Maui County Property Deed Records

Maui County deed records cover property on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Like every other county in Hawaii, Maui County does not have its own recording office. All deed recording runs through the state Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances, which is the single system that handles land documents for the entire state. The Bureau does have a branch office in Wailuku that handles local recording submissions. This page covers where to find recorded deed documents, how the county's Real Property Assessment Division connects to that data, what online tools are available, and how the public records process works for Maui County property owners and researchers.

Deed Records in Maui County

Maui County has no separate county recorder. All recording functions run through the state Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances, a division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. This is how deed recording works across all Hawaii counties: one state office, one system, all islands. The Bureau maintains deed records for every parcel in Maui County, whether the property is on Maui, Molokai, or Lanai. Recorded documents go into the same state database and are searchable through the same tools regardless of which island the land sits on.

The Maui County Real Property Assessment Division website outlines how property ownership, assessment, and tax data are maintained separately from deed recording, which runs through the state Bureau of Conveyances.

The Bureau of Conveyances has a Maui branch office at 1063 Lower Main Street, Suite C-214, Wailuku, HI 96793. The phone number is (808) 984-3067. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. This branch handles in-person recording submissions and can accept certified copy requests for Maui County deed records. If you cannot get to the Wailuku branch, the main Bureau office in Honolulu also accepts Maui County submissions, and mail-in recording is an option for many standard documents.

The standard recording fee is $26 for the first five pages of a document and $5 per page after that. Conveyance tax applies at the time of recording for transfers involving consideration. The rate depends on the sale price and property type. Certain transfers are exempt from conveyance tax, but the exemption must be stated on the deed and may require supporting documentation. Once a deed is recorded, the Bureau's RecordEASE system makes it searchable online within a short processing window.

Hawaii uses two recording systems. The Regular System covers the majority of Maui County residential and commercial properties. The Land Court system applies to a smaller group of parcels where the title was originally adjudicated through a formal court process. Deeds in the Land Court system are handled differently and produce a Transfer Certificate of Title rather than a standard recorded instrument. When doing a title search, it matters which system your parcel is in.

Note: The Bureau of Conveyances Wailuku branch keeps shorter public hours than the main Honolulu office. Call ahead at (808) 984-3067 before visiting to confirm current hours and any changes to walk-in availability.

Maui County Real Property Assessment Division

The Maui County Real Property Assessment Division is the county agency that determines assessed values, tracks ownership changes, and manages tax exemption programs for all parcels in Maui County. It does not record deeds, but it is the agency that updates ownership records after a deed is recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances. When title changes hands and a deed is recorded, the new owner should contact the division to get the county's database updated. That process is separate from recording and does not happen automatically in real time.

The Maui County Real Property Assessment Division website at mauipropertytax.com is where property owners and researchers can look up parcel ownership, assessment data, and tax information for all Maui County deed records.

The division's main office is at 70 E. Kaahumanu Avenue, Suite A-16, Kahului, HI 96732. It has several direct contact lines depending on what you need. For general clerical matters, exemption questions, mailing address changes, and land class issues: (808) 270-7871. For agricultural use and dedication compliance: (808) 270-7295. For tax map questions, ownership changes, new TMK requests, and map orders: (808) 270-7226. For property valuation and appraisal questions: (808) 270-7798 or RPA@co.maui.hi.us. For tax bills and Circuit Breaker questions: (808) 270-7697 or Maui.rptc@co.maui.hi.us. The main general line is (808) 270-7297.

Maui County has approximately 80,993 total parcels across all islands in the county. Of those, about 67,013 are residential and 3,514 are classified as commercial. The division determines market value for each parcel as of January 1 each year and mails assessment notices around mid-March. If you think your assessed value is wrong, the appeal window opens with the notice mailing. Missing the appeal deadline means waiting another year to contest the valuation.

Note: Assessment notices for 2026 were mailed in mid-March. If you did not receive yours, contact the division using the general line at (808) 270-7297 to confirm your mailing address is current in the system.

Search Maui County Deed Records Online

The primary tool for searching recorded deed documents in Maui County is RecordEASE, available at bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com. This is the Bureau of Conveyances online database and it covers documents recorded from 1976 forward. You can search by grantor or grantee name, by document type, by recording date, or by Tax Map Key number. All Maui County parcels fall in TMK Zone 2, so any TMK that starts with 2 is a Maui County property. Zone 2 covers Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. The RecordEASE results show document details and let you view scanned images of the recorded instruments themselves.

The Maui County qPublic property search portal allows researchers to look up Maui County deed records, ownership data, and assessed values using address, owner name, or parcel number.

Maui County also provides a property search through qPublic at qpublic.schneidercorp.com. This portal lets you search by owner name, location address, or parcel number. It shows current ownership, assessed values, sales history, and tax classification, and it includes GIS mapping tools so you can see the parcel's boundaries and location on a map. The qPublic tool draws from the Real Property Assessment Division's database, so it reflects the ownership data the county has on file, which may lag slightly behind the Bureau of Conveyances recording system.

For a complete deed records search, use both tools together. Look up the parcel in qPublic or at mauipropertytax.com first to get the TMK number and confirm current ownership. Then take that TMK to RecordEASE and search for all recorded instruments tied to that parcel. You will see every deed, mortgage, lien release, and other recorded document associated with the land. That combined approach gives you both the legal recording record from the Bureau and the administrative ownership record from the county.

Note: Documents recorded before 1976 are not available in RecordEASE. For historical Maui County deed records that predate the system, contact the Bureau of Conveyances Wailuku branch or the Honolulu office directly to ask about historical instrument access.

Maui County Public Records and Fees

Maui County handles public records requests under the Uniform Information Practices Act, commonly called UIPA. The act governs which records are available, how to request them, and what fees apply. Most property-related records in Maui County fall under one of two agencies: the Bureau of Conveyances for recorded deed instruments, or the Real Property Assessment Division for ownership and assessment records. Each has its own request process. Knowing which agency holds the record you need saves time and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth.

For general county records requests, the fee structure under UIPA sets paper copies at $0.25 per page for standard 8.5x11 or 8.5x14 sheets. Electronic copies delivered on CD or DVD cost $10.00 per disc. Records already in electronic format and delivered electronically carry no charge. Search and review time fees apply above a threshold: the first $30 of search and review time is waived per request. After that, search time is billed at $2.50 per 15 minutes, which works out to $10 per hour. Review time for redaction and release decisions costs $5.00 per 15 minutes, or $20 per hour. Certified copies add $1.00 per document on top of copy fees. Fees may be waived when the agency determines that disclosure is in the public interest and primarily benefits the public rather than the requester.

Each type of Maui County record has a different custodian. Land records, deeds, mortgages, and liens are held by the Bureau of Conveyances, with the Wailuku branch at 1063 Lower Main Street, Suite C-214 handling local requests. Property ownership records and assessments are with the Real Property Assessment Division in Kahului. Business licenses are handled by the Department of Finance at 200 South High Street, 2nd Floor, Wailuku. Court records, including any deed-related litigation, are held by the Second Circuit Court at 2145 Main Street, Wailuku. Understanding that split helps you direct your request to the right office without delay.

Tax delinquency can affect property that shows up in deed searches. Maui County may sell properties with taxes delinquent for at least three years at public tax sales. Lists of properties approaching or subject to tax sale are posted on the county website. If you are researching a deed on a parcel with an unclear ownership history, checking the tax delinquency status through the Real Property Assessment Division is a useful step before you go further.

Note: Submitting a public records request online or by email is generally faster than mailing. Contact the specific agency that holds your records before sending a formal request to confirm the preferred submission method and current turnaround times.

Property Tax and Deed Transfers in Maui County

Every deed transfer in Maui County that involves consideration triggers a conveyance tax obligation. That tax is paid at the Bureau of Conveyances at the time of recording. The amount depends on the sale price and property type. Standard residential transfers at prices under $600,000 carry a lower rate, and the rate steps up at higher price tiers. Transfers between family members, gifts, and certain court-ordered conveyances may qualify for exemptions, but the exemption has to be claimed on the face of the deed and documented properly. Errors in claiming exemptions can lead to assessment of back taxes plus interest.

After recording, the deed transfer becomes visible in the Bureau's RecordEASE system, but that data does not automatically update the county's tax rolls. The Maui County Real Property Assessment Division processes ownership changes separately. New owners should contact the Tax Maps section at (808) 270-7226 with a copy of the recorded deed to get the county's records updated. Until the division processes the change, tax bills may continue going to the previous owner's name or address.

Property tax in Maui County is handled through the Real Property Tax Collection section at (808) 270-7697. The county collects taxes on all Maui County parcels based on the assessed values the division determines each January 1. Payment schedules, billing cycles, and delinquency rules follow county ordinance. The Department of Finance at 200 South High Street, Wailuku, handles broader financial administration. The Second Circuit Court at 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, (808) 244-2700, handles court filings and litigation related to property disputes, foreclosures, and partition actions that may result in new deed recordings.

Tax sales are a consequence of extended delinquency. Maui County can initiate a tax sale process after taxes remain unpaid for at least three years. Properties subject to potential tax sale are listed publicly on the county website. A tax sale deed recorded after a completed sale process will show up in RecordEASE like any other recorded conveyance. If you are researching a parcel that changed hands through a tax sale, the deed will state the nature of the transfer and reference the tax sale authorization.

Note: Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 502, available at law.justia.com, sets the recording rules that govern all Maui County deed transfers. Review the current statute text if you have questions about document requirements before submitting for recording.

Maui County Offices and Resources

Several county and state offices handle different pieces of the Maui County property records picture. Knowing where each function lives avoids wasted trips and misdirected calls. The Bureau of Conveyances Wailuku branch at 1063 Lower Main Street, Suite C-214, is the right starting point for anything involving recorded deed documents. That office handles recording submissions and certified copy requests for Maui County properties. The branch phone is (808) 984-3067 and hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

The Maui County Clerk's Office is at 200 S. High Street, 7th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. The clerk handles county legislative records, council minutes, and official county documents. Phone is (808) 270-7748, fax (808) 270-7686, email county.clerk@mauicounty.us. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk does not handle deed recording or property assessment matters, but it is the right office for county ordinances and council proceedings that may affect property regulations or zoning decisions tied to land use.

The Department of Finance at 200 South High Street, 2nd Floor, Wailuku, (808) 270-7722, handles business licenses and broader financial administration. For researchers who need to verify business entity ownership tied to a property deed, the Finance office can help confirm license status. Many commercial Maui County deed transfers involve entities like LLCs and corporations, and understanding who stands behind those entities sometimes requires looking at business filings in addition to recorded deed documents.

The Second Circuit Court serves Maui County and is located at 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, HI 96793, phone (808) 244-2700. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. The Second Circuit handles civil matters including foreclosures, quiet title actions, partition suits, and probate proceedings. Any of those proceedings can generate deed-related documents that get recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances. If you find a deed in RecordEASE that references a court action, the Second Circuit is where you would look for the underlying case records.

Note: Each of these offices serves a different function in Maui County's records system. A call before visiting any office will help confirm that you are headed to the right place for what you need and that the office can assist with your specific request.

Cities in Maui County

These communities are on the island of Maui within Maui County. All property deed records are filed with the state Bureau of Conveyances. Property assessment matters are handled by the Maui County Real Property Assessment Division in Kahului.

Other Hawaii Counties

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