Vital Records

Please note: The name on the debit or credit card should match the name of the person making the vital records request, otherwise, there may be delays. Refer to Costs & Payment for fee information below.

MAIL-IN ORDERS

Download and complete applications forms below.

• Download Request For Certified Copy of Birth Record (fillable)
• Download Request For Certified Copy of Civil Union or Marriage Record (fillable)

Mail form to the address below with applicable fees and a “copy” of the applicant’s government issued I.D. Refer to Costs & Payment for fee information.

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

Apostilles or authentication requests are mail-in only.

Costs & Payment

For each application requesting copies, fees for certified copies of birth and marriage certificates are as follows:

Payment Methods :

• For orders completed and submitted online, pay fees with a debit or credit card. The name on the debit or credit card should match the name of the person making the vital records request, otherwise, there may be delays.
• For orders completed by mail, we only accept cashier’s checks, certified checks or money orders payable to the State Department of Health.
• For orders completed in person, pay fees with cash, credit card, cashier’s check, certified check or money order payable to the State Department of Health.

Note: Please ensure the exact payment is enclosed. Any payment, under or over, may be returned.

Eligibility

A certified copy of a vital record (birth certificate, death certificate or marriage certificate) is issued only to an applicant who has a direct and tangible interest in the record. The following persons are considered to have such an interest:

• The registrant (the person whom the record is concerned with);
• The registrant’s spouse;
• The registrant’s parent(s);
• A descendant of the registrant (e.g., a child or grandchild);
• A person having a common ancestor with the registrant (e.g., a sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or cousin);
• A legal guardian of the registrant;
• A person or agency acting on behalf of the registrant;
• A personal representative of the registrant’s estate;
• A person whose right to obtain a copy of the record is established by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction;
• Adoptive parents who have filed a petition for adoption and need to determine the death of one or more of the prospective adopted child’s natural or legal parents;
• A person who needs to determine the marital status of a former spouse in order to determine the payment of alimony;
• A person who needs to determine the death of a non-related co-owner of property purchased under a joint tenancy agreement; and
• A person who needs a death certificate for the determination of payments under a credit insurance policy.

If you are not able to establish a direct and tangible interest in the record, you are ineligible and will not be issued a certified copy of the record.

A search of the records on file with the Department of Health will only be conducted to process an application requesting either a certified copy or a letter of verification. If the search establishes that the requested record is not on file, you will be notified that no record has been found. No searches of the records on file with the Department of Health will be conducted prior to or outside of the receipt of an application and payment of fees.

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 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 a similar fashion and using the same request forms as for certified copies.

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

Upon request, a letter of verification attesting to the existence of a requested record on file with the Department of Health may be issued. Instructions for applying for letters of verification are included in the next section and immediately follow the set of instructions on applying for certified copies. The same eligibility requirements apply for both certified copies and verification letters.

Processing Times

Processing times can take up to 4-6 weeks for orders. Delays due to partial, missing or inaccurate information may require additional time to locate, review, and verify a request for a record. Feel free to provide any supporting information to the best of your knowledge, if available. Mahalo for your patience.