In Hawaii, genealogy records can give you information about a family's history, property ownership, medical history and much more. Finding records starts with knowing some information about a person or family that lived, worked or died in Hawaii. Since the state has not been a state and under US law for a long time, much of this data takes some time to research and gather. However, there are excellent resources available that can help you to find information about your heritage through records searches well before the founding of the state itself.

For Hawaii genealogy records, know the history of the state and area. If you are looking for records that include births and deaths in the state from 1853 onward, you will find them. However, you will need to turn to the right resources. Most records from prior to 1896 are considered incomplete since there was not one authority office collecting this data. However, Hawaii had numerous missionary organizations that visited the area and many kept records from as early as 1826 onward. Where can you find these? There are a number of options.

If you are looking for birth and death records, as well as marriage records from 1853 onward, the first step is to contact the Department of Health. This agency has records of most deaths and births from the 1900's, though others may be there as well. You can write to the organization or visit in person at the following address:

Hawaii Department of Health

Vital Records Section

PO Box 3378

Honolulu, Hawaii 96801

Do not stop there in your search for Hawaii genealogy records, though. There are some outstanding resources to help you with your search. A good place to visit is the small cemeteries in the state. These are not always well maintained but many do have paper records you can search to locate anyone buried at the site. You can also look for census information. These are contained within the counties or towns in the area, rather than at the state level. This information can be helpful because it provides a vast amount of information including the names, birth dates and occupations of those who were present in 1910 and onward.

Since Hawaii is also a very large military base, there are also military records available. Both World Wars are represented here, as is the Korean War and Vietnam War. You may be able to visit the local bases to gather information about those who were members of the Armed Forces. This can be an outstanding way to find valuable information.

However, Hawaii's records are not as thorough as you may expect. For the most thorough records for Hawaii genealogy records searches, you will need to go local. Turn to local townships and establishments. Some churches have been present for hundred years or more and those do keep great records. However, it is often difficult to search these unless you visit the area yourself and learn about the options available to you in the area.

• Hawaii Genealogy