Find Bench Warrants in Kauai

Kauai County covers the Garden Isle. Judges in the Fifth Circuit sign Kauai bench warrants, and the Kauai Police Department loads each one into the local warrant file. You can start your search for Kauai County bench warrants on eCourt Kokua, the statewide portal, and then call KPD Records in Lihue to confirm. This page walks you through each step so you can look up Kauai bench warrants with less back and forth.

Where Kauai County Bench Warrants Are Kept

Kauai bench warrants live in two main files. The paper file sits at the Fifth Circuit clerk's office at 3970 Kaana Street, Suite 207, in Lihue. The clerk phone is (808) 482-2347. The digital copy lives in JIMS, the state Judiciary Information Management System. From JIMS, the record flows to two portals. The public side is eCourt Kokua, which is free to use. The police side is the eBench Warrant system, which is locked to sworn users.

The Kauai Police Department keeps its own local copy as well. The KPD station sits next door to the courthouse at 3990 Kaana Street, Suite 200, in Lihue. The main line is (808) 241-1711. The admin line is (808) 241-1900. KPD Records Unit staff enter each warrant into the local database, assign a case tag, and pass the paper to the officer on duty for service. Public users who want to confirm a Kauai bench warrant should call the Records Unit at (808) 241-1929.

The image below is from the Kauai Police Department home page.

The KPD home page links out to each bureau and each key contact tied to Kauai County bench warrants.

Kauai Police Records Unit

The Kauai Police Records Unit is the main public contact point for Kauai bench warrants. Call the unit at (808) 241-1929 or send an email to kpdinsurance@kauai.gov. Staff can confirm if a warrant is on file and can read off the case number you will need for the clerk at the Fifth Circuit. Staff can also tell you which KPD station or squad is working the case.

KPD lists a full set of phone lines for each bureau. Key contacts tied to Kauai County bench warrants include the Chief's Office Private Secretary at (808) 241-1603, the Support Services Bureau Assistant Chief at (808) 241-1923, the Police Records Unit Supervisor at (808) 241-1660, the Police Evidence Custodian at (808) 241-1655, the Police Records Clerk at (808) 241-1929, the Dispatch Center at (808) 241-1711, and Crime Stoppers at (808) 246-8300. The full list is on the KPD Contact Us page.

The image below is from the KPD Contact Us page linked above.

The Contact Us page is a fast way to find the right line when you need to ask about a Kauai bench warrant or any police record.

For more on the Records Section as a unit, the KPD posts its own page. You can find it at the KPD Records Section page. The page lists the services the unit offers, the walk-in options, and the fees for copies. Staff handle police reports, traffic reports, and record checks that may touch on Kauai bench warrants.

The image below is from the KPD Records Section page.

The Records Section page is the best single stop for public users who need to check Kauai County bench warrants or buy a related police report.

Fifth Circuit Court in Lihue

The Fifth Circuit Court signs most Kauai County bench warrants. It covers the island of Kauai. The main courthouse sits at 3970 Kaana Street, Suite 207, in Lihue. The clerk phone is (808) 482-2347. Family, district, and traffic courts sit in the same complex. A judge there can sign a bench warrant when a person skips a court date, fails to pay a fine, or breaks a court order set by the judge.

Each Kauai bench warrant must follow Hawaii Rules of Penal Procedure Rule 9. Rule 9 lists what must be on the face of the paper. A judge signature. A name or description of the person. The offense. The date and court of issue. A bail amount. The rule bars service between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on closed private premises unless the judge writes an exception. The same rule applies in all four circuits.

The state code that backs this is Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 803. HRS § 803-1 sets the baseline arrest rule. HRS § 803-39 lets a judge sign a bench warrant when a person breaks court terms. The Kauai County Clerk's Office at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 206, Lihue, (808) 241-4800, is not the court clerk but does handle other county record work if you get sent there by mistake.

KPD Lihue Patrol District

KPD runs its field operations out of patrol districts. The Lihue District covers the central and east part of Kauai, including the county seat. The Lihue District Commander line is (808) 241-1638. Three squads work out of the Lihue District, and each one covers one of eight shifts. The district serves Lihue, Hanamaulu, parts of Puhi, and the east coast towns.

You can read the full district write-up on the KPD Lihue District page. It lists the commander, the squads, and the coverage map. When you look up a Kauai bench warrant that came out of a Lihue case, the Lihue District is the best first call after KPD Records.

The image below is from the KPD Lihue District page linked above.

The Lihue District page is the best starting spot for any Kauai bench warrants tied to a case that came up in Lihue or the east shore towns.

KPD also runs an Online Crime Reporting System. The tool is not for emergencies. To use it, you must confirm that the case is not an emergency, that the incident took place in Kauai County jurisdiction, that the perpetrator is unknown, that you are 18 or older, that you know false reports are a crime, and that you have a valid email. Not all crimes can be reported online, so call KPD at (808) 241-1711 if you are not sure.

Kauai Public Access Site for Criminal History

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, known as HCJDC, runs a list of public access sites where you can pull an adult criminal history record. The Kauai site is inside KPD headquarters at 3990 Kaana Street in Lihue. The phone line is (808) 241-1661. Each printout costs $25. The printout does not show pending cases, but it can flag past convictions that may tie to an open Kauai bench warrant.

The full list of access sites is on the HCJDC public access sites page. You can also run a cheaper online check at the eCrim portal. A basic eCrim search costs $5. A full report costs $12. The system times out after 30 minutes of no use.

For name and fingerprint checks, read the HCJDC criminal history page. It spells out the forms, the fees, and the rules for adult record checks that may touch on Kauai bench warrants. The Sheriff Division also has a Kauai Section at (808) 482-2470. You can read about the broader Sheriff Division on the Sheriff Division page.

Clearing a Kauai County Bench Warrant

If you find a bench warrant in your name in Kauai County, do not wait it out. The warrant will stay active until police serve it or a judge quashes it. The safe first step is to talk to a lawyer. A private defense lawyer can file a motion to quash and set a new court date. The Office of the Public Defender helps people who cannot pay for counsel. You can also call the Fifth Circuit clerk at (808) 482-2347 to ask how the judge wants the case handled.

Many Kauai judges will agree to quash a bench warrant if the person shows up and posts the bail amount set on the warrant. The judge may set new release terms too. Walking into KPD to ask about a warrant is a risk, since officers can arrest you on the spot if the warrant is valid. Most lawyers tell clients to call KPD Records at (808) 241-1929 first and send a lawyer to the courthouse.

You can also check future hearings for an open Kauai case through the eCourt Kokua hearing search. The Judiciary rolled out that tool in August 2023. The release is on the eCourt Kokua hearing search page. The tool can help you spot a missed hearing that may have led to a Kauai bench warrant. You can also read the court records guide at the UH Law Library Hawaii Courts guide for more help.

Towns in Kauai County

Kauai County covers one island. Most cases run through the Fifth Circuit Court in Lihue, but each town has its own local feel. Towns across the island include Lihue, Kapaa, Princeville, Hanalei, Waimea, Hanapepe, Koloa, Poipu, and Kilauea. None of these towns has a page of its own yet, but the KPD district station and the Fifth Circuit still cover each one. Call KPD Records at (808) 241-1929 for any Kauai bench warrants tied to a case in these towns.

Nearby Hawaii Counties

Kauai sits to the north and west of the other main islands. The other four counties each have their own courts and their own police records units. If a case crosses islands, you may need to check a warrant at a nearby county too.