Since 2005, the Hawaii state court system has designated over 600 civil cases as confidential. When entire case files are sealed in this way, the public cannot see any case information or documents.
The sealed files include civil lawsuits, conservatorships and guardianships as well as probate, land, tax, trust, and mechanic’s and materialman’s lien cases. There are some sealed cases in Hawaii District Court, which deals with small claims disputes, landlord-tenant issues and temporary restraining orders.