You can gain access to Hawaii genealogy records online through the Hawaii Genealogy website that is currently being developed. It is being designed as a resource for historical records and genealogical data related to this state. Building your family tree can be fun and you can learn a great deal about the people that came before you in your family line.
One of the best places to start your research when building your family tree is to take a look at vital records. To access Hawaii genealogy records such as birth certificates, marriage or divorce documents, and death certificates, you can visit the Hawaii Department of Health website and apply. There is a form that you can download on this website that will help you submit your written request for the vital records you need.
You will need to mail in your request with the appropriate payment to obtain vital records. You can sometimes request birth or marriage certificates online, but other types of requests need to be mailed. Emailing a request, calling or faxing will not work at this time. Each certificate will cost $10 and duplicate copies of the same certificate are $4 each.
Vital records are a great place to begin research for building your family tree because they have very important names. You will find the full name of the individual plus the name of their parents. The maiden names of married women who changed there last names are also available on these types of records, as well as where they were born. You may then have enough information to expand your research beyond Hawaii genealogy records and begin looking where members of earlier generations were born.
There are certainly other ways to find out the information you need for your family tree or to create a detailed family history complete with stories that you can pass down to your children. You may be able to date back your relatives all the way to the first one to cross the United States borders and become a citizen. You can search citizenship records for your ancestors’ names. There are many names kept on record at the historical Ellis Island, and someone from your family might be there.
You might think that the only thing you can find in court records is about criminals, but if you did think that, you would be wrong. Some of the same information that you can find on certain vital records, such as marriage, death, and birth names and dates are often found on court documents as well. Other genealogical information such as land ownership, adoption records, and naturalization papers may also be stored at a local court. Criminal cases have many of this information as well, but civil cases and other court dealings are available if you are sure that your ancestors were not in trouble with the law.
You can also check federal government resources for information about your predecessors. The U.S. Social Security Death Index is a free searchable database that can help you in your family tree building.
Hawaii was initially settled by Polynesians and then later by the British. It became a an independent territory in 1900 and then a state in 1959 as the 50th State in the Union. With such an intriguing past with intertwining of cultures, searching for a family's past is a wonderful way to connect.
The Department of Health in Hawaii oversees the Office of Health Status Monitoring. Vital records, defined as birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates, are maintained for events that occurred in Hawaii. This is the office to see to obtain Hawaii genealogy records. Access to vital records is restricted by statute (HRS 338-18), as Hawaii takes the privacy and security of its citizens very seriously.
Individuals looking for their family history, or those working on genealogy projects can apply for copies of vital records. Hawaii requires that people seeking documents for events that occurred within the last seventy-five years have to show they have a "direct and tangible" interest in the records they seek. Events that occurred more than seventy-five years before the request for the record does not have as complicated a process. They are more readily available for viewing. Applications must be done in writing as requesting documents via phone or the internet are not available options.
Some vital records can be viewed at the Hawaii State Library. Birth records from 1896-1909, for example, can be seen at the Hawaii State Library and the University of Hawaii Library, Hawaiian Collection. It's important to note that these collections, however, just house an index, not the actual record. Those can only be obtained by the Department of Health. This makes the initial search for Hawaiian genealogy records a bit easier.
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