Hawaii Revised Statutes §831-3.2 authorizes a person’s arrest records to be expunged, i.e., annulled or canceled, in certain circumstances. 

Expunging an arrest record and the sealing of any related court records are two separate processes that are handled by two different government entities: 

Arrest Records

Expungement of an arrest record is handled by the Department of the Attorney General through the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.  Expungements are for arrest records only.

Please visit the Department of the Attorney General’s Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center website to learn more about the expungement of arrest records.  You may also contact the Expungements section of the Department of the Attorney General at (808) 587-3348.

Court Records

Court records cannot be “expunged” in the same way the Department of the Attorney General can expunge arrest records.  The word “expunge” means to destroy, delete or erase.  Generally, court records are not destroyed, deleted or erased, and therefore, they are not “expunged.”  Court records can be sealed and made confidential, through a court order.  Sealed court records cannot be viewed by the public.  Please consult with an attorney for legal advice on the process to seal records.