Big Island Jail Mugshots Search
Hawaii County Jail Mugshots are public records kept by the Hawaii Police Department and the state Department of Public Safety. The Big Island covers eight police districts, and each one sends booking info to a central system. You can find mugshots, arrest logs, and inmate data through official sites. Some records are free. Others charge a small fee. This page walks you through the tools, offices, and steps used to look up a booking on the Big Island. Use the search below to get started, or keep reading for direct links to police, jail, and court sources.
Hawaii County Overview
Hawaii County Jail Mugshots Overview
The Big Island is the largest island in the state. It has one main police force and one main jail. The Hawaii Police Department is based at 349 Kapiolani Street in Hilo. It runs eight district stations and handles all arrests in the county. Each arrest creates a booking file. That file holds a mugshot, fingerprints, and charge data. Under HRS 92F-12(a)(5), most arrest info is public by law.
The main jail is the Hawaii Community Correctional Center. It holds people waiting for trial and people with short sentences. Longer sentences send an inmate to a state prison. You can look up who is held at HCCC through the state DPS search tool. Mugshot photos are not always posted online. But names, charges, and booking dates are open to the public.
Hawaii County uses a mix of local and state systems to track inmates. The police log covers the past few days. The state log covers current inmates. Court files cover the case after charges are filed. You may need to check all three to get a full picture.
Take a look at the main police website below. It has booking logs, report request forms, and contact info for each station. The site is the top source for Big Island arrests.
See the Hawaii Police Department home page at hawaiipolice.gov for the latest tools and alerts.
The home page links to booking logs, records requests, and the eight station addresses. It updates often with new alerts and press releases.
Big Island Police Booking Logs
The Hawaii Police Department posts Media Booking Logs online. These logs show recent arrests across the Big Island. Each entry lists the name of the person booked, age, home area, charges, and bail amount. The log also shows the date and time of booking. Logs update often. A recent log had 34 OTNs and 47 charge records. OTN stands for Offender Tracking Number. Each arrest gets one.
Note: The public booking log does not include the mugshot photo; to get the photo you must file a formal records request with the department.
To view the log, go to the booking logs page. It is free. No login is needed. The log covers all eight police districts on the island. If you do not see a name, the person may have been released or booked at a time not yet posted. Logs run a day or two behind for clerical reasons.
View the current log at the Hawaii Police booking logs page for a full list of names and charges.
The log page is simple to read. You can scan the list by date or search by name with a browser find tool.
Hawaii Community Correctional Center
The Hawaii Community Correctional Center, or HCCC, is the main jail for the Big Island. It sits at 60 Punahele Street in Hilo. Phone is (808) 933-0400. The jail has about 200 beds. It holds both men and women. Most people at HCCC are waiting for trial or serving a sentence of less than a year. For sentences over a year, the person is moved to a state prison.
HCCC runs a few in-house programs. These include school classes, drug and alcohol help, job training, and faith services. Mental health care is offered on site. The goal is to help people come back to the community with skills and support. Staff include corrections officers, nurses, and case workers.
To find out if a person is held at HCCC, use the state inmate search. It pulls from all state jails and prisons. You can also call the jail front desk. But the online tool is faster.
Visit hours and rules change, so call ahead before a visit. Mail goes through a screen process. Phone calls to inmates run through a paid service.
The HCCC overview page gives more details. See the Hawaii Community Correctional Center site from DPS.
The page lists programs, contact info, and key rules for mail, visits, and phone calls at HCCC.
Kulani Correctional Facility
Kulani Correctional Facility is a minimum security state prison on the Big Island. It sits on the slopes of Mauna Loa, above Hilo. The mailing address is HC-01 Box 4670, Hilo, HI 96720. Phone is (808) 959-6800 or (808) 969-9166. Kulani is not a jail. It is a state prison for men with longer sentences.
Note: Kulani does not hold pre-trial detainees, so recent arrest mugshots from Hawaii County will not appear in this facility's roster.
The focus at Kulani is rehab. Men take part in job training, work crews, and group programs. Some help with land work and trail care near the facility. Staff screen each inmate before a transfer to Kulani. The person must have a clean record inside and a low risk score. HRS ยง 353-2.5 gives DCR the power to keep these inmate records.
To check if a person is at Kulani, use the state DPS inmate search. The tool shows current location, projected release, and custody level.
Read more at the Kulani Correctional Facility page.
The page has a short history, current mission, and the two main phone lines for staff and visitor info.
Hawaii County Arrest Records Process
When police arrest a person on the Big Island, the arrest starts a chain of records. First, the person goes to a police station for booking. Staff take fingerprints and a mugshot. Staff also log the charges and bail amount. This is the first record in the system. It is called the arrest record. Under state law, police must charge or release a person within 48 hours. This is known as the 48-hour rule.
Next, the person may be moved to the Hawaii Intake Service Center at 1420 Kilauea Avenue, Suite 10, Hilo. Phone is (808) 933-8825. The intake center runs medical checks, mental health screens, and risk review. Staff decide if the person needs a jail bed or can be released on bond or their own word. The process takes a few hours for most people. From there, the person may go to HCCC or be released.
Each arrest record holds a set of facts. These include full name, date of birth, gender, height, weight, and race. The file also has the mugshot, prints, arrest date and time, arrest spot, the arresting officer, charges, statute numbers, class of charge (felony, misdemeanor, or petty), bail amount, and court data. Records stay on file for years. Felony conviction records are kept for life. Misdemeanors stay at least 10 years. Arrests without a conviction stay at least 5 years. Juvenile records get sealed at age 18.
Learn more at the Hawaii Intake Service Center page.
The intake service center is the first stop for many people after arrest. It sorts who goes to jail and who gets a bond release.
Getting a Police Report
Hawaii County Jail Mugshots and full arrest reports are not posted online. To get a copy, you must file a request with the Hawaii Police Department. There are three report types you can ask for. These are the incident report, the accident report, and the arrest report. Each one has a use case. The arrest report shows the booking and charges in full.
- Fill out the records request form from the HPD website.
- Mail the form to the Records and Identification Section in Hilo.
- Pay $1 for the first page and $0.10 for each page after.
- Wait up to 10 business days for a reply.
- Pick up the record or have it mailed to you.
The records section takes cash only for in-person requests. Mail requests need a check or money order. Copies sent out will have some info blocked. Blocked items are home address, phone, email, date of birth, SSN, medical notes, money info, and juvenile data. This follows HRS Chapter 92F, the state Uniform Information Practices Act.
For the request form and full steps, see the Hawaii Police get a report page.
The Kona station at 74-5221 Queen Kaahumanu Highway also offers a Public Access Site. Phone (808) 326-4646 ext. 286. For $25, you can get a printout of your own criminal history.
Hawaii County Inmate Search Tools
The state runs a few search tools for inmates and arrests. Each tool has a set job. Use more than one to get the full story. Here are the main ones for the Big Island.
- DPS Inmate Search lists anyone in state custody.
- VINE Hawaii sends alerts when an inmate moves or is released.
- HCJDC is the state criminal justice data center.
- eCrim checks criminal history for $5 per search and $12 per record.
- eCourt Kokua shows court case files from all circuits.
Note: VINE alerts are free and can be sent by phone, text, or email when the inmate's status changes in any meaningful way.
For East Hawaii inmate contact info, call (808) 961-2213. For West Hawaii, call (808) 326-4646 ext. 293. These numbers help with visit setup, phone funds, and mail rules. Each jail has a set schedule for visits. Call first. Do not show up without a check.
If you need help from the Third Circuit Court, it sits at Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo. The court handles all felony cases on the Big Island. Files on active cases may be viewed at the clerk window or online at eCourt Kokua.
Big Island Booking Logs and Public Law
State law shapes what parts of a jail file are public. HRS Chapter 92F is the main law. It says most arrest and inmate info is open. HRS 92F-12(a)(13) makes inmate info public. HRS 92F-12(a)(5) makes arrest info public. HRS Chapter 846 covers criminal history. HRS 846-9 makes conviction info public but limits non-conviction info. These laws set the base rules for Big Island Booking Logs.
See HRS Chapter 92F for the full text of the Uniform Information Practices Act. Also see HRS Chapter 846 for criminal history rules.
Some info is always blocked. Juvenile records get sealed. Sealed cases do not show up in a search. A person can also file to clear an arrest from their record if no charges were filed. The process is called expungement. It goes through the state Attorney General office.
The intake flow shown above is the path most people take after a Big Island arrest, from booking at a station to the final custody choice.
If a person is not guilty or the case is dropped, the record can still show up in a basic search. To fully remove it, the person must file for expungement and get a clear from the state. Until then, the arrest stays in the base file for at least five years.
Police Stations Across the Big Island
The Hawaii Police Department runs eight district stations. Each one holds arrest files for its area. You can call a local station for quick help. But formal record requests still go to Hilo.
The station list covers the whole island. Hilo Station is at 349 Kapi'olani Street, Hilo. Pahoa Station sits at 15-1979 Keaau-Pahoa Road. Ka'u Station is at 20 West Kahuailani Street, Pahala. Laupahoehoe Station is at 36-2673 Old Mamalahoa Highway. Honoka'a Station is at 45-3438 Mamane Street. Kona Station is at 74-455 Kealakehe Parkway, Kailua-Kona. Waimea Station sits at 67-5189 Kamamalu Street. Kapa'au Station is at 53-4289 Akoni Pule Highway.
The non-emergency line for HPD is (808) 935-3311. The Records Section direct line is (808) 961-2233. Records staff can help with report requests, fingerprint checks, and public access forms. Hours are set by the department. Most offices are open weekdays during the day.
If you need help outside normal hours, call the non-emergency line. They will route your call. For a true emergency, call 911.
Cities in Hawaii County
The Big Island has one city with a full page on this site. Other towns are served by the same county and state offices. See the main city below for local info.
Hilo is the county seat. It hosts the main police headquarters, the Third Circuit Court, and HCCC. Most formal records work for the Big Island goes through Hilo offices. Other towns like Kailua-Kona, Waimea, and Pahoa have local police stations but share the same records system.