Find Probate Court Records in Maui County

Maui County probate court records live at the Second Circuit Court in Wailuku. The court handles wills, estates, trusts, and guardianship cases for Maui, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, and Kalawao. You can look up case info online through the Hawaii State Judiciary portal or visit the courthouse in person at 2145 Main Street. Clerks can pull a probate file by case number or by decedent name. Most Maui County probate court records are open to the public.

Second Circuit Court for Maui County Probate

The Second Circuit Court serves Maui County, which covers four islands. The main courthouse is at 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, HI 96793. The phone is (808) 244-2800. This court handles all the probate work for residents of Maui, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, and Kalawao. For Moloka'i and Lāna'i residents, the court provides remote access options and sometimes holds sessions on those islands to cut down on travel.

The Probate Division at the Second Circuit processes the full list of estate matters. Petitions to probate a will start here. Intestate estates without a will get opened here. Guardianships for minors and for adults who cannot care for themselves run through this court. Conservatorships, which put a fiduciary in charge of finances for someone who cannot handle them, also run here. Trust registrations and trust fights fall under the same court.

The Volunteer Court Navigators program helps self-represented litigants find their way at the Maui District Court. Navigators are trained folks who answer procedure questions and help you fill out forms. The Circuit Courts page lists the Second Circuit's hours and staff directory. You can also drop off documents online through the Judiciary's document drop-off service, which speeds things up if you do not want to mail papers.

Here is the Circuit Courts page. The Hawaii State Judiciary publishes Circuit Court info at courts.state.hi.us/courts/circuit, the gateway to Maui County probate court records.

Click through to the Second Circuit for the Wailuku courthouse address, phone, and service area.

Maui County Government Records

The County of Maui runs a wide set of departments that connect to probate work. The Department of Finance keeps real property tax records. The Planning Department tracks permits and zoning. The Department of the Corporation Counsel is the county's legal office. The Prosecuting Attorney handles criminal matters, which can include elder abuse and financial exploitation cases that affect estates.

Two newer departments matter for some estates too. The Department of the East Maui Water Authority was set up in July 2023 after voters approved a charter change. It manages water in East Maui, which matters for agricultural and development land. The Department of 'Ōiwi Resources was set up in July 2024 to manage Hawaiian cultural resources, including place names, historical material, and cultural sites. Estates that hold culturally significant property sometimes have to coordinate with this office.

Here is the County of Maui page. The County of Maui runs its main portal at mauicounty.gov, which links out to the offices that support Maui County probate court records research.

Use the department directory to reach Finance, Planning, or the Prosecuting Attorney's office.

Maui County Death Certificates for Probate

Every probate case needs a certified death certificate. The Maui District Health Office handles vital records requests for Maui County residents. The phone is (808) 986-8315. Note that no walk-up pickup is offered on Maui. You can order by mail, by phone, or online through the state's vital records portal. The main office in Honolulu at (808) 586-4539 also takes Maui County orders for mail delivery.

Death certificates prove the date and place of death. The Second Circuit Court needs a certified copy to open a probate case. Banks, insurance companies, and the real property tax office all need certified copies too. Most Maui County estates end up ordering five to ten copies. Order a few extra, because they come in handy during administration.

Here is the Vital Records page. The Department of Health Vital Records is at health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords, which issues the death certificates required for Maui County probate court records.

Order online for mail delivery to any Maui address, or call the main office for help.

Maui County Business and License Records

Estates that include businesses need to check filings with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The Business Registration Division keeps entity records for the whole state. You can search by company name or by officer name. The search shows filings, annual reports, and current status. Executors use this tool to find every business the decedent had a stake in.

The Maui RICO office sits at 2145 Wells Street, Suite 106, Wailuku, HI 96793. RICO stands for the Regulated Industries Complaints Office. It handles license verifications and complaint intake for Maui County. Estates often hire real estate agents, contractors, or financial advisers to handle property and assets. Before you hire one, you can check that person's license through RICO. The RICO site has the lookup and complaint forms.

Here is the RICO page. The Regulated Industries Complaints Office is at cca.hawaii.gov/rico, where Maui County residents verify licenses tied to Maui County probate court records.

Use the license lookup to confirm a pro is in good standing before hiring for estate work.

Historical Maui County Probate Records

Old Maui County probate files often end up at the Hawaii State Archives in Honolulu. The Archives holds court records from the Kingdom period, the Republic, and the Territory. Land conveyances, wills, and estate inventories from the 1800s are part of the collection. You can search the Digital Archives online for scanned records, and visit the main Archives site for access to paper files.

Genealogy research on old Maui families often starts here. The Archives has Native Hawaiian records that help confirm heirs of older estates. The Digital Archives lets you search by name, date, or document type. For files not yet scanned, Archives staff help researchers book in-person visits.

Legal Help for Maui County Probate Records

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii helps low-income folks with Maui County probate matters. The toll-free line for neighbor island residents is 1-800-499-4302. Phone intake runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The old Maui Legal Aid line at (808) 244-3731 is still listed in some directories. Legal Aid takes cases on a means-tested basis.

For first-stop help finding the right resource, Legal Navigator Hawaii is a free online tool. You describe your legal issue in plain words. The tool points you to legal aid, a court form, or a self-help page that fits. Privacy is protected. The state Judiciary's own self-help portal also has probate forms, guides, and filing tips.

For case law and statutes, the Hawaii Revised Statutes on Justia cover all the probate chapters. Chapter 531 is the Uniform Probate Code. Chapter 532 is the Uniform Trust Code. Chapter 534 covers adult guardianship. For appeals, the Intermediate Court of Appeals reviews Circuit Court rulings, and the Hawaii Supreme Court hears further appeals.

Neighbor counties include Honolulu County for the First Circuit on O'ahu and Hawaii County for the Third Circuit on the Big Island. Kalawao County matters go through the Second Circuit too, since Kalawao has no court of its own. Ancillary probate may run in more than one circuit when an estate holds property on multiple islands.