Hawaii Court Summary

The Hawaii trial court system consists of Circuit Courts, District Courts, Family Courts, Land Courts, and Tax Appeal Court.

The trial court system in Hawaii is primarily divided into Circuit Courts and District Courts. Family Courts are divisions of Circuit Courts and District Courts. Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over most civil and criminal cases, but generally only handle cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. District Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil and criminal cases. The Land Court and The Tax Appeal Court each have limited jurisdiction over certain types of cases.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in Hawaii

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Hawaii.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Circuit Courts	District Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions		$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts$
Domestic Relations	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Note: Some courts in Hawaii are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:

Family Courts Land Courts Tax Appeal Court

Hawaii Courts Summary