Search East Honolulu Bankruptcy Records
East Honolulu bankruptcy records all sit at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii in downtown Honolulu. The city has no federal court of its own. Debtors living in East Honolulu drive into town to file, but most searches can happen online. You can pull East Honolulu bankruptcy records through PACER from any browser. You can also walk into the Clerk's Office at 1132 Bishop Street or email for copies. This page walks East Honolulu residents through how to search, where to file, and how the 341 meeting works.
East Honolulu Bankruptcy Records Overview
Where East Honolulu Residents File Bankruptcy
East Honolulu is a census-defined area on the eastern end of Oahu. It sits inside the city and county of Honolulu. For bankruptcy, the place to file is the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii at 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250, in downtown Honolulu. The drive from East Honolulu runs about 20 minutes, give or take, depending on the time of day and which neighborhood you start from.
Bankruptcy is a federal matter. That point trips up a lot of first-time filers. A state judge cannot discharge debt. Title 11 of the U.S. Code holds the Bankruptcy Code. The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and the Local Bankruptcy Rules for the District of Hawaii set the steps. East Honolulu debtors can reach the Clerk's Office at (808) 522-8100 or check the website at hib.uscourts.gov for hours, forms, and the hearing calendar.
The Clerk's Office hours run 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Hours are cut on federal holidays.
State Courts Serving East Honolulu
State courts in East Honolulu do not handle bankruptcy, but they do handle many civil cases that end up in a bankruptcy schedule. Judgments, foreclosures, and evictions often show up on state dockets. East Honolulu sits in the First Circuit.
| Courthouse | Address | Phone / Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Kaneohe District Court | 45-939 Pookela St, Kaneohe, HI 96744 | (808) 534-6300 · 8am-4pm |
| Family Court (Kapolei) | Kapolei Judiciary Complex | (808) 954-8310 |
Most small civil matters from East Honolulu go to the Kaneohe District Court on Pookela Street. That court opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays and closes at 4 p.m. Family matters go to the Kapolei Judiciary Complex, which hosts Family Court for the First Circuit. Neither of these state courts files bankruptcy cases. They hold related civil court records that an East Honolulu filer may want to list on Schedule D, E/F, or G.
Note: A bankruptcy petition by an East Honolulu resident must go to the federal court on Bishop Street, not to the Kaneohe or Kapolei state courts.
Search East Honolulu Bankruptcy Records Online
PACER is the main tool. It holds East Honolulu bankruptcy records filed in the District of Hawaii since January 1, 1998. Sign up is free at pacer.gov. Fees are $0.10 per page with a $3.00 cap per document. You can search by party name, case number, or filing date. Case Locator runs a national sweep across every bankruptcy court at once, handy if you are not sure where the case was filed.
The court's own PACER guide is at hib.uscourts.gov/pacer. A brief lead-in to the federal bankruptcy court's homepage helps set the scene for new users:
See the court homepage at hib.uscourts.gov to find Case Locator, local rules, fees, and calendar info tied to East Honolulu bankruptcy records.
For a free, fast check, use McVCIS. It is the Multi-Court Voice Case Information System. Call in and key in the debtor's last name or case number. The system reads back the case info. No login. No fee. Good for a quick East Honolulu bankruptcy records confirm.
The state court's public portal, eCourt Kokua, at courts.state.hi.us, covers Oahu civil, traffic, Family, and District Court matters. It does not cover bankruptcy. That said, eCourt Kokua helps East Honolulu residents track a state court judgment that may end up listed in a bankruptcy schedule.
East Honolulu Bankruptcy Fees and Chapters
Four chapters cover most East Honolulu filers. The right pick depends on income, debt type, and goals. Chapter 7 is a wipe-out. Chapter 13 is a pay-over-time plan. Chapter 11 is for business reorganizations or high-debt individuals. Chapter 12 is only for family farmers and fishermen with regular income.
- Chapter 7: $338 total filing fee
- Chapter 11: $1,738 total filing fee
- Chapter 12: $278 total filing fee
- Chapter 13: $313 total filing fee
Chapter 7 runs fast. Most cases close within about four months. The trustee sells any non-exempt property. Most unsecured debt is wiped. A means test in the petition checks income. Chapter 13 lets the debtor keep property and pay over three to five years. Under 11 U.S.C. § 109(e), debt caps apply for Chapter 13. East Honolulu debtors under 150% of the federal poverty line may ask for a full waiver under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f) using Form 103B.
Installment options differ by chapter. Chapter 7 debtors can pay over 120 days. Chapter 13 installments must finish within 14 days. Check hib.uscourts.gov/filing-fees for the latest. Chapter 7 filing steps sit at hib.uscourts.gov/chapter-7-filing-requirements. The Chapter 13 checklist is at hib.uscourts.gov/chapter-13-filing-requirements.
341 Meeting and Hearing Access
Every East Honolulu bankruptcy case has a 341 meeting. Section 341 of the Bankruptcy Code names it. The trustee runs the meeting and asks questions under oath. Joint debtors must both attend. Most meetings in Hawaii are now on Zoom.
Bankruptcy Rule 2003 sets the dates. Chapter 7 meetings happen 21 to 40 days after the petition. Chapter 13 meetings happen 21 to 50 days after filing. East Honolulu debtors must mail a photo ID and Social Security proof to the trustee at least 7 days before the meeting. A driver's license, passport, military ID, or resident alien card works. Trustees for Hawaii cases include Dane Field, Nima Ghazvini, Elizabeth Kane, and Richard Yanagi. Each trustee has a dedicated Zoom link posted on the court calendar.
The general hearing Zoom ID is 161 789 3766 with passcode 1132. The call-in line is (833) 568-8864 toll-free. Recording the session is banned. See hib.uscourts.gov/meeting-creditors for full 341 info and hib.uscourts.gov/court-calendars for the hearing schedule. National guidance from the U.S. Trustee is at justice.gov/ust.
Get Copies of East Honolulu Bankruptcy Records
You can ask the Clerk's Office for plain or certified copies of East Honolulu bankruptcy records. Send email to copies@hib.uscourts.gov. Mail goes to 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250, Honolulu, HI 96813. You can also call (808) 522-8100. The clerk sends an invoice first. Pay by money order, cashier's check, or certified check. Cash and personal checks are not taken.
East Honolulu debtors can ask for a scanned PDF of a document in their own case at no cost. The request limit is two documents per email. Send from the debtor's address and give the case number, case title, and the exact name of each document. Paper copies still carry the per-page fee. Certified copies, for banks, title companies, or filing in another court, use Form 2650.
A lead-in to PACER access, which is the main day-to-day copy tool for public users:
Full PACER guidance for East Honolulu bankruptcy records is at hib.uscourts.gov/pacer, and the federal sign-up page is pacer.gov.
The full copy request page is at hib.uscourts.gov/copies-documents. Cases filed before 1998 may be at the San Francisco Federal Records Center. The Clerk's Office can give the Box, Location, and Transfer numbers you need. All national and local forms live at hib.uscourts.gov/forms.
Note: Public records in Hawaii fall under HRS Chapter 92F, but federal bankruptcy filings follow federal access rules and PACER fees, not state law.
Honolulu County Bankruptcy Records
East Honolulu is part of Honolulu County. The county page covers the full First Circuit state court system and related record types for all of Oahu. Go to the county page for county-wide bankruptcy info.
Nearby Cities on Oahu
Other Oahu cities share the same federal bankruptcy court as East Honolulu. Pick a nearby city for local court and clerk details.