Removing Court Records FAQ

Applications need to be submitted to the Attorney General’s Office, Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Data Center. Information on this process is available via the Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Data Center website. You may access that website by clicking here.

There is a fee to apply to expunge an arrest record.  This fee is paid to the State of Hawaiʻi when the application is submitted to the Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Data Center. Information about the application as well as the fee may be found by visiting the Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Data Center website. You may access that website by clicking here.

HRS § 831-3.2 authorizes the expungement of non-conviction arrest information. More information may be found on the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center website. You may access that website by clicking here.

As of July 1, 2025, the Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Data Center, which is a part of the Attorney General’s Office, will directly transmit to the court every Expungement Certificate, so long as the certificate has a related court case number. The court will determine if the related court case may be removed from public view on the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s online system, eCourt Kokua, in accordance with applicable rules and laws.

If the court determines that the related court case may be removed from public view, the court will issue an “Order to Seal.”  This order indicates that the case information will no longer be available for public view on eCourt Kokua. The court will then provide a copy of the Order to Seal to the individual for whom the Expungement Certificate was issued. The Order to Seal will be mailed to the individual using the last known mailing address.

For Expungement Certificates issued before July 1, 2025, please see question 6 below.

You may conduct a search on eCourt Kokua using either your name or the “Case ID” number of your case. eCourt Kokua may be accessed on the Judiciary’s webpage. Click here.

A guide on how to look up a case on eCourt Kokua is available on the Hawaiʻi State Library System webpage. Click here.

No. Only Expungement Certificates issued by the Hawaii Criminal Justice Center on or after July 1, 2025 will be automatically sent to the courts.

Updated direction on expungement certificates received prior to July 1, 2025 will be forthcoming from the Hawai‘i State Judiciary.  Check back here for details.

If you received an Order to Seal but are still able to search your case on eCourt Kokua, please contact the court where your case was filed.

Not all cases are eligible to be sealed. If your arrest record was expunged, but your court case was deemed not eligible to be sealed, an “Order Denying Sealing of Case” will be issued in your case. A copy of this order will be filed in the case and mailed to the mailing address provided at the time of the application for expungement or the last known mailing address.

Pursuant to HRS 831-3.2(f), the court is not required to seal a case if the person for whom the order has been entered: (1) Was charged with multiple offenses at least one of which is not the subject of the expungement certificate; or (2) Is only one of multiple defendants in the case at least one of whom has not been the subject of a prior expungement certificate.