How to Get a Death Certificate in Hawaii: Steps, Fees, and Copies

To get a death certificate in Hawaii, submit a Request for Certified Copy of Death Record to the Department of Health’s Office of Health Status Monitoring online, by mail, or in person at the Honolulu office. The first certified copy costs $10, with each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costing $4; online orders add fees that bring a single copy to $17.50.¹² Current processing runs six to eight weeks regardless of how you order, since all certified copies are mailed by first-class post.

Who Can Request the Record

Hawaii limits certified death certificates to people with a “direct and tangible interest” in the record. That covers the surviving spouse, a parent, a descendant, a sibling, a grandparent, and anyone else sharing a common ancestor with the deceased.³

A personal representative or trustee of the estate can also request the certificate with documentation of their appointment, and beneficiaries of a will or trust who need to confirm a co-owner’s death to settle property rights qualify as well. Plan on showing proof of your legal capacity, such as a court order naming you as executor or letters of administration from a probate court.³ Requests from anyone outside these categories will not be fulfilled.²

What To Gather Before You Apply

Download the Request for Certified Copy of Death Record form from the Department of Health’s website. You’ll enter the deceased person’s full legal name, including any maiden, married, or other known names, the date of death, and the island where the death occurred. The form asks for the Social Security number if you have it, but it isn’t required.⁴

You must state your relationship to the deceased and explain why you need the record. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or current passport). If you’re applying as a legal representative rather than a relative, include your court appointment order or the relevant insurance policy.²

Incomplete applications or expired ID come back unprocessed. Check the spelling of the deceased person’s name and the date of death carefully before submitting; small discrepancies trigger delays.

Fees and Payment

The base fee is $10 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered together.² So two copies cost $14, three cost $18, five cost $26. If the Department searches and finds no matching record, you’re still charged the $10 search fee.¹

Online orders add two charges per order: a $2.50 portal administration fee and a $5.00 identity verification fee. A single certified copy ordered online therefore runs $17.50, two copies $21.50, three copies $25.50. Online orders are limited to five copies per transaction. Payment is by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover, and the name on the card must match both the name on the order and the name on the certificate, or the Department may delay or deny the order.¹

For mail-in orders, pay by money order, cashier’s check, or certified check made payable to the State Department of Health. Cash and personal checks are not accepted.² All payments are non-refundable regardless of method.¹

How To Submit Your Request

Online

Hawaii’s online ordering runs through the Vital Records Ordering and Tracking portal at vitrec.ehawaii.gov, not through VitalChek. Create or sign in to an eHawaii account, enter the deceased person’s information, verify your eligibility, and pay by credit card. Even though you order online, certified copies are printed and mailed by first-class post. There is no digital delivery option.⁵

By Mail

Send your completed form, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, any eligibility documents, and your payment to:

State Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801²

In Person

Walk-in requests go to the Department of Health office at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, on the first floor of the main building at the corner of Beretania and Punchbowl. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bring your completed form, photo ID, eligibility documents, and payment.² The walk-in window is only in Honolulu; on neighbor islands, online and mail are the practical options.

How Long It Takes

Current average processing runs six to eight weeks whether you order online or by mail, because all certified copies are sent by first-class postal mail.⁵ Online is not faster.

If staff find a problem such as a mismatched name or missing eligibility documentation, they’ll contact you for clarification, and the clock effectively restarts while your application waits. Responding quickly matters. In-person requests at the Honolulu office can sometimes be processed more quickly, though the Department does not publish a guaranteed turnaround for walk-in orders.

How Many Copies To Order

Each institution that needs proof of death typically requires its own certified copy and won’t return it. Banks, insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, the probate court, and any financial account holding assets in the deceased person’s name may each need a separate original. Three to five copies is a reasonable starting point for most families. The cost gap is small: five copies by mail run $26 ($10 plus four at $4), compared with $10 for one.

Online orders are capped at five certified copies per transaction.¹ If you need more, place a second online order or use the mail-in option, which does not appear to carry the same limit. Ordering extras up front costs far less than coming back later, when each new request starts at the $10 first-copy price.

Fixing Errors on the Certificate

If the certificate has a mistake in a name, date, or cause-of-death entry, Hawaii allows amendments through a written request with supporting documentation. Evidentiary requirements vary depending on whether the correction is minor or materially affects the record. The fee is $3 per item or group of related items on a single certificate.⁶

Once an item has been amended, it cannot be changed again without a court order. To start the process or ask what documentation you’ll need, contact the Corrections Section at (808) 586-4541 or write to the Office of Health Status Monitoring, Corrections Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801.⁶

Using a Hawaii Death Certificate Abroad

If you need the certificate recognized in another country, you’ll likely need an apostille, a standardized authentication accepted by countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention.⁷ Because death certificates are state-issued records, the apostille comes from the state.

In Hawaii, the Lieutenant Governor’s office handles apostille requests, and the Department of Health coordinates directly with that office to attach the apostille to your certified copy. You can file online or by mail, and the fee is $3 per document, payable by money order or cashier’s check to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.⁸ If the destination country is not a Hague Convention member, a different authentication process through the U.S. Department of State applies instead.

1
Hawaii DOH. Vital Records Ordering and Tracking
2
Hawaii Department of Health. Death Certificates – Vital Records
3
Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 338-18 – Disclosure of Records
4
Hawaii Department of Health. Instructions for Filling in the Request for Certified Copy of Death Record
5
Hawaii DOH. Vital Records Ordering and Tracking
6
Hawaii Department of Health. Amendments – Vital Records
7
USAGov. Authenticate an Official Document for Use Outside the U.S.
8
Hawaii Department of Health. Apostilles and Authentication of Certified Copies – Vital Records