Kauai County Birth Records
Kauai County birth records are issued by the State Department of Health with local help from the Kauai District Health Office in Lihue. Kauai County covers the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Residents can order a Kauai County birth certificate online at vitrec.ehawaii.gov, pay with a card, and either receive the certified Hawaii birth record by mail or pick it up at the Lihue office after the order is marked ready. The Kauai District Health Office also handles home birth registration and vital records guidance. This page gathers every local office, fee, and resource for a Kauai County birth record request.
Kauai County Overview
Kauai County Vital Records Office
The Kauai District Health Office provides vital records support for every town on the island. The office sits at 3040 Umi Street, Lihue, HI 96766. Phone lines ring at (808) 241-3498 for birth and marriage certificate questions. Hours run Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Email service is at doh.kauaivitalrecords@doh.hawaii.gov.
To find the vital records desk, enter the one-story building and take the doors on the right-hand side, furthest from the street. Kauai residents can have the Kauai District Health Office issue a Hawaii birth certificate for orders placed online at vitrec.ehawaii.gov. Requesters must have a Kauai mailing address and pay online before picking up a Kauai County birth record. Cash and money orders are not accepted at the office. The Kauai Vital Records page lists the full rules.
The Kauai District Health Office page spells out the pickup rule and processing time for every Kauai County birth record request.
Allow 14 business days for an order to clear before checking for pickup.
| Office | Kauai District Health Office - Vital Records |
|---|---|
| Address |
3040 Umi Street Lihue, HI 96766 |
| Phone | (808) 241-3498 |
| Main Line | (808) 241-3495 |
| doh.kauaivitalrecords@doh.hawaii.gov | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Website | health.hawaii.gov/kauai/vital-records |
How to Order Kauai County Birth Records
Kauai County birth records start online. Go to vitrec.ehawaii.gov and complete the order form. Pick the mail delivery option or pick up the certified Kauai County birth certificate at the Lihue office. When the order is ready, you receive an email telling you to come to the counter. Processing on Kauai runs about 14 business days for pickup orders.
Kauai residents must have a Kauai mailing address to request pickup. The Kauai District Health Office cannot accept in-person request forms. All Hawaii birth certificate orders must be placed and paid for online. Paper forms may be picked up at the office or printed from the DOH site, but they go in the mail to Oahu for processing.
To order a Kauai County birth certificate, you need:
- Full name on the Kauai County birth record
- Date of birth and island of birth
- Parents' names, including mother's maiden name
- A valid government photo ID
- A credit or debit card that matches the requester's name
The Kauai District Health Office main page covers every public health program, including vital records.
Visit the Kauai DHO home page for added services.
Mail orders go to State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Issuance/Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801. Send a money order or cashier's check made payable to the Hawaii State Department of Health. Personal checks and cash are not accepted in the mail. The Legal Aid Society vital records guide covers every field on the form.
Kauai County Birth Record Fees
Fees for any Kauai County birth record follow the statewide rate. The first certified copy is $10. Each added copy is $4. A portal administration fee of $2.50 is added for each increment of up to five copies. One online certified copy of a Kauai County birth certificate totals $12.50.
A letter of verification costs $5. Under HRS §338-14.3, the DOH can issue a letter confirming that a Kauai County birth record exists without releasing any new data. Apostille and authentication charges apply when a Hawaii birth certificate must be sent overseas. All fees are non-refundable, even if the DOH cannot find the record in a search. See the DOH fees page for any changes.
Historical Kauai Birth Records
The Hawaii State Archives keeps older Kauai birth records in its Vital Statistics Collection. Kauai holdings cover 1856 to 1857 and are filed under the letter "K" in the island code system. Records are loosely chronological and consist of reports kept by school teachers who submitted registers to the old Department of Public Instruction. The Hawaii State Archives has the finding aid on its site.
The Hawaii Digital Archives puts parts of the Kauai collection online. Microfilm indexes to birth records for 1896 through 1909 are available at the Lihue branch of the Hawaii State Library. The UHM Manoa genealogy guide ties these indexes to other databases like FamilySearch and the Ulukau Hawaiian Electronic Library.
The Kauai County clerk page lists the county office and confirms that Kauai County birth certificates run through the state system.
The Kauai County Clerk sits at 4396 Rice Street in Lihue, but it does not issue Hawaii birth certificates.
Kauai and Niihau marriage records from 1826 to 1910 and 1910 to 1929 live at the Ulukau Hawaiian Electronic Library. These marriage files often point the way to a parent or sibling on an older Kauai County birth record, so they are a helpful research side-step. FamilySearch microfilm also covers births, marriages, and deaths from 1841 to 1944 for Kauai County residents.
Adoption Records at the Fifth Circuit Court
Adoptions in Kauai County are held by the Family Court of the Fifth Circuit at the Puuhonua Kaulike Building, 3790 Kaana Street, Lihue, HI 96766. The phone is (808) 482-2350. The court can issue a Letter of Non-Identifying Information, the Adoption Decree, and the pre-adoption Hawaii birth certificate for Kauai adoptions.
The Letter of Non-Identifying Information is free and reports the adopted person's biological ancestry without names. Pre-adoption Kauai County birth records require a court order or signed consent from the registrant. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs document guide lays out the steps.
Note: Death certificates are not issued at the Kauai District Health Office. Only the Office of Health Status Monitoring on Oahu issues death records.
Other Kauai Vital Records Services
The Kauai District Health Office also handles home birth registration, permits for burials and cremations, and support for voluntary paternity affidavits. Under HRS §338-5, every birth must be registered within the set time. Parents of a home birth call the Lihue office to start the Kauai County birth record.
The Hanapepe Health Center on the west side offers added services by appointment, including Women Infant and Children (WIC) and public health nursing. For Kauai County birth certificate questions outside the Lihue office hours, the Oahu office line at (808) 586-4539 is the statewide backup.
Cities in Kauai County
Kauai County covers the whole island of Kauai plus Niihau. Lihue is the county seat and home to the district health office. Every Kauai town uses the same office for a Kauai County birth record.
Other communities include Kapaa, Princeville, Hanalei, Hanapepe, Waimea, Kekaha, Kalaheo, and Koloa. Residents of all these areas order a Kauai County birth certificate online and pick up at the Lihue office or receive the record by mail.
Nearby Counties
Try the other Hawaii counties below for birth record offices and rules.