How to Apply for Certified Copies of Vital Records

• All applications requesting certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates must generally be made in writing (application forms may be downloaded from this site - see below). Requests may also be placed for birth and marriage certificates on a limited basis through the Internet (www.ehawaiigov.org/ohsm). Telephone, FAX, or e-mail requests are not accepted.
• Fees for certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are identical:
  
  
  • $10.00 for the first copy of each certificate, and
  • $4.00 for each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time.
    
    
• There is an additional fee for requests made through the Internet as follows:
  
  
  • $1.50 for a request of one (the first) copy of each certificate, if the requested certificate is found, or for the cost of conducting the search, if the requested certificate is not found, and
  • $0.25 for each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time.
    
    
• Fees may be paid by cash (except for applications made by postal mail), money order, certified check, or cashier’s check - make money order and checks payable to the State Department of Health.
• Fees must be paid by a charge to a credit card for requests made through the Internet.
• All fees for certified copies are payable in advance and nonrefundable. If no record is found after a search is conducted, the fees are retained to cover the cost of the search.
• Once an order has been received and processed, a $10.00 fee will be charged for any request to make changes to the order.

Apply In Person

Walk-in service is available:

• Days - Monday through Friday (excluding holidays)
• Hours - 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Location - Room 103 (1^st floor) of the Health Department building, 1250 Punchbowl Street (corner of Beretania and Punchbowl Streets)

When applying in person, the applicant must show a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a State ID, driver's license, etc.

Certified copies are usually not issued on the day the application is made. Same-Day service may be provided upon presentation of written documentation establishing the need for urgency. Certified copies will normally be available for pick-up about 10 working days after the request is approved. The pick-up time may be extended for records that are very old, because the search to locate the record may take longer, or in the process of being filed, because the official record is still being created.

Application forms are available in the building’s lobby area and should be filled in prior to coming to the counter in Room 103.

Apply by Mail

Send mail-in applications to the following address:

State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801

When applying by mail, the applicant must include a photocopy of his/her government-issued photo ID, such as a State ID, driver's license, etc.

Certified copies will normally be sent out within 5-8 weeks after receipt and approval of the application. The return time may be extended for records that are very old, because the search to locate the record may take longer, or in the process of being filed, because the official record is still being created.

What Information You Should Be Prepared to Provide

An applicant/requestor must provide the information needed to 1) establish his/her direct and tangible interest in the record and 2) locate the desired record. This will normally include:

• Applicant's name, address, and telephone number(s);
• Applicant's relationship to the person named on the certificate;
• Reason why you are requesting the certificate;
• Full name(s) as listed on the certificate;
• The certificate’s file number (if known);
• Month, day, and year of the event; and
• City or town and the island where the event occurred.
• For birth certificates, also provide the full name of the father and the full maiden name of the mother.
• If you are applying for a certificate on behalf of someone else, you must provide an original letter signed by that person authorizing the release of their certificate to you.

Letters of Verification

Letters of verification may be issued in lieu of certified copies (HRS §338-14.3). This document verifies the existence of a birth/death/marriage/divorce certificate on file with the Department of Health and any other information that the applicant provides to be verified relating to the vital event. (For example, that a certain named individual was born on a certain date at a certain place.) The verification process will not, however, disclose information about the vital event contained within the certificate that is unknown to and not provided by the applicant in the request.

Letters of verification are requested in similar fashion and using the same request forms as for certified copies.

The fee for a letter of verification is $5 per letter.

Application Forms

Application forms are available in a “fillable” Adobe Acrobat portable document format (PDF). The Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 (or later) is required for using the fillable forms feature.

The Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 is free to download and install on your computer by clicking on the button:   

• Download Request For Certified Copy of Birth Record
• Download Request For Certified Copy of Death Record
• Download Request For Certified Copy of Marriage Record
• Download Request For Certified Copy of Divorce Record

Further Information and Assistance

If you require further information about applying for certified copies of vital records or want to check on the status of an accepted request for certified copies of vital records, call (808) 586-4539 or (808) 586-4542 during regular business hours.