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Honolulu County, HI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Honolulu County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court of the First Circuit. Hawaii circuit courts have probate authority under HRS 603-21.6. |
| Courthouse address | Kaʻahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813-5093. |
| Mailing address | Same as the street address: Kaʻahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813-5093. |
| Probate counter | First Circuit Estate & Probate Branch, (808) 539-4399. |
| Fax | The Judiciary's Oʻahu contact page does not publish a fax number for the First Circuit probate counter. |
| Hours | Circuit Court Filing Window and File Room: 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except State holidays. |
| Filing fee | Hawaii's probate filing fee is set in statutory pieces, including $100 to open a decedent's estate under HRS 607-5(b)(14), re-enacted unchanged in 2025; $50 under HRS 607-5(c)(32), current in 2025; and a $65 indigent legal services surcharge under HRS 607-5.7(a)(2), effective January 1, 2014. The Judiciary does not publish a combined probate figure, so confirm the current total with the Estate & Probate Branch before writing a check. |
| Local forms | The First Circuit does not publish probate forms. A flag sheet is required for listed probate hearings under Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 81. |
| Electronic filing | Probate is a Circuit Court Civil case type on the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System (JEFS). Attorneys register under Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules Rule 4.1(a); a self-represented party may register for a case in which the party appears under HEFSR Rule 4.1(c). Ask the Estate & Probate Branch how to open if you are self-represented. |
| Original will | If a will is presented through an electronic filing, the original paper will and one copy, plus a paper copy of the electronic file-stamped pleading, must be delivered to the clerk within 1 day of electronic filing or mailed with a postmark within 1 day, under Rules of the Circuit Courts Rule 2(g). |
| Case search | Use eCourt Kōkua through the Judiciary page at https://www.courts.state.hi.us/legal_references/records/jims_system_availability. Probate is a Circuit Court Civil case type with case type LP. |
| Remote appearance | Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 11 allows a telephone conference or videoconference hearing only at the court's discretion. The First Circuit remote hearings page has civil Zoom information, but probate hearing access comes from the hearing notice or the Estate & Probate Branch. |
| Website | Oʻahu First Circuit contact page: https://www.courts.state.hi.us/general_information/contact/oahu |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before opening an estate settlement in Honolulu County, identify what the person owned, how each asset was titled, and what debts or claims may exist. That usually means checking the home or condominium, local bank and credit union accounts, brokerage and retirement accounts with beneficiaries, and any property on another island or outside Hawaii. Sunset's asset discovery searches across more than 2,300 institutions so the filing decision is based on the estate's actual assets.
Hawaii is one of the minority of states with its own estate tax under HRS 236E. The Hawaii exclusion is $5,490,000 under HRS 236E-6 for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2018, so a Hawaii estate tax return may matter even when the federal estate tax does not. Knowing the asset picture early keeps the Honolulu estate settlement from starting on the wrong track.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Honolulu County probate is filed in the First Circuit at Kaʻahumanu Hale in Honolulu. Hawaii circuit courts have probate authority under HRS 603-21.6, and HRS 603-1(1) assigns the First Circuit to the island of Oʻahu and the other islands not assigned to another circuit.
Venue for a first probate proceeding is the judicial circuit where the person who died was domiciled, so a Honolulu County estate is a First Circuit case under HRS 560:3-201(a)(1). Oʻahu has other District Court and Family Court buildings, including Honolulu, ʻEwa/Pearl City, Kāneʻohe, Wahiawā/Waialua and Waiʻanae locations, but decedents' estates are filed with the First Circuit at Kaʻahumanu Hale.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with assets, debts and title. Work out what belongs to the estate, what passes by beneficiary designation or co-ownership, and whether Hawaii estate tax under HRS 236E could matter for an estate near the $5,490,000 exclusion under HRS 236E-6, effective for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2018.
- Choose the Hawaii probate path. Informal probate starts with an application under HRS 560:3-301, formal probate starts with a petition under HRS 560:3-401, and supervised administration is a separate statewide process. The clerk assigns a P. No. under HPR Rule 50, and later filings in the same estate use the same number with the proceeding type beneath it.
- Prepare the Honolulu filing packet. The First Circuit does not publish probate forms, so pleadings are drafted to the Hawaii Probate Rules rather than completed on a local probate form. Ask the Estate & Probate Branch whether any First Circuit civil cover paper is needed for your filing.
- File with the clerk of the circuit court at Kaʻahumanu Hale. Attorneys use the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System (JEFS). A self-represented party may register for JEFS in a case in which the party appears under Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules Rule 4.1(c), but the Judiciary's public wording refers to active cases, so ask the Estate & Probate Branch how to open if you are filing without counsel. Paper filings go to the Circuit Court Filing Window and File Room, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except State holidays, or by mail to the same Punchbowl Street address.
- Deliver the original will if there is one. Rules of the Circuit Courts Rule 2(g) requires the original paper will and one copy to be presented to the clerk. If the pleading was filed electronically, the original paper will, one copy, and a paper copy of the file-stamped pleading must be delivered within 1 day of the electronic filing or mailed with a postmark within 1 day.
- Confirm and pay the filing fee. Hawaii's statutory pieces include $100 under HRS 607-5(b)(14), re-enacted unchanged in 2025; $50 under HRS 607-5(c)(32), current in 2025; and $65 under HRS 607-5.7(a)(2), effective January 1, 2014. Because the Judiciary does not publish a combined probate figure, call the First Circuit Estate & Probate Branch at (808) 539-4399 before writing the check. If payment is a hardship, ask how to request permission to proceed in forma pauperis under HRS 607-5.7.
- Handle required notice. Hawaii notice rules are statewide. Keep proof of publication, mailing and service with the estate file so the Honolulu hearing can go forward when the court reviews notice.
- If a hearing is set, submit the flag sheet. Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 81 requires an original and two copies of a flag sheet for hearings to admit a will, adjudicate intestacy, appoint a personal representative, confirm a real property sale, determine an elective share, or approve final accounts. It is due no later than 10 days before the scheduled hearing, and missing the deadline continues the hearing to the next available date unless the court orders otherwise.
- Ask about remote participation when travel is difficult. Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 11 lets the court allow a telephone conference or videoconference hearing at its discretion. The party requesting the call is responsible for arranging it with the other parties and having it ready when the hearing begins.
- Get authority to act. Administration begins when a personal representative is appointed, qualifies and receives letters under HRS 560:3-103. With a will, the authority document is letters testamentary; without a will, it is letters of administration.
- Administer, track and close the estate. Use eCourt Kōkua through https://www.courts.state.hi.us/legal_references/records/jims_system_availability to follow the case. Probate uses the LP case type, and Hawaii circuit digits are 1, 2, 3 and 5. First Circuit civil documents filed before October 28, 2019 are not available online, so older estate files may require the public terminal at Kaʻahumanu Hale or a copy request.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Honolulu County
The First Circuit does not publish probate forms for Honolulu County estates. Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 37 allows unanimously approved model forms, and Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 38 tells counsel to follow approved model forms when they exist, but the First Circuit's circuit court forms listing does not provide a probate application, petition, creditor claim, affidavit form, or First Circuit in forma pauperis probate form.
The required Honolulu paper to watch is the flag sheet. Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 81 makes flag sheets mandatory in all probate proceedings in all circuits for listed hearings, including admitting a will, adjudicating intestacy, appointing a personal representative, confirming a real property sale and approving final accounts. The original and two copies are due no later than 10 days before the scheduled hearing, and a late flag sheet causes the hearing to be continued unless the court orders otherwise.
| Form or paper | Honolulu County use |
|---|---|
| Probate pleadings | Drafted to the Hawaii Probate Rules. The First Circuit does not publish fill-in probate pleadings. |
| Flag sheet under HPR Rule 81 | Required for listed probate hearings. Ask the Estate & Probate Branch for a sample or Appendix A format. |
| Third Circuit affidavit forms | The Third Circuit publishes affidavit forms dated 08/14, but they are not First Circuit forms. A Honolulu filer may look at them as examples only. |
| First Circuit civil information sheet | The First Circuit publishes a civil information sheet, but whether it is required with a probate opening was not established. Ask the Estate & Probate Branch before filing. |
| Records request and copy forms | The First Circuit publishes records access and purchase forms for court files and copies. Use them for file access, not to open a probate case. |
Fees
Hawaii's probate filing fee is set by statute in three pieces: $100 to open a decedent's estate, paid once only for each estate under HRS 607-5(b)(14), re-enacted unchanged in 2025; a $50 administrative charge on civil filings under HRS 607-5(c)(32), current in 2025; and a $65 indigent legal services surcharge on an initial circuit court civil filing under HRS 607-5.7(a)(2), effective January 1, 2014. The Judiciary does not publish a combined probate figure and its own fee sheet tells filers to call the Estate and Guardianship counter instead, so confirm the total with the First Circuit's Estate & Probate Branch at (808) 539-4399 before you write the check.
| Fee or cost | Published amount and date | Honolulu County note |
|---|---|---|
| Decedent's estate opening component | $100 under HRS 607-5(b)(14), re-enacted unchanged in 2025. | Paid once only for each decedent's estate. |
| Civil filing administrative charge | $50 under HRS 607-5(c)(32), current in 2025. | Part of the statutory structure to confirm with the Estate & Probate Branch. |
| Indigent legal services surcharge | $65 under HRS 607-5.7(a)(2), effective January 1, 2014. | HRS 607-5.7(e) addresses parties allowed to proceed in forma pauperis. |
| First Circuit copies | $1.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after, on the First Circuit schedule prepared May 28, 2014. | Used for copies of documents in the file. |
| First Circuit certification | $2.00 per document, on the First Circuit schedule prepared May 28, 2014. | Ask how many certified copies of the letters or orders banks and title parties will need. |
| First Circuit exemplification | $4.00 per document, on the First Circuit schedule prepared May 28, 2014. | Used only when that higher authentication is requested. |
| eCourt Kōkua document purchase | $3 for 1 to 30 pages, plus $0.10 for each additional page, as published on the Judiciary's eCourt Kōkua page in August 2026. | Payments are non-refundable. A party registered in JEFS can access documents in that case without buying them through eCourt Kōkua. |
The Judiciary publishes no separate charge for issuing letters. The fee question to confirm locally is the total due at opening and the number of certified copies you want when letters testamentary or letters of administration are issued under HRS 560:3-103.
Local nuance
Honolulu County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Honolulu County |
|---|---|
| Estate & Probate Branch | The First Circuit publishes a clerk's office branch with probate in its name: Estate & Probate Branch, (808) 539-4399. It is the number the Judiciary's fee sheet gives for First Circuit probate fee questions. |
| Filing window and records terminal | The Circuit Court Filing Window and File Room at Kaʻahumanu Hale is open 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except State holidays. The public access terminal in Legal Documents is listed as 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., so filing and records review do not have identical hours. |
| No probate-specific Zoom number | The Judiciary publishes First Circuit Circuit Court Civil Zoom meeting IDs by judge, and says Circuit Court Criminal numbers are given to the parties the week before. None of the published meeting information is labeled for probate. Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 11 controls any telephone conference or videoconference request. |
| Document Drop-off | The Judiciary's Online Document Drop-off service was disabled for the First Circuit as of October 31, 2022. Honolulu filers use JEFS, the counter, or mail, and the service itself is not an official court filing. |
| Older online files | Because probate is a Circuit Court Civil case type, First Circuit civil documents filed before October 28, 2019 are not available online through eCourt Kōkua. The Kaʻahumanu Hale public terminal is the local access point for reviewing available court file materials without buying online copies. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| September 13, 2026 | The Judiciary states that multi-factor authentication will be implemented in JEFS on September 13, 2026. A self-represented personal representative who registers for the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System should expect account security steps to change. |
| May 2026 | eCourt Kōkua was refreshed in May 2026. The Judiciary says core functions remain unchanged, with cleaner layouts and added tabs on some screens. Payments for documents on eCourt Kōkua remain non-refundable. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Honolulu County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | First confirm how the Honolulu home or condominium is titled and whether it belongs in the probate estate. If a First Circuit filing is needed, it goes to Kaʻahumanu Hale. The First Circuit does not publish probate forms, and if papers are filed through JEFS the original will still has to reach the clerk on paper within 1 day under RCCH Rule 2(g). If a hearing is set to admit the will, the flag sheet is due 10 days before the hearing under HPR Rule 81. | Sunset searches for accounts and assembles the Honolulu filing packet so the spouse can approach the Estate & Probate Branch with organized asset information and drafted papers for the estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Use mail, JEFS where available, eCourt Kōkua and the Estate & Probate Branch phone line to reduce travel. The original will still has to travel on paper under RCCH Rule 2(g). Hawaii also lets the clerk of the circuit court be appointed to administer a small estate. Under HRS 560:3-1205, if someone dies leaving property in Hawaii worth $100,000 or less, effective July 1, 2000, and no personal representative has been appointed, the court may order the clerk to administer the estate as personal representative. Proceedings under that part are free from court costs except expenses and a fee of three percent of the market value of the first $100,000 of the gross estate under HRS 560:3-1211. Ask the Estate & Probate Branch whether that route is available for the estate. | Sunset helps identify the assets before a mainland child spends money on the wrong filing path, and Sunset can assemble a mail-ready estate settlement packet. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | With no will, the authority document is letters of administration under HRS 560:3-103. A sale of Honolulu real property can require a hearing, and confirming a real property sale is one of the matters named in Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 81. The flag sheet must be presented no later than 10 days before the hearing. If a contested matter arises, Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 20 allows the court to keep it on the regular probate calendar or assign it to the civil trials calendar. | Sunset organizes the inventory groundwork, drafts a probate packet, and connects the parent with a vetted Honolulu probate attorney when a sale, objection or contested matter needs counsel. |
Self-help resources
The First Circuit's Access to Justice Rooms help self-represented people with District and Family Court civil matters such as landlord-tenant, collections, restraining orders, divorce and custody. Probate is a circuit court matter under HRS 603-21.6, and the Judiciary does not list probate among those services, so do not count on walking in with an estate settlement question and getting probate help.
| Resource | What it offers | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| First Circuit Estate & Probate Branch | Local clerk's office branch for Honolulu County probate filings, fee confirmation and hearing logistics. Court staff cannot give procedural or legal advice under Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 43. | (808) 539-4399. Kaʻahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu. |
| Honolulu District Court Access to Justice Room | Volunteer attorneys provide limited legal assistance for listed civil matters including landlord-tenant, collections and temporary restraining orders involving non-family members or parties not in a dating relationship. Probate is not listed. | Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street, Third Floor. In person first Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; by phone other Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 808-909-2847 during those times. |
| Kapolei Access to Justice Room | Volunteer attorneys provide limited legal advice to unrepresented litigants involved in Family Court civil matters. Probate is not listed. | Call 808-954-8290 for an appointment. Telephone and video appointments first and third Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; in-person appointments second Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Supreme Court Law Library, Aliʻiōlani Hale, 417 South King Street, Room 115, Honolulu. |
| Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi | Statewide civil legal aid provider. Whether it takes probate matters is something to ask during intake. Its physical office spaces are not open to the public and it is not accepting walk-in intake. | Oʻahu intake: 808-536-4302. Neighbor islands: 1-800-499-4302. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Hawaiʻi Online Pro Bono | Online legal advice clinic for qualifying users to post civil legal questions at no cost, with volunteer attorneys responding online. | https://hawaii.freelegalanswers.org/ |
| Legal Navigator Hawaiʻi | Online portal with Hawaii-focused legal content, guided interviews, court forms, articles and other resources. | https://legalnavigatorhawaii.org/ |
| eCourt Kōkua | Online case lookup through the Judiciary. Probate is a Circuit Court Civil case type with LP as the case type code. | https://www.courts.state.hi.us/legal_references/records/jims_system_availability. General questions: 808-539-4909 or [email protected]. |
| Kaʻahumanu Hale public access terminal | Free review of available court file materials. Payment is needed for copies. | Legal Documents, first floor, 777 Punchbowl Street. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, first come first served. |
When to hire an attorney
Legal counsel makes sense in Honolulu County when someone contests the will or appointment, when Honolulu real property or a business must be sold, when the estate may be insolvent, when Hawaii estate tax under HRS 236E could be an issue, or when a contested matter may leave the regular probate calendar under HPR Rule 20. The First Circuit does not publish probate forms, so many filings are drafted rather than completed on a court form. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps identify the accounts, policies and property that drive the Honolulu estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset information into an organized probate packet for the First Circuit, with the local filing address, JEFS and paper-will steps, flag sheet reminders and Estate & Probate Branch contact information built in.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Honolulu estate involves a sale, dispute, creditor issue, Hawaii estate tax question under HRS 236E, or a hearing that needs counsel, Sunset connects the family with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement path, collect the information needed for the filing, and move from uncertainty to an organized next step.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Honolulu County?
File with the clerk of the circuit court at Kaʻahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813-5093. Honolulu County probate is a First Circuit case because venue for the first proceeding is the judicial circuit where the person who died was domiciled under HRS 560:3-201(a)(1), and circuit courts have probate authority under HRS 603-21.6.
Can I file a Honolulu probate case online?
Probate is a Circuit Court Civil case type on the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System (JEFS). Attorneys register under Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules Rule 4.1(a), and a self-represented party may register for a case in which the party appears under HEFSR Rule 4.1(c). If you are self-represented and opening a new case, ask the Estate & Probate Branch how to begin because the Judiciary's public registration wording refers to an active civil case. If a will is presented through electronic filing, RCCH Rule 2(g) still requires the original paper will and one copy, plus a paper copy of the file-stamped pleading, within 1 day or mailed with a postmark within 1 day.
What does it cost to open probate in Honolulu County?
The statutory pieces are $100 under HRS 607-5(b)(14), re-enacted unchanged in 2025; $50 under HRS 607-5(c)(32), current in 2025; and $65 under HRS 607-5.7(a)(2), effective January 1, 2014. The Judiciary does not publish one combined probate figure, so call the Estate & Probate Branch at (808) 539-4399 before writing the check.
Is there a phone number for probate questions at the Honolulu courthouse?
Yes. Call the First Circuit Estate & Probate Branch at (808) 539-4399. It is the local probate counter for Honolulu County filings. Court staff cannot give procedural or legal advice under HPR Rule 43, so use the number for filing logistics, fees, hearing information and copies.
Does the First Circuit have its own probate forms?
The First Circuit does not publish probate forms. Pleadings are drafted to the Hawaii Probate Rules. The required hearing paper to watch is the flag sheet under HPR Rule 81, which is due no later than 10 days before listed probate hearings.
What is a flag sheet and when is it due in Honolulu?
Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 81 requires an original and two copies of a flag sheet for hearings to admit a will, adjudicate intestacy, appoint a personal representative, confirm a real property sale, determine an elective share, and approve final accounts. It must be presented to the clerk no later than 10 days before the scheduled hearing. If it is late, the hearing is continued to the next available date unless the court orders otherwise.
Can I take part in a Honolulu probate hearing by phone or video?
Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 11 lets the court allow a telephone conference or videoconference hearing at its discretion. It is permission from the court, and the party asking for it is responsible for arranging the call with the other parties and having it ready when the hearing starts. The First Circuit publishes civil Zoom information, but no probate-labeled meeting information; use the hearing notice or ask the Estate & Probate Branch.
How do I look up a Honolulu probate case?
Use eCourt Kōkua through the Judiciary page at https://www.courts.state.hi.us/legal_references/records/jims_system_availability. Probate is a Circuit Court Civil case type with LP as the case type code. HPR Rule 50 says the clerk assigns a P. No. for each decedent's estate, and the eCourt Kōkua circuit digits are 1, 2, 3 and 5. First Circuit civil documents filed before October 28, 2019 are not available online, and online document purchases cost $3 for 1 to 30 pages plus $0.10 for each additional page as published in August 2026.
Do I have to travel to Honolulu to settle the estate?
Not for every step. Mail filing, JEFS access where available, eCourt Kōkua and the Estate & Probate Branch phone line can reduce travel during estate settlement. The original will still has to travel on paper under RCCH Rule 2(g), and any hearing appearance by telephone conference or videoconference depends on the court's permission under HPR Rule 11.
Can the clerk of the First Circuit administer a small estate?
Hawaii law allows the clerk of the circuit court to be appointed to administer a small estate. Under HRS 560:3-1205, if someone dies leaving property in Hawaii worth $100,000 or less, effective July 1, 2000, and no personal representative has been appointed, the court may order the clerk of the circuit court where the person lived to administer the estate as personal representative on a verified petition by the clerk or by an interested person, and the order can be made without notice or a hearing. Proceedings under that part are free from court costs except advertising and administration expenses and a fee of three percent of the market value of the first $100,000 of the gross estate under HRS 560:3-1211. The circuit courts do not publish instructions or a form for this route, so ask the First Circuit Estate & Probate Branch at (808) 539-4399 whether it is available for your estate.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.