex offenders who have escaped or failed to comply with registration requirements.

There are several other options to run an Official Criminal history Background Check through the HCJDC, such as by going to its Public Access locations.

Those unable to stop by the HCJDC office can Request for a Criminal History Records/Background Check by mail.⁹ They may send the completed form, payment (cashier’s check or money order with the required search fees) and any other related document (fingerprint card, if necessary) to the following address:

Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC)
Attn: Criminal History Record Checks Unit
465 South, King Street, Room No. 102
Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: (808) 587-3279

It is important to note that not every arrestee is convicted of a crime when they are brought to court. For example, a bench warrant can be of non-criminal or “civil” kind which can be resolved just by paying a court-ordered fine. An arrest warrant can be “quashed” or canceled if it was not rightfully issued.

So, while records of arrests and convictions may be revealed through a criminal background check, it may not include all warrants and does not disclose expunged records, sealed records and juvenile records.

If a record cannot be found online through the state judiciary’s websites, searchers may consider searching at a local level to check active warrant status and whether anyone is subject to arrest in Hawaii.

Obtain Warrant Information in Hawaii at the County & Municipal Levels

Hawaii police departments and island counties occasionally release their lists of persons with outstanding warrants. Citizens may stay informed and vigilant by visiting their local police department’s website from time to time.

Requests regarding all active and current warrants can also be made by directly contacting the appropriate department.

Honolulu (Island, City & County): Honolulu Police Department regularly publishes and updates information about their Arrest Logs and Wanted Persons Lists on the official website.¹⁰

The department works in partnership with CrimeStoppers, a global crime prevention and reporting platform, allowing everyone to view lists of wanted crime suspects and fugitives in Honolulu.

Honolulu residents can conduct a Hawaii warrant lookup by approaching the department’s Records and Identification Division or alternatively, reach out to their nearest police station.

Honolulu Police Department (Main)
Alapai Police Headquarters
801 (South) Beretania St.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Phone: 808-529-3111

Big Island (Hawaii County): Active arrest warrants in Hawaii County (including Kailua-Kona, Hilo or surrounding areas) are occasionally made viewable on the official website of Hawaii County Police Department. People can visit their nearest Hawaii police station to find out whether there are any outstanding warrants.

Hawaii County Police Department
349 Kapiolani St.
Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Phone: 808-935-3311

Maui (Island & County): To check for active warrants in Kahului and Wailuku, towns located on the island of Maui, Hawaii, a request can be made through the Maui Police Department Records Section at the following address:

Maui Police Department – Records Section
55 Mahalani St.,
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793

Phone: 808-244-6355

Kauai County (Kauaʻi, Niʻihau, Lehua, and Kaʻula Islands): To find out if you have a warrant in Kauai, especially in towns like Lihue or Kapaa, you may contact the Police Warrants Clerk at Kauai Police Department at the following address:¹¹

Kauai Police Department
3990 Kaana St., Suite 200
Lihue, Hawaii 96766

Phone: 808-241-1711

Expand Your Search Beyond Hawaii & Access Federal Warrants

Moving beyond local law enforcement agencies, a federal warrants search can help find out if someone is under federal investigation.

A fugitive can cross borders and their location might not be the same as the state, or local jurisdiction where the warrant for arrest originated. So, the searchers can help make their community safer by being more observant and utilizing the information available on national security organization websites.

For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official website has a list of fugitives wanted by the FBI Honolulu Field Office for a variety of crimes and unresolved cases.¹²

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has its own list of wanted criminals for alleged federal violations.

The U.S. Marshals has also released its top 15 ‘Most Wanted’ fugitives list.

The U.S. Marshals Service also maintains a federal Warrant Information System (WIN) to keep track of all federal arrest and search warrants issued by the agency.

Similarly, National Crime Information Center (NCIC) contains a nation-wide index of crime-related information only available to authorized agencies. The interested party can contact a local police agency to request their name to have their name run through NCIC website.

Court records public access tools like The PACER Case Locator allows its registered users to conduct a record search using indexes of all federal court cases for a nominal fee. Please refer to the Fees for Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) Searches to find the charges involved.

Various Types of Warrants in Hawaii & the Reason for Each

Here are some of the most commonly issued warrants in the state of Hawaii:

Arrest Warrants: Generally, a written Hawaii arrest warrant. or an oral order is issued by a magistrate directing the police to arrest a person. An arrest can also be ordered to enforce an old, unresolved (outstanding) warrant for example, an outstanding felony warrant issued years ago.

However, warrantless arrests are also permitted as mentioned in Chapter 803, Part-I of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.¹³ For example, when a felony has been committed and an individual is attempting to flee or to conceal themselves, they can be arrested without a warrant, based on a “reasonable suspicion”.

Furthermore, any person, whether they are a civilian or a police officer, can arrest another person without a warrant, if the latter is caught in the act of committing an offense.

A police officer is authorized to detain someone without having a warrant for arrest, even for reasons less daunting than major crimes. Some examples are: misdemeanor (e.g., minor drug crimes or assaults) petty misdemeanor (drunk driving/DUI charge, creating nuisance, shoplifting, or offense as simple as a trespass etc.).

If an arrest warrant was issued in another jurisdiction, a formal extradition procedure is followed for dealing with out-of-state fugitive offenders.

Bench Warrants: A judge or court issues a bench warrant against a person who disobeys a court order or fails to appear at a court hearing.

For example, when there is a probation or parole violation such as, failing a mandatory drug test while on probation, may cause the individual’s probation to be revoked, and a bench warrant can be issued for their arrest immediately.

Similarly, an offender could again land in prison if they break the law or violate the conditions of their release while on a bail.

For example, a driver charged with a criminal traffic violation (e.g., reckless driving, driving without a license) must appear in court at the date and time assigned by the court. Failure to appear in court or to do as directed by the court may prompt the judge to issue a bench warrant against the offender.

Another circumstance in which such an order can be issued is when a suspect is indicted by a grand jury.

Neglecting a bench warrant could lead to consequences such as additional charges, suspended license, fines, or even imprisonment.

However, most common traffic offenses in Hawaii, such as speeding or driving without a seat belt do not amount to traffic crimes and can be handled by payment of a fee, without having to make a court appearance.

Search Warrants: A magistrate in Hawaii has the power to issue a search warrant, allowing a sheriff or other officer of justice to conduct a search for certain objects taken, kept, being used in an unlawful way or with the intent to commit a crime. A search may be authorized if a specific location/property is associated with a crime.

The execution of a search warrant must comply with Rule 41 of Hawaii Rules of Penal Procedure otherwise, it will be rendered invalid.

It is important to note that under the fourth amendment to the United States Constitution, all searches and seizures carried out by the government must be reasonable and excessive or unnecessary use of force should not be exercised by law enforcement officials.

Child Support Warrants: Warrants may be issued in Hawaii pertaining to a child support case if the non-custodial parent fails to make regular payments as legally required or does not show up for a child support court hearing.

Generally, when a parent evades such an obligation, the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) resorts to several enforcement activities against them.¹⁴

A parent with a large amount of unpaid child support debt to settle, may attract a child support warrant and may face imprisonment, fines, or both.

Steps to Take if You or Someone Else is Facing an Arrest Warrant in Hawaii

If an individual learns that someone else has an active warrant status, or happens to know the whereabouts of the wanted person, they may wish to share the information with a trusted friend or family member.

However, any wanted person is considered dangerous and citizens should not follow or engage with them in a way that could put themselves or others at risk.

So, the concerned citizen may contact the appropriate authorities, for example, the Hawaii Police Department by calling their non-emergency line at 808-935-3311 or alternatively, they can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.

Persons who have discovered that a warrant is out for their own arrest in Hawaii may seek legal counsel and turn themselves in, in order to avoid having a police officer unexpectedly arrest them at home or at work.

An active bench warrant can be cleared by contacting the court that issued the warrant and request to schedule a date of hearing to resolve the original issue.

Hawaii residents who cannot afford to employ expensive legal help or hire a private attorney can reach out to the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi or Volunteer Legal Services. To locate a relevant attorney in a specific area, any member of the public can use Hawaiʻi Lawyer Referral Service.

If a person is arrested and charged with an offense or violation in Hawaii, they are either incarcerated or released on bail. Fortunately for the arrestee, arrest records in Hawaii can be expunged for some offenses.

For information on what happens when an offense is committed or an arrest occurs, interested persons can refer to the Hawaii’s Criminal Justice System Flowchart for Adult Felony Cases.¹⁵

Whether it’s due to a personal concern or a public safety matter, conducting a Hawaii warrant search can help everyone stay informed and ensure the wellbeing of the entire community.