Urban Honolulu Bankruptcy Records

Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records come from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii, which sits right in downtown Urban Honolulu. Every case filed by a debtor living in the city ends up here. You can search Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records through PACER, walk into the Clerk's Office at 1132 Bishop Street, or ask for copies by mail or email. This page shows how to search Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records online, the local state courts that handle related civil matters, the fees you may face, and how the 341 meeting works for debtors in the city.

Where Urban Honolulu Residents File Bankruptcy

Urban Honolulu is the one city in Hawaii with the federal bankruptcy court sitting inside its limits. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii works out of 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250, in downtown Urban Honolulu. Debtors living in the city can walk to the Clerk's Office. The main Clerk line is (808) 522-8100. This is the one court for all of Hawaii, so cases from Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island end up here too, but Urban Honolulu residents get the easiest access.

Bankruptcy is federal law. A state judge in Urban Honolulu cannot handle a bankruptcy case. The rules live in Title 11 of the U.S. Code. Filing chapters, discharge rules, and trustee duties all come from that code. The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure work with Title 11, and the Local Bankruptcy Rules for the District of Hawaii fill in the gaps. Debtors in Urban Honolulu who want a plain-language start can look at the court's own guide at hib.uscourts.gov/understanding-bankruptcy.

Hours run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The full court website is at hib.uscourts.gov.

State Courts Serving Urban Honolulu

Bankruptcy is federal, but Urban Honolulu residents still deal with state courts for other matters that can touch a bankruptcy case. Judgments, foreclosures, evictions, and wage garnishments often come from state court. The First Circuit holds these files. Urban Honolulu sits in the First Circuit. Three main state courthouses serve the city.

The Legal Documents Branch at Ka'ahumanu Hale pulls civil files for the First Circuit. The Traffic Violations Bureau for Urban Honolulu runs out of 1111 Alakea Street and takes calls at (808) 538-5500. A Supreme Court Law Library appointment helps if you want to read local rules or research case law tied to a bankruptcy matter. None of these state courts file or docket Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records. They hold civil state court records that may show up in a bankruptcy schedule.

How to Search Urban Honolulu Bankruptcy Records

The fastest way to search Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records is PACER. PACER stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. It holds every case filed in federal court. A PACER account is free to set up. The fee is $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document. You can sign up at pacer.gov and get same-day login if you give a credit card. Mail signups take about a week.

You can search by debtor name, case number, or filing date. Cases filed in Hawaii on or after January 1, 1998 show up in full. Older Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records may sit at the Federal Records Center in San Francisco. The court's local PACER guide spells out case locator tips, CM/ECF basics, and fee exemptions for researchers.

A lead-in to the state of Hawaii's own court forms index for First Circuit civil matters, which often come up in a bankruptcy schedule, is at the state court:

See the full list at courts.state.hi.us First Circuit forms for civil forms tied to Urban Honolulu state court cases.

For Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records checks on the go, call the Multi-Court Voice Case Information System. It is a free phone service. You key in the debtor's last name or case number. The system reads back the basic case info. No login, no fee. For full document access, though, PACER is the main tool.

Urban Honolulu Bankruptcy Filing Fees and Chapters

Urban Honolulu debtors file under one of four chapters. The chapter sets the fee and the rules.

• Chapter 7 liquidation: $338 total
• Chapter 11 reorganization: $1,738 total
• Chapter 12 family farmer/fisherman: $278 total
• Chapter 13 wage-earner plan: $313 total

Most Urban Honolulu filers pick Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debt in about four months. Chapter 13 runs three to five years and lets the debtor keep property while paying a plan. An installment option lets Chapter 7 filers pay over 120 days. Chapter 13 filers must finish installments within 14 days. A full fee waiver is possible under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f) for those under 150% of the federal poverty line. Form 103B goes with the waiver request.

See the current fee schedule at hib.uscourts.gov/filing-fees before you file. Chapter 7 specifics live at hib.uscourts.gov/chapter-7-filing-requirements, and Chapter 13 details sit at hib.uscourts.gov/chapter-13-filing-requirements.

341 Meeting for Urban Honolulu Cases

Every Urban Honolulu bankruptcy case includes a meeting of creditors. Section 341 of Title 11 requires it. The Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 trustee runs the meeting. Joint debtors must both show up. Creditors may come but most do not. Most 341 meetings are now on Zoom.

Bankruptcy Rule 2003 sets timing. Chapter 7 meetings run 21 to 40 days after the petition is filed. Chapter 13 meetings run 21 to 50 days after filing. Urban Honolulu debtors must send the trustee a photo ID and proof of Social Security number at least 7 days before the meeting. A driver's license, military ID, resident alien card, or passport works. Hawaii trustees include Dane Field, Nima Ghazvini, Elizabeth Kane, and Richard Yanagi.

The general hearing Zoom ID for Urban Honolulu bankruptcy cases is 161 789 3766. The passcode is 1132. You can also call (833) 568-8864 toll-free and key in that same ID. Full 341 meeting details and trustee contact info are at hib.uscourts.gov/meeting-creditors. The U.S. Trustee national page is justice.gov/ust.

Getting Copies of Urban Honolulu Bankruptcy Records

You can ask the Clerk's Office for plain or certified copies of Urban Honolulu bankruptcy records. Requests go to copies@hib.uscourts.gov. You can also call (808) 522-8100 or mail the request to 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250, Honolulu, HI 96813. The clerk sends an invoice. Payment comes by money order, cashier's check, or certified check. Cash and personal checks are not taken.

A debtor may ask for a scanned PDF of a document in their own case at no charge, up to two documents per request. Email must come from the debtor's address and include the case number, case title, and exact document name. Paper copies still carry a per-page fee. Certified copies, for banks or title companies, use Form 2650 and take extra time.

Lead-in to the Honolulu Police Department records site, which sometimes matters for debtors with fine or restitution debts:

You can see that records page at honolulupd.org, which helps show outstanding fines that may get listed in a bankruptcy schedule.

The full copy request page is at hib.uscourts.gov/copies-documents. For files opened before 1998, the paper sits at the San Francisco Federal Records Center. The Clerk's Office will give the Box, Location, and Transfer numbers you need to pull those files. Forms are at hib.uscourts.gov/forms.

Honolulu County Bankruptcy Records

Urban Honolulu sits in Honolulu County. The county holds the state judicial circuit for all of Oahu, and also hosts the federal bankruptcy court. See the full county page for all courthouse details, related record types, and local filing info.

Nearby Cities on Oahu

Other Oahu cities file at the same federal court in downtown Urban Honolulu. Pick a nearby city for local court info.