How to Get a Certified Copy of Your Divorce Decree in Hawaii

Why You Need Multiple Certified Copies

A certified copy of your Hawaii divorce decree — the version with the court clerk's stamp and signature — is the document that makes everything else possible after your divorce is final. The Social Security Administration needs one to update your name. The DMV needs one for your driver's license. The Bureau of Conveyances needs one if you're transferring real property. Banks, insurance companies, and retirement plan administrators all want to see the original certified stamp before they'll process changes to your accounts.

Plan on ordering at least four or five certified copies. Some agencies keep the original you submit, so having extras saves you from going back to the courthouse mid-process.

Option 1: Order Through eCourt Kokua Online

The fastest route for most people is the eCourt Kokua portal, the Hawaii Judiciary's online case management system.

How it works. Search your case by name or case number. Once you locate your divorce case record, you can purchase certified copies of the final decree electronically. The system generates a digitally certified document that carries the same legal weight as a clerk-stamped paper copy.

Fees. Online copies cost a flat $3.00 for documents of 1 to 30 pages, plus $0.10 per additional page. Certification adds $2.00 per document. Most divorce decrees fall well under 30 pages, so expect to pay around $5.00 per certified copy.

Turnaround. Documents are available for download almost immediately after purchase. This is significantly faster than waiting for an in-person or mail-order request to process.

Option 2: Order In Person From the Court Clerk

Visit the Legal Documents Branch of the Circuit Court in whichever judicial circuit handled your divorce:

• First Circuit (Oahu): Ka'ahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu
• Second Circuit (Maui, Molokai, Lanai): Hoapili Hale, 2145 Main Street, Wailuku
• Third Circuit (Big Island): Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo (or the Kona courthouse)
• Fifth Circuit (Kauai): 3970 Kaana Street, Lihue

Bring a valid photo ID and your case number. The clerk will locate your file and produce certified copies while you wait during standard business hours. Fees match the online schedule.

Option 3: Order by Mail

Write a letter to the Legal Documents Branch of the circuit that handled your case. Include your full name, your ex-spouse's full name, the case number, the approximate date of the decree, and a check or money order for the copy and certification fees. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return delivery.

Mail orders typically take one to three weeks depending on the circuit's workload.

What About the Department of Health?

The Hawaii Department of Health maintains vital records including divorce certificates — but these are abbreviated statistical records, not the full decree. A DOH divorce certificate confirms that a divorce occurred and lists basic facts (names, date, circuit), but it does not contain the property division terms, name restoration language, or any of the specific provisions you need for administrative updates.

For post-divorce tasks like name changes, property transfers, and retirement account splits, you need the certified decree from the court, not the DOH certificate.

What If Your Decree Is Missing Name Restoration Language?

Check the text of your decree carefully. If name restoration was requested during the divorce, the decree should contain specific language like: "Wife/Husband shall resume the use of her/his birth surname and shall be known hereafter as [Full Name]."

If this language is missing and you want to restore a former name, the decree alone won't work for name-change purposes. You'll need to go through the separate administrative name change process through the Office of the Lieutenant Governor — a longer path involving a $50.00 filing fee, newspaper publication (around $204), and recordation with the Bureau of Conveyances.

Using Your Certified Copies

Once you have your copies in hand, the update sequence begins: SSA first (Form SS-5 plus the decree), then DMV (once SSA confirms), then downstream institutions. The Hawaii After-Divorce Checklist maps out exactly which agency needs a certified copy, whether they keep or return it, and the order that avoids rejected applications.

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