Hawaii · Certified copy
Hawaii Birth Certificate: Order a Certified Copy Online
We prepare your application and file it with the Hawaii State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records Section. The office mails the certified copy to you.
- Secure payment
- Encrypted data
- Email support
- Private service — not a government agency
Hawaii at a glance
- Issuing office
- Hawaii State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records Section
- Who can order
- 17 relationships · see the list
- Standard processing
- 6–8 Weeks
- What you need
- Photo ID, names, date and place of birth, parents' names
- Expedited processing
- Set by the office
- Proof of relationship
- Required for some relationships
A certified copy is the document most agencies accept for a passport, a driver's license, school enrollment or benefits. Hawaii issues it for births recorded in the state.
Hawaii birth certificate: the Certification of Live Birth and the islands
Hawaii issues birth certificates to people with a direct and tangible interest, which includes the registrant, a spouse, parents and descendants, and anyone sharing a common ancestor such as a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin. Since 2001 the state prints the computer-generated Certification of Live Birth rather than copies of the original long form.
Common ancestors and other tangible interests
Hawaii Revised Statutes 338-18 reaches further than most states. Besides the registrant, a spouse, parents and descendants, it covers anyone who shares a common ancestor with the registrant, so brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins can qualify. A legal guardian, a person or agency acting for the registrant, the personal representative or trustee of an estate, and anyone named in a court order also qualify, along with a few specific cases such as Hawaiian Home Lands eligibility.
Short form only since 2001
For records kept in the state's computer system, Hawaii issues the Certification of Live Birth, a computer-generated short form that serves as the certified birth certificate. Copies of the original Certificate of Live Birth, the long form, are not issued; the one exception, in 2011, did not change the general rule. If you need confirmation that a birth is on file without a certified copy, the department can issue a letter of verification instead.
Honolulu, Hilo, Waimea and Kauai
In Honolulu the Vital Records office on Punchbowl Street serves the public in person. Elsewhere, online ordering is the main route: the Hawaii District Health Office lets people collect online orders by appointment in Hilo and Waimea, the Kauai District Health Office prints online orders for Kauai residents with a Kauai mailing address, and Maui offers no pick-up. The request form asks for the city and island of birth along with the name, sex, date of birth and both parents' names.
ID and genealogy requests
Every request includes a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID, and online orders upload a driver's license, state ID or passport; no notary is needed. Records of events more than 115 years ago are open for genealogy. For anything more recent, a genealogist needs a direct and tangible interest and proof of lineage, usually certified birth, death or marriage records tracing the line, plus an authorization letter or power of attorney where relevant.
Adoption, paternity and Certificates of Hawaiian Birth
After an adoption the state issues a new certificate and seals the original, which a court order can open; adult adoptees may ask the family court to inspect their records. A father can be added through a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity. Once an item has been amended, changing it again requires a court order. People holding a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth, issued from 1911 to 1972, who need it changed apply for a late birth certificate instead.
How it works when you order with BirthChek
Our Hawaii form covers the common-ancestor relatives the statute allows, including aunts, uncles and cousins, and the estate representative. You enter the city and island of birth and both parents' names, upload your ID and, for more distant relatives, the records that show the connection. BirthChek files the request with the Hawaii State Department of Health.
Facts checked October 24, 2026 against the sources below.
Sources
- Birth and marriage certificates — Hawaii State Department of Health – Vital Records
- Request for certified copy of birth record — Hawaii State Department of Health – Vital Records
- HRS §338-18: disclosure of records — Hawaii State Legislature
- Birth certificate news release — Hawaii State Department of Health
- Genealogy — Hawaii State Department of Health – Vital Records
- Vital statistics on Hawaii Island — Hawaii State Department of Health – Hawaii District Health Office
- Vital records on Kauai — Hawaii State Department of Health – Kauai District Health Office
- Late birth certificate in lieu of a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth — Hawaii State Department of Health – Vital Records
Where to get a Hawaii birth certificate: state and local offices
Certified copies for births recorded in Hawaii are issued by the Hawaii State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records Section.
We take orders for births anywhere in Hawaii, including Honolulu.
Who can order a Hawaii birth certificate
- You, the person named
- Father
- Mother
- Brother
- Sister
- Son
- Daughter
- Spouse
- Legal Guardian · proof needed
- Attorney · proof needed
- Other · proof needed
- Grandparent · proof needed
- Grandchild · proof needed
- Aunt / Uncle · proof needed
- Cousin · proof needed
- Estate representative · proof needed
- My relationship is not listed · proof needed
Relationships marked "proof needed" must send proof of the relationship with the application; we tell you what counts after you order.
If your relationship is not listed, the office may refuse the application or ask for a court order.
Reasons to request a Hawaii birth certificate
- Driver's License
- Employment
- Other
- Passport
- Proof of Property Rights
- School Entrance
- Social Security
- Sports Participation
- Survivor Benefits
What you need to order a Hawaii birth certificate
- A photo ID: driver's license, state ID, passport or military ID
- Full name on the certificate and date of birth
- City or county of birth
- Both parents' names, including the mother's maiden name
- A debit or credit card
- Proof of your relationship, for the relationships marked above
Prefer to order directly? Find the office in the CDC directory
Ready to order your Hawaii birth certificate?
About ten minutes. Have your photo ID nearby.