Honolulu County Residents Directory Search
The Honolulu County Residents Directory pulls together the public records that cover all of Oahu. Use it to look up property owners, court cases, police reports, building permits, and licensed businesses held by the City and County of Honolulu. Each local office runs its own search tool, so the right door depends on what you want to find. This page walks you through the main agencies, the fees, and the UIPA steps that power the Honolulu County Residents Directory lookup.
Honolulu County Residents Directory Overview
City and County of Honolulu Residents Directory
The City and County of Honolulu is one unit. That makes Honolulu County unique in the state. Oahu's island borders match the county lines. The Mayor-Council system runs it all from Honolulu Hale at 530 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813. The Mayor's Office picks up at (808) 768-4141. That one phone line opens the door to most Honolulu County Residents Directory searches.
Take a look at the City and County of Honolulu portal for a full list of services. The site links to police, fire, water, refuse, and transit divisions. Each one keeps its own public files.
The screenshot shows the main hub for Honolulu County agencies. You can click into each office from there. The Department of Customer Services sits at Kapalama Hale, 925 Dillingham Blvd., #257. Call (808) 768-3391 for business licenses, permits, motor vehicle reg, and driver licensing. The Division of Motor Vehicles, Licensing and Permits uses PO Box 30300, Honolulu, HI 96820-0300. Three key numbers: 808-768-9100 for driver and state ID, 808-768-4325 for title and registration, and 808-768-2540 for business licensing.
The Municipal Reference Center is a good first stop for old city files. Find it at City Hall Annex, 558 S. King St. The librarian takes calls at 808-768-8911. Hours are short. Call ahead.
Note: Honolulu County is the only Hawaii county with a consolidated city-county government, so one set of offices covers the whole island of Oahu.
Honolulu County Property Records Directory
Every parcel on Oahu has a TMK that starts with the digit 1. The Real Property Assessment Division of the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services runs the property side of the Honolulu County Residents Directory. The office sits at 842 Bethel Street, Honolulu, HI 96813. Call (808) 768-3799 for assessment help. RPAD posts owner names, mailing addresses, values, tax class, and exemption status for every taxable parcel.
You can search the Real Property Assessment tool right from your phone. The free lookup runs on the qPublic Honolulu portal. Three entry points work: address, TMK, or owner name.
The image above shows the Real Property Assessment home page. It lists exemption forms, tax rates, and the appeal window. Property tax is a big part of the City budget. It pays for police, fire, water safety, parks, and refuse. There is a $300 minimum real property tax. Any parcel with a computed tax under that amount still owes $300.
Home exemption rules matter if you live on Oahu. You must own and live in the home as your main place. Intent to stay as of October 1 is the test. Proof can be 270 days of use, voter reg in the City, military orders to the island, or a Hawaii state resident income tax return with an Oahu address. Ownership must be on file with the Bureau of Conveyances by September 30 of the prior tax year. All of this data is open under HRS § 92F. Honolulu County posts it for public review as part of the Residents Directory.
Need the recorded deed itself? That sits at the state Bureau of Conveyances in downtown Honolulu. Hawaii uses a single statewide recording office. So the deed for a Waikiki condo and a deed for a Big Island ranch both go there.
Honolulu Police Department Records
The Honolulu Police Department covers all of Oahu. HPD keeps every arrest record for Honolulu County. It also runs the Oahu sex offender registry, community safety programs, and district stations from town to the North Shore. The Professional Standards Office handles complaints about officers. Police reports, traffic crash reports, and permit files come through the Records Division.
Visit the Honolulu Police Department site for the full list of divisions. You can file a request, find your district station, or read safety tips.
The page shown above is the HPD front door. From there you can click into records requests, permits for events, and the sex offender registry. HPD uses UIPA rules for most public record asks. HRS § 92F-11 is the base rule. It says state and county records are open unless a law closes them.
One key update hit in 2024. OIP Opinion Letter U Memo 24-10 (May 20, 2024) said HPD officer ID photos are subject to UIPA with some privacy weights. That shifted the playing field for press and public. The Department of Law Enforcement at the state level also takes UIPA asks. See state Law Enforcement UIPA requests if your ask crosses agency lines.
Note: HPD does not run tenant or pre-hire checks. For those a person must go to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center or to a court clerk.
Honolulu County Building and Permit Records
The Department of Planning and Permitting runs land use, zoning, and building permits for Oahu. The office sits at 650 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813. Dial (808) 768-8000 for permit help. DPP keeps zoning files, variance rulings, special permits, and the full set of building plans that come in with a permit.
Use the Planning and Permitting site to search permit status, plan review stages, and code cases.
The screenshot shows the DPP landing page. Building permit data is a big slice of the Honolulu County Residents Directory. HRS § 92F-12(a)(11) makes it clear: building permit information in the agency's control must be disclosed. Hawaii courts went a step further. They ruled the City Building Department must let the public see building permit applications, plans, specs, and support documents. So homeowners, media, and neighbors all can pull these files.
Plan reviews, inspection logs, and code enforcement cases sit at DPP too. Walk in, call in, or search online. The public portal speeds most of it up. Some older files still need a staff pull. Cost varies. Paper copies run at the standard UIPA rate.
First Circuit Court Records for Oahu
Court files are a core part of any Residents Directory search. The First Circuit Court covers the City and County of Honolulu. It sits at 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813. The clerk's office takes calls at (808) 539-4711. The Circuit Court hears felony criminal cases, civil cases over $40,000, probate matters, family court cases, and appeals from lower courts. The District Court of the First Circuit takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small civil claims up to $40,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and restraining orders.
Basic case info is free on eCourt Kokua. The state-run tool searches all circuits at once. For deeper documents, click into the First Circuit page.
Certified copies cost $1.25 per page plus certification charges. That rate is set by court rule. Some papers sit only at the courthouse. If a docket entry has no PDF link, you must walk in to get it. Mail requests work too. Include a check, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and the case number.
Names, addresses, and case facts are open under UIPA and court rules. Sealed juvenile files, active grand jury matters, and some family court items are closed. The court clerk can tell you what is sealed before you pay the copy fee.
City Clerk and Other Honolulu County Directory Agencies
The Office of the City Clerk holds the official city records. City Council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and formal correspondence sit there. The clerk is also the custodian of Honolulu election files and campaign finance reports for city candidates. Find the office at Honolulu Hale, 530 S. King Street, Room 202. Phone: (808) 768-3810.
Browse the City Clerk site for meeting agendas and past votes. Hours post on the page each week.
The Liquor Commission takes care of liquor license files. License holders, renewal dates, and investigator reports on violations are open to the public. The Commission uses a Request for a Government Record form called Form OIP-1. Fill it out in writing. You can ask for the investigator's report on any violation at a licensed bar, store, or restaurant.
The Department of Environmental Services posts UIPA steps on its ENV UIPA page. Fill out a Request to Access Government Record form, file it in writing, and wait for a reply. ENV follows the same 10-business-day rule as every other agency.
- City Clerk: council minutes, ordinances, campaign finance for city races
- Liquor Commission: license files and investigator reports
- ENV: trash, recycling, and wastewater permit records
- Customer Services: business licenses, DMV, and driver records
Each of these offices sits under the same UIPA rules. None hold tenant screening data. None feed hiring checks. The Residents Directory here is about open government, not private checks.
Filing a UIPA Records Directory Request in Honolulu County
Every Honolulu County agency follows UIPA. HRS § 92F-11 opens the door: state and county records are public unless a law closes them. HRS § 92F-12 then lists records that must be disclosed, like building permit data, agency budgets, and official rosters. HRS § 92F-13 lists the limits, like personal privacy and active probes. Read the full text on the UIPA statutes page.
The steps are simple. Write the request. Name the agency. Describe the record with enough detail that staff can find it. Say how you want to get the record: pick up, mail, email, or fax. Give your contact info. You do not have to say why you want the file. That part is up to you.
Send the request to the right office. HPD goes to the Records Division. DPP goes to its own UIPA inbox. Real Property Assessment takes them at 842 Bethel Street. The Liquor Commission uses Form OIP-1. When in doubt, the state Office of Information Practices can point you to the right desk.
Fees follow the state rule. The first hour of search is free. After that, search time runs $2.50 per 15 minutes. Review time is $5 per 15 minutes. Copies cost $0.25 per page. Some agencies waive the first $30. Others do not. Ask for a cost estimate before the work starts. You can drop the ask if the price is too high.
The 10-business-day reply window is a hard line. If an agency misses it, you can push the case to OIP. Write down the date you sent the ask. Keep a copy of every reply. Under HRS § 92F-11 the agency must give you a clear yes, no, or partial answer within that window.
Note: Send UIPA requests by email when you can, so the agency time stamp is clear and you keep a full paper trail for the Residents Directory file.
Cities in Honolulu County Residents Directory
Oahu is one island with many towns. Each town feeds the same Honolulu County Residents Directory, but local resources like police district stations and library branches vary. Pick a city below for the nearest courthouse, office, and search link.
Nearby Counties
Honolulu County sits in the middle of the island chain. Court files, land deeds, and licenses can cross county lines. Pick a nearby county for its own Residents Directory page.