The court records of Kauai County in the state of Hawaii are maintained by the Clerk of the Fifth Circuit Court and are accessible through online portals, the clerk's office, and state resources. KauaiCourt.us will help you navigate the publicly available information about court cases in this county. Additionally, you can use the eCourt Kokua portal to search for cases, contact the court clerk's office directly, or check criminal history through the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.
Kauai Court System Overview
Kauai belongs to the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the Hawaii state court system. This circuit exclusively serves the island of Kauaʻi and the island of Niʻihau. Unlike most states, Hawaii has a unified state-level court system—there are no municipal courts here. The Fifth Circuit Court combines the functions of a Circuit Court (higher-level court) and a District Court, as well as a Family Court. The courthouse is located in Līhuʻe:
Contact information for individual departments can be found on the Fifth Circuit page on the Hawaii State Judiciary website.
Courts Serving Kauai
Residents of Kauai are served by several judicial instances—at the state and federal levels.
Hawaii State Courts (Fifth Circuit)
Federal Court
The federal court is the only one for the entire state, located in Honolulu. Bankruptcy cases are also handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii at the same address.
What Types of Cases Kauai Courts Hear
The Fifth Circuit courts hear a wide range of cases. Here are the main categories:
- Criminal cases: felonies, misdemeanors, infractions
- Civil cases: claims above and below the jurisdictional limit, small claims
- Family law: divorce, child custody, alimony, protective orders, paternity
- Probate law: estate management, guardianship, conservatorship, trust matters
- Juvenile justice: cases involving minors, child protection, adoption
- Traffic violations: fines, DUI
District Court Cases in Kauai
In the Hawaii court system, the term "District Court" refers to a lower-level court, while "Circuit Court" refers to a higher-level court. The Fifth Circuit Court handles criminal felonies, civil cases with a claim amount over $40,000, and appeals from District Court decisions. Cases reach the Circuit Court after an indictment by a grand jury or after a preliminary hearing in District Court. A Circuit Court judge presides over the cases. Cases are distributed among judges according to the court's internal schedule. For felony-level criminal cases, the clerk is available at (808) 482–2322.
Magistrate Court Cases in Kauai
Hawaii does not have separate magistrate courts in the traditional sense. The functions that a magistrate would perform in other states are handled by the District Court here. The Kauai District Court handles:
- Misdemeanors and infractions
- Preliminary hearings in felony cases
- Civil claims up to $40,000
- Small claims up to $5,000
- Traffic violations, including DUI
A District Court judge handles these cases without a jury (in most cases). If the civil claim amount exceeds the jurisdictional threshold or the defendant in a criminal case requires a jury trial, the case is transferred to the Circuit Court.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Kauai
Family Law. The Family Court of the Fifth Circuit handles divorces, custody disputes, alimony, protective orders, paternity establishment, and termination of parental rights. Forms for filing applications are available on the Kauaʻi Family Court forms page. Certified copies of divorce records are also issued by the Office of Health Status Monitoring of the Hawaii Department of Health—for Kauai, call (808) 241-3498.
Probate Law. Estate, adult guardianship, conservatorship, and trust matters are handled by the Circuit Court. Applications are submitted to the civil division clerk.
Juvenile Justice. Cases involving minors, including law violations and child protection cases (Child Protective Act), are handled by the Family Court. Juvenile case records are confidential and not publicly accessible. Family Court phone: (808) 482–2381.
How Cases Move Through the Kauai Court System
- Case Initiation. A criminal case begins with a complaint or indictment; a civil case starts with the filing of a complaint or petition.
- Judge Assignment. The case is assigned to a specific judge according to the internal distribution of the Fifth Circuit.
- First Hearing. In criminal cases, this is the arraignment (announcement of charges and plea entry). In civil cases, it's a scheduling conference or the first meeting of the parties.
- Pretrial Phase. Filing motions, exchanging evidence (discovery), plea negotiations, or settlement discussions.
- Trial. Court trial (bench trial or jury trial), plea agreement, settlement, or default judgment.
- Post-Judgment. Sentencing, filing an appeal to the Intermediate Court of Appeals or Supreme Court of Hawaii, enforcement of the judgment.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Kauai
The administration of the Fifth Circuit courts is carried out by the circuit's administrative judge along with the court administrator. Contact the administration at the number listed on the Fifth Circuit contact page.
Local court rules (Rules of the Circuit Courts and Rules of the District Courts) are published on the Hawaii State Judiciary website. Court record rules are governed by the Hawaii Court Records Rules—specifically, Rule 9 requires parties to protect personal information in documents filed with the court.
Public Access. Most court records in Hawaii are public, except for:
- Juvenile cases
- Records sealed by court order
- Certain family cases with restricted access
Online access to public cases is provided by the eCourt Kokua system, which contains data on traffic, criminal, and civil cases in Circuit and District Courts, as well as criminal cases in Family Court. Information in eCourt Kokua comes from official records but does not cover all available data.
Hearings are open to the public unless the judge decides otherwise. Some hearings may be conducted remotely—check with the clerk of the specific department.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Kauai
- Search Court Cases Online: eCourt Kokua allows you to search for cases by party name or case number—traffic, criminal, and civil records of District Court and Circuit Court.
- Criminal History: The eCrim portal allows you to check adult conviction information based on data from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. For an official check (police clearance), contact the HCJDC.
- Arrest Warrants: The eBench Warrant system is available to authorized Hawaii law enforcement personnel.
- Family Court Forms: Family Court forms for the Fifth Circuit are available for download on the Judiciary website.
- Vital Records: Birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates are issued by the Vital Records Office of the Hawaii Department of Health. For Kauai, call: (808) 241-3498. A request for a certified copy of a divorce record is submitted using a separate form.
- Correctional Facility: Kauai Community Correctional Center (KCCC) is a local 128-bed facility serving as the county jail.
- Property Records: The Bureau of Conveyances is responsible for recording real estate documents statewide. Property tax payment for Kauai is available through the Kauaʻi Real Property Tax portal.
- Sheriff's Division: The Sheriff Division of the Hawaii Department of Public Safety has a section on Kauai—phone (808) 482–2470.
- State Archives: The Hawaiʻi State Archives preserves historical government records, including court documents.
- Court Clerk's Office: For certified copies of court records or to submit a public records request, contact the Circuit Court clerk at (808) 482–2310 (civil division) or visit the court in person. Information is also available on KauaiCourt.us.