Hawaii Counties

Hawaii has five counties. Each one runs its own police force, except Kalawao, which leans on Maui County and the state Sheriff Division. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation runs the jails in each county. Local police hold arrest logs and booking photos for the first stretch of a case, then the state system takes over. Pick a county below to see where to look for jail mugshots, how to file a UIPA request, and which correctional center holds local inmates.

Hawaii Counties and Jail Mugshots

The five Hawaii counties split up the islands across the state. Honolulu County covers the island of Oahu and holds the largest share of the state's population. Hawaii County covers the Big Island and runs the second-largest police force. Maui County covers Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Kauai County covers the island of Kauai. Kalawao is a tiny county on the Kalaupapa Peninsula of Molokai with no local government of its own.

Each county has its own community correctional center except Kalawao, which uses Maui's jail for any case tied to its area. The Hawaii Department of Public Safety Corrections Division runs the jails and prisons. The state also runs a central inmate search at the DPS Inmate Search page. That tool covers every county's jail and prison at once.

County police forces vary in size. The Honolulu Police Department has more than 2,000 officers split across eight districts. The Hawaii Police Department runs nine stations across the Big Island. The Maui and Kauai Police Departments are smaller but cover a wider land area. Each force posts its own records path and booking log.

Hawaii's public records law, the Uniform Information Practices Act at HRS Chapter 92F, gives every resident a right to ask for arrest records, inmate info, and booking photos. The law applies equally to every county. Agencies have 10 business days to respond. The Office of Information Practices handles appeals if a county denies a request.

Choose Your County

Click a county link above to see local contact info. Each page lists the main police station, the booking jail, the court that hears felony and misdemeanor cases, and the fee chart for records requests. You will also find the state tools that cover every county.

Honolulu County pages cover the eight HPD districts, OCCC booking, and Halawa Correctional Facility. Hawaii County pages cover the Hawaii Police Department, HCCC in Hilo, and Kulani prison. Maui County pages cover the Maui Police Department, MCCC in Wailuku, and the intake service center. Kauai County pages cover KCCC in Lihue, the Kauai Police Department, and the island's court system. Kalawao County pages cover the unique jurisdictional setup that ties it to Maui.

The state's eCrim portal at ecrim.ehawaii.gov runs across every county. A name check costs $5 online. An official record costs $12. Walk-in prints at any HCJDC Public Access Site cost $25 cash.

Pick the county page that fits your case to see step-by-step guidance for finding a specific jail mugshot, arrest record, or inmate custody status.

Hawaii County Records Paths

Each Hawaii county follows the same core path for arrest records, yet fee and form details vary. Honolulu County runs the largest records system. HPD fees start at $0.50 for the first page of a police report and $0.25 for each added page. Hawaii County charges $1 for the first page and $0.10 per added page, cash only. Maui County fees run $2.50 per 15 minutes of search time, with the first $30 waived. Kauai County follows state UIPA rules and takes most requests through the police records division at (808) 241-1655.

Each county also hosts a HCJDC Public Access Site. These sites print adult conviction records for $25 cash. Honolulu has one at 465 S. King Street and another at HPD on Beretania. Hawaii County has one at the Hawaii Police Department in Hilo and another at the Kona Police Station. Maui County has one at 55 Mahalani Street in Wailuku. Kauai County has one at 3990 Kaana Street in Lihue.

The eCourt Kokua system covers court records in every county at once. It holds traffic, civil, and criminal case info for the Circuit, Family, and District Courts of each county. You can pull up a case from any of the five counties through the same portal.

Every county also follows the same rule for juveniles. Juvenile arrest records are sealed under HRS Chapter 846. They do not appear in the public log, the DPS inmate search, or the eCrim portal. Hawaii runs a separate Youth Correctional Facility in Kailua for young offenders sent there by the family court.

State Tools Across All Counties

Three state tools work for any Hawaii county. The DPS Inmate Search covers every state facility. The SAVIN VINE system sends alerts for any inmate in state custody. The eCrim portal runs conviction checks for the whole state.

Each tool uses the same OffenderTrak database held by the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. That keeps the data consistent across every county from Honolulu to Kalawao. The same booking photo taken at any county jail stays tied to the record across every move.

How Hawaii County Jails Work

The state runs eight correctional centers. Four are jails that hold pre-trial inmates and short-sentence inmates. Four are prisons that hold people on longer terms. Honolulu County gets the most work by far, with the Oahu Community Correctional Center running at or above its rated 950 beds most of the year. Hawaii County runs a 200-bed jail in Hilo. Maui County runs a 301-bed jail in Wailuku, often over capacity at a daily count near 363. Kauai County runs a 130-bed jail in Lihue. Kalawao has no jail of its own.

Sentenced male inmates with terms longer than one year move from their county jail to a state prison. Halawa Correctional Facility in Aiea holds men on medium to high security terms. Waiawa Correctional Facility in Waipahu holds men on medium security terms. Kulani Correctional Facility near Hilo holds men on minimum security terms. Women move to the Women's Community Correctional Center in Kailua no matter which county they started in.

Every county page links to the state DPS Corrections Division site and the county's main police contact. That gives you both the local contact and the state-wide tool in one click. Use the county pages to narrow down the case. Use the state tools to look up current status.

What Each County Record Contains

An arrest record in any Hawaii county holds the same core data. Full legal name, date of birth, gender, race, and a physical description come first. A booking photo and fingerprint card follow. The record lists the date and time of the arrest, the location, the arresting agency, and the officer's name. Charges, statute citations, and charge classifications sit in their own section of the file. Warrants, bail amounts, court dates, and release info round out the record.

Retention rules follow the same state policy across every county. Felony convictions stay in the file for life. Misdemeanor convictions run at least 10 years. Traffic convictions run 5 to 10 years. Arrests without a conviction stay at least 5 years. Juvenile records are sealed at age 18 in most cases. The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center tracks these records through the state's criminal history file.