Hawaii Property Records by County

Hawaii has five counties, and each one maintains its own real property assessment and tax records. All deed recordings, mortgages, and other conveyances go through the statewide Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu rather than through individual county recorder offices. For property tax data, assessed values, exemptions, and ownership information tied to the annual assessment roll, you go to the county level. Pick a county below to find the right office, search portal, and local resources for property records in that area.

All Hawaii Counties

Each county below has its own Real Property Assessment Division or equivalent office that handles property tax records, assessed values, and exemption programs. Click any county to find contact details, search links, and local resources.

How County Property Records Work in Hawaii

Unlike most states, Hawaii does not have county-level recorder offices. All deed transfers, mortgage recordings, and liens go to the Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu. This statewide system handles more than 344,000 documents per year from all five counties. You search those recorded instruments through the Bureau's RecordEASE portal at bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com.

County offices handle a different set of records. They assess property values, maintain tax classification data, process exemption claims, and collect property taxes. These are the records you need when checking assessed value, confirming a home exemption is on file, or looking at the tax history of a parcel. Counties use qPublic-powered search portals or their own systems for public access to this data. Honolulu County, Maui County, and Kauai County all use qPublic search tools. Hawaii County operates its own portal at hawaiipropertytax.com.

Kalawao County is unique. It has no independent county government. The Hawaii Department of Health administers it, and Maui County handles property assessment for the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Researching Kalawao property records starts with the Maui County search system.

Tax Map Keys, known as TMKs, are the parcel identification numbers used across all five counties. Each TMK includes a zone number that identifies the island, followed by section, plat, and parcel codes. When searching any Hawaii county system, having the TMK gives you the fastest and most exact results.

The Bureau of Conveyances

The Bureau of Conveyances is the statewide agency that records deeds, mortgages, leases, and liens for all Hawaii counties. It is at the Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl St. #120, Honolulu. Phone: (808) 587-0147. Email: dlnr.bc.faq@hawaii.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:15 am to 4:15 pm, excluding state holidays.

The bureau maintains two recording systems. The Regular System covers most property. The Land Court System applies to registered property with a Certificate of Title. Recordings from 1976 forward are searchable through RecordEASE. Older documents require a visit to the Public Reference Room at Room 123 in the Kalanimoku Building.