Search Kauai County Deed Records

Kauai County deed records are maintained through the Hawaii state Bureau of Conveyances, which serves as the single recording authority for all property documents across the islands, including every deed, mortgage, and conveyance filed for land on Kauai. Because Hawaii does not use county-level recording offices, all Kauai property deeds pass through the state system and can be accessed online through the RecordEASE portal or at the Bureau's Lihue branch office. This guide covers how to find deed records for Kauai County properties, which offices handle related matters like assessments and tax, and what online tools are available for parcel searches and ownership lookups.

Recording Deed Records in Kauai County

All deed records for Kauai County go through the Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances, a division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. This is how it works for every Hawaii county. There is no separate Kauai County recorder or register of deeds. The Bureau maintains a centralized statewide system, and all Kauai property conveyances are part of that system. The Bureau's Kauai branch office is located at 3060 Eiwa Street, Room 210, Lihue, HI 96766, and can be reached by phone at (808) 241-3223. The branch is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If you need to record a deed, pick up a certified copy, or ask about a specific document, the Lihue branch is the right starting point for Kauai property matters.

The Bureau operates under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 502, which governs the recording of conveyances statewide. Recording fees are set by statute: $26 for the first five pages, and $5 for each page after that. Conveyance tax is also due at the time of recording. The RecordEASE system covers recorded documents from 1976 forward. For anything older, you need to contact the Bureau's main Honolulu office directly, as historical records require in-person access or special request.

Note: Walk-in service at the Lihue branch is available during regular business hours. It is worth calling ahead to confirm hours have not changed before making the drive.

The Kauai County government website provides access to county services, public records, and contact information for county offices including the Bureau of Conveyances branch and the Real Property Tax Office in Lihue.

Kauai County Real Property and Assessment Offices

The Kauai Real Property Tax Office handles property assessment, classification, and tax billing for all parcels on the island. It is a separate function from deed recording, but both the assessment office and the Bureau of Conveyances draw from the same property data. The Real Property Tax Office is located at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 454, Lihue, HI 96766, and the phone number is (808) 241-4224. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If you have questions about how a recent deed transfer has affected the assessment or ownership record for a parcel, this is the office to contact.

The Kauai County Clerk's Office is a separate county agency that handles legislative support, elections, and public records management for county government. The current County Clerk is Jade K. Fountain-Tanigawa, and the Deputy County Clerk is Lyndon M. Yoshioka. The Council Services Division is located at 4396 Rice Street, Suite 209, Lihue, HI 96766. You can reach the office at (808) 241-4188 or by fax at (808) 241-6349, and the email contact is cokcouncil@kauai.gov. While the County Clerk does not handle deed recording, the office is a key contact for public records requests related to county government operations, including document reproduction, council minutes, and meeting records.

The Kauai County Clerk's Office page shows the structure and functions of the clerk's office, including its role in managing public records for Kauai County government.

The County Clerk's office has two main divisions. The Council Services Division supports the Kauai County Council, handles document filing for county legislation, and manages records reproduction requests. The Elections Division runs county elections. Neither division is involved in property deed recording, but both are part of how Kauai County makes public records available. If you need a copy of a county ordinance, a council resolution, or a budget document, the Council Services Division is the right contact.

Search Kauai County Property Records Online

The main online tool for searching deed records for Kauai County is RecordEASE, available at bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com. This portal covers documents recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances from 1976 to the present. You can search by grantor or grantee name, by document type, by recording date, or by Tax Map Key number. All Kauai County parcels fall under TMK Zone 4, so you can narrow your search by zone if you already know the parcel. The system shows document metadata and scanned images of recorded instruments. For deed copies prior to 1976, you need to contact the Bureau in person.

For a property-centric search that includes assessment data and ownership history, the qPublic portal covers Kauai County parcels. The Kauai County property search is available at qpublic.schneidercorp.com. You can search by location address, parcel number using the TMK format, ownership history, sales records, or condominium and CPR project name. The portal shows parcel-level data including assessed values, land classification, and current ownership as maintained by the Real Property Tax Office.

The Kauai County qPublic property search portal provides access to parcel data, ownership records, and property details linked to Kauai County deed records and assessments.

There are some important limitations to be aware of. The mapped parcel and CPR boundaries shown on qPublic are for visual reference only and do not represent official survey data. The portal does not include leases, timeshares, or many commercial and industrial CPRs. As for data freshness: billing and tax collection data updates daily, ownership updates weekly, and property characteristics update when assessment notices are mailed and certified. If you need the most current ownership data right after a deed has been recorded, there may be a short lag before qPublic reflects the change.

Note: RecordEASE is the authoritative source for recorded deed documents. qPublic is a useful secondary tool for property-level context. If there is a discrepancy, the Bureau of Conveyances record controls.

Kauai County Court Records and Property Filings

The Fifth Circuit Court serves Kauai County and handles property-related judicial matters including land title disputes, foreclosures, and probate proceedings. The courthouse is located at 3970 Kaana Street, Suite 210, Lihue, HI 96766, and the phone is (808) 482-2300. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Fifth Circuit has jurisdiction over felony cases, civil matters involving amounts over $40,000, probate cases, and appeals from the District Court. When a foreclosure is filed for a Kauai property, the case goes through the Fifth Circuit, and any resulting judicial sale or title order gets recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances.

The Kauai District Court operates from the same courthouse address at 3970 Kaana Street, Lihue, and handles civil cases up to $40,000, misdemeanors, and landlord-tenant disputes. The District Court phone is (808) 482-2303. Small claims cases with amounts not exceeding $5,000 are also handled through this court. Property deed records themselves are not filed with either court, but court proceedings frequently produce documents that must be recorded, such as judgments that affect title or orders from probate cases that transfer property.

To access court records in person, visit the appropriate courthouse and complete a record request form at the clerk's office window. You need to provide case identifying information such as the case number, party names, or the approximate filing date. Copy fees are $1.00 per page for standard copies. For written requests, send the case information along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment to the clerk's office and allow 10 to 15 business days for processing. Court records that have been sealed or restricted are not available through public request.

Free Public Records Access in Kauai County

Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act, found at Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 92F-3, governs how government agencies must handle public records requests. This applies to all Kauai County offices. The general rule is that public records are open to inspection and copying unless a specific exemption applies. Most property-related records do not carry exemptions, which means deed records, assessment data, and related documents are publicly available.

Kauai County provides free online access to several categories of public records through the county's official web portal at kauai.gov. Available documents include County Council agendas and meeting minutes, adopted budgets and financial reports, property tax assessment information, building permit status, and adopted ordinances and resolutions. In-person inspection of public records is also available at county offices during regular business hours. If you want a physical copy of a document, copy fees apply, generally at $1.00 per page for standard paper copies from court offices.

For deed records specifically, the free access path is through RecordEASE at the Bureau of Conveyances. Document images for recorded deeds are available online at no charge for viewing. If you need a certified copy for a legal transaction or title purpose, you pay a fee to the Bureau for the certification. Uncertified reference copies cost less. The difference matters when you are doing research versus closing a real estate transaction.

Kauai County Property Tax and TMK Zone 4

Hawaii uses the Tax Map Key system to give every parcel a unique identifier. Kauai County is TMK Zone 4. Every parcel on the island of Kauai has a TMK number that begins with 4, followed by a section, plat, and parcel number in the format 4-X-XXX-XXX. This identifier is how the Bureau of Conveyances links deed records to specific land parcels, and it is how the Real Property Tax Office tracks assessments and tax obligations. When you search RecordEASE for Kauai deed records, using the TMK is the most precise way to pull up all instruments tied to a specific piece of land. Names and addresses can vary, but the TMK stays with the parcel.

Condominiums and CPR units on Kauai follow a slightly different structure. A Condominium Property Regime unit has both a master parcel TMK for the underlying land and a unit designation. When searching deed records for a Kauai condo unit, you may need the project TMK and the unit number together to find the right recorded documents. The qPublic portal lets you search by CPR project name, which can help when you do not have a full TMK handy. Keep in mind that the qPublic mapped parcel boundaries for CPR units are for reference only and do not replace official survey data. Leases and timeshares are generally not included in the qPublic display even when the underlying land parcel is shown.

Property tax billing for Kauai County follows a July 1 fiscal year start, consistent with other Hawaii counties. The Real Property Tax Office at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 454, Lihue, handles assessment appeals, home exemption filings, and billing questions. When a deed is recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances reflecting a new owner, that ownership change works its way into the assessment rolls on the Real Property Tax Office's update schedule. There can be a lag of days to weeks before the tax records fully reflect a recent transfer, which is worth knowing if you close on a Kauai property and expect to see your name on the tax roll right away.

Kauai County Communities

Kauai County includes communities such as Lihue, Kapaa, Waimea, Princeville, and Hanalei. All property deed records for these communities are filed with the state Bureau of Conveyances. For property assessment and tax information, contact the Kauai Real Property Tax Office at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 454, Lihue, HI 96766.

Other Hawaii Counties

All Hawaii counties use the same state Bureau of Conveyances for deed recording.