Hilo Birth Records Search
Hilo birth records are held by the State Department of Health in Honolulu, and local support comes through the Big Island District Health Office at 75 Aupuni Street in Hilo. Hilo is the county seat of Hawaii County and the largest town on the Big Island. A Hawaii birth certificate can be ordered online, by mail, or through the state DOH walk-in desk on Oahu. The Hilo office helps residents with questions, forms, and referrals. This page walks through the paths to find and order a Hilo birth record.
Hilo Overview
Hilo Birth Records Office
The Big Island District Health Office sits in the county seat at 75 Aupuni Street, Suite 201, right across from the Hawaii County state buildings. Staff answer calls about a Hilo birth record and can point people to the right forms. The office does not print certified copies. All Hilo birth certificates are printed in Honolulu by the State DOH and mailed or picked up there. Call (808) 974-6008 to reach the Big Island office during state hours.
Hilo is the main service point for the Big Island. Kona and Kau have smaller family history resources, but the Hilo office is the lead contact for Hawaii County. A pickup counter is also offered by appointment in Kamuela at 67-5189 Kamamalu St., (808) 887-8114, open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Big Island vital statistics page lists local details.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority hosts alerts and notices about Hilo, and often lists county office hours and local service points.
The same alerts help with planning a trip to the Big Island District Health Office to ask about a Hilo birth record.
| Local Office | Big Island District Health Office (support only) |
|---|---|
| Address |
75 Aupuni Street, Suite 201 Hilo, HI 96720 |
| Phone | (808) 974-6008 |
| Certificates Mailed From | State DOH, 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, Honolulu, HI 96813 |
| State Mailing Address | P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801 |
| State Phone | (808) 586-4539 |
| State Email | doh.issuanceQuery@doh.hawaii.gov |
How to Order Hilo Birth Records
Hilo residents have three paths for a Hawaii birth certificate. The online portal at vitrec.ehawaii.gov is the fastest route for most people. A mail request is a good fit when you do not want to use a card. Walk-in pickup on the Big Island is not offered for certified copies, so most Hilo birth records come by first-class mail.
A mail request goes to P.O. Box 3378 in Honolulu. Include the signed and notarized form, a check or money order, a copy of a valid photo ID, and proof of the link to the registrant when needed. The Birth and Marriage Certificates page lists accepted proof items. A child's birth certificate or a court order may help when the tie is not clear.
To order a Hilo birth certificate, please have:
- Full name on the Hilo birth record
- Date and island of birth
- Mother's maiden name and father's name
- Valid photo ID
- Proof of link to the registrant
Online orders ship by first-class mail from Honolulu. Processing often runs 6 to 8 weeks. REAL ID rush on Oahu may push the wait out for Hilo orders too. The Legal Aid Society vital records guide goes step by step and is free to read.
The Hilo community website lists local services and helps newcomers find their way around the Big Island's largest town.
The same site links out to county offices that help with a Hilo birth record request.
Hilo Birth Record Fees
Fees for a Hilo birth record follow the same statewide schedule. The first certified copy is $10. Each added copy of the same record is $4. A portal fee of $2.50 is added for each group of up to five copies ordered online. One certified Hilo birth certificate online totals $12.50.
A letter of verification is $5 and confirms the Hilo birth record is on file without printing a new copy. Under HRS Chapter 338, the letter is a quick way to prove a Hawaii birth without sharing all the underlying data. Apostille at $1 and authentication at $3 apply when a certificate must travel overseas. The DOH fees page lists current amounts. All fees are non-refundable.
Who Can Request Hilo Birth Records
Hawaii law limits who can get a copy. Under HRS ยง338-18, only people with a direct and tangible interest may order a Hilo birth record. The registrant, spouse, and parents are always eligible. Children, grandchildren, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins share the common ancestor tie that opens access.
Legal guardians and personal representatives of an estate can also ask for a Hilo birth certificate. An agency acting on the registrant's behalf qualifies. A court order can open the file in cases that do not fit the regular family list. The DOH eligibility list has the full rules.
Note: Apostille and authentication add-ons can only be placed by mail or in person. The online portal does not support these extras for any Hilo birth record.
Historical Hilo Birth Records
The Hawaii State Archives holds older Hilo birth records in the Vital Statistics Collection. Big Island holdings cover 1853 to 1861, 1869 to 1897, and 1900. The Archives building sits on the Iolani Palace grounds in Honolulu, a flight away from Hilo, but copies can be ordered by mail or email. Call (808) 586-0329 for research help, or start at the Archives home page.
The Hawaii Digital Archives puts parts of the Big Island collection online in Beta mode. The Hilo branch of the Hawaii State Library, 300 Waianuenue Avenue, holds the same microfilm index to birth records from 1896 through 1909 that the main Oahu branch keeps. Call (808) 933-8888 to book a research slot.
Family History Centers on the Big Island help free of charge with older Hilo birth records. The Kona Family History Center is at (808) 329-4469. The Kau Family History Center is at (808) 929-7123. Both plug into the FamilySearch network and pull records that tie back to Hilo, Kona, and outlying towns.
The UHM Manoa genealogy guide ties the Archives, State Library, and online sources together. It is a good map for anyone tracing a Hilo birth record that falls outside the state DOH window of 1909 to today.
Adoption Records Tied to Hilo
Adoptions filed on the Big Island go through the Third Circuit Court at Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720-4212. The phone is (808) 961-7670. The court issues the Letter of Non-Identifying Information of Racial Extraction of Biological Parents, the Adoption Decree, and the pre-adoption Hawaii birth certificate. An LRE is free and reports biological ancestry without revealing names.
Pre-adoption Hilo birth records are sealed unless a court order or signed consent opens the file. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs document guide walks through the Third Circuit's process for adoption-linked Hilo birth certificate requests. Residents in Puna, Kau, Hamakua, and Kona all file through the same Hilo court.
Hilo also supports voluntary establishment of paternity through the statewide DOH channel. Call DOH Vital Records Corrections at (808) 586-4541 for paternity adds to a Hilo birth record. Corrections for name changes, typos, or court-ordered updates run through the same office after a signed affidavit or court order is filed. Most amendments require a fee. Current rates sit on the DOH fees page.
Hawaii County and Nearby Access Points
Hilo sits inside Hawaii County. The county page covers every Big Island town that ties into a Hawaii birth certificate. Oahu residents often pick up Hilo birth records through the state DOH office in Honolulu County, so that page is a useful cross-link too.