Kalawao County Warrant Records

Kalawao County warrant records are handled through offices that serve Molokai and the wider state. Kalawao is the smallest county in Hawaii by land and people, sitting on the north coast of Molokai. The county is small enough that it does not keep its own police or courthouse. Law enforcement comes from the Maui Police Department Molokai Division and the state Sheriff Division. Court work goes through the Second Circuit Court in Wailuku. This page walks you through how to look up Kalawao County warrant records through those offices.

Where to Find Kalawao County Warrant Records

Kalawao County sits on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north coast of Molokai. The county was once used as a leprosy settlement and is now a National Historical Park. The county has less than 100 residents. Because of its small size, no local police department or courthouse is stationed in the county. Court and police services are handled from offices on Maui and Molokai. See the Hawaii State Judiciary home page for the full list of courts.

The Hawaii State Judiciary site is the main starting point for case info tied to Kalawao County warrant records.

The Molokai District Court handles court work for the island and for Kalawao County. The courthouse is at 55 Makaena Street, Kaunakakai, Molokai, HI 96748. Phone: (808) 553-1100. The court takes in warrant questions, court records, and legal proceedings for Kalawao County residents. Case files also flow to the Second Circuit Court in Wailuku on Maui.

Law enforcement for Kalawao County comes from the Maui Police Department Molokai Division. The Molokai Division operates under the Second Circuit. Emergency calls go to 911. Non-emergency calls go to (808) 244-6400. See the Maui Police Department page for more info.

The Molokai Division follows the same rules as the main station in Wailuku for warrant service and records requests.

How to Search Kalawao Warrants

The state eCourt Kokua system is the free option for Kalawao County warrant records. You can search by name or case number. Case info from the Second Circuit will show if it touches Kalawao or Molokai. Basic info is free. Court doc PDFs cost $3 for up to 30 pages. Older case files more than five years old may be stored off-site, so call the Second Circuit Court at (808) 244-2969 before going.

The state eBench Warrant system is used by police on all islands. It is not open to the public. Maui Police Department officers use the system for real-time warrant checks when they stop a person on Molokai. A free name check on public record info can be run through eCourt Kokua. For a criminal history printout, a person may travel to the Maui County Police Department public access site in Wailuku. Each printout costs $25.

Because Kalawao County is part of a National Historical Park, access to the park requires permits. The park limits visitors to protect the privacy of the few remaining residents. See the Kalaupapa National Historical Park page for more info.

The park phone is (808) 567-6802. Mail is at P.O. Box 2222, Kalaupapa, HI 96742.

Search options for Kalawao County warrant records include:

• eCourt Kokua online case lookup
• Molokai District Court walk-in
• Maui Police Records Section in Wailuku
• State Sheriff Division for warrant service info
• HCJDC name based criminal history check

Warrant Law in Kalawao

Kalawao County warrant records follow the same state rules as the rest of Hawaii. Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 803 sets out how a warrant is defined, issued, and served. An arrest warrant is a written order to bring a person before a judge. A search warrant must be served within 10 days of issue. Under HRS Section 803-33.5, a judge may issue a warrant on sworn oral or electronic input, which is the backbone of the state e-warrant program.

Public access to Kalawao County warrant records falls under the state Uniform Information Practices Act, HRS Chapter 92F. Arrest records that led to a conviction are public. Arrest records with no conviction or that are still pending are kept confidential. The Second Circuit expanded e-warrants to include arrest warrants, search warrants, and judicial determinations of probable cause in 2024. That change covers Molokai and Kalawao County as part of the Second Circuit.

Because Kalawao is a small area with a unique history, many of its records tie back to the Hawaii Department of Health. The county is administered by the state health department. A few of the historic settlement records are kept under privacy rules that go beyond the state warrant record policy.

Contact Info for Kalawao Requests

For a records request tied to Kalawao County, contact the Maui Police Department Records Section at 55 Mahalani Street, Wailuku, HI 96793. Phone: (808) 244-6400. The Records Section runs Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Requests can be made by fax at (808) 244-6418, by mail, or in person. Mail requests must include your phone, email, and a valid photo ID copy.

The Second Circuit Court at Hoapili Hale, 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, HI 96793-1679, phone (808) 244-2929, handles court warrant work. Public access terminals at the Second Circuit are on the first floor at Legal Documents and the Traffic Violations Bureau. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

History and Jurisdiction

Kalawao County has a unique history. The Kalaupapa settlement was set up in 1866 to hold people with Hansen's disease, once called leprosy. Forced isolation lasted until 1969. The National Park Service now manages the site as the Kalaupapa National Historical Park. A small number of former patients still live in the area, and access is tightly managed. This history shapes how Kalawao County warrant records are held and shared.

Because of the low population, Kalawao does not have its own clerk, police, or court. The state Department of Health runs the day-to-day county work. Law enforcement is a joint task between the Maui Police Department and the state Department of Law Enforcement. The Sheriff Division can serve warrants on Molokai in support of court orders that touch the county. All formal records requests route through the Maui County offices.

A name check for a Kalawao County warrant record can also be run through the state eCrim service at eCrim.ehawaii.gov. Each unique search is $5, and an official report is $12. The service covers adult conviction info statewide. Data or accuracy questions go to (808) 587-3279. Technical questions go to (808) 695-4620.

Cities in Kalawao County

Kalawao County has no cities with a local page. The main settled area is the village of Kalaupapa, which sits inside the National Historical Park. Law enforcement and court work for residents route through the Molokai District Court and the Maui Police Department.