Hawaii Adoption Forms: What to File, Where to Get Them, and What Trips People Up

The Hawaii State Judiciary publishes its adoption forms online. That's the easy part. The harder part is knowing which forms apply to your specific circuit, which require original signatures versus certified copies, what the court expects the documents to say, and what gets a filing rejected before a judge ever sees it.

This isn't a situation where you fill out one universal packet and mail it in. Hawaii adoption forms vary by circuit, by case type, and by whether the birth parents are consenting or the case involves a TPR proceeding. Getting familiar with the structure before you start saves the delay of a rejected filing.

The Court System and Where to File

Hawaii's Family Court operates in four circuits:

• First Circuit: Oahu — Ronald T.Y. Moon Kapolei Courthouse. This handles the largest volume of adoption cases in the state.
• Second Circuit: Maui, Molokai, Lanai — Hoapili Hale in Wailuku.
• Third Circuit: Hawaii Island — Hale Kaulike in Hilo; Keahuolu in Kona.
• Fifth Circuit: Kauai — Puuhonua Kaulike in Lihue.

You file in the circuit where you reside, where you're stationed if military, or where the child resides or was born. Once you've identified your circuit, you need that circuit's specific version of the forms — some are statewide, some have circuit-specific addendums.

The Core Documents in Every Hawaii Adoption Filing

Petition for Adoption

The Petition for Adoption is the foundational document that initiates the court proceeding. Under HRS §578-1 and §578-8, the petition sets out:

• The identity of the petitioners (who is adopting)
• The identity of the child
• The basis for the court's jurisdiction and venue
• The nature of the adoption (consented, TPR already completed, stepparent, relative, etc.)
• A request that the court issue an adoption decree

The petition references court form numbers that vary between circuits. The Hawaii State Judiciary's self-help section publishes the First Circuit forms at courts.state.hi.us. For other circuits, contact the clerk's office directly — they can provide the appropriate packet for your case type.

A common mistake: families download the First Circuit petition and file it in the Third Circuit. The forms look similar but have different requirements. The Third Circuit, in particular, requires an Asset and Debt Statement not required in the First Circuit, and has specific instructions for how financial information must be presented.

Adoption Information Sheet (AIS)

The AIS is a standard statewide form that captures demographic information about the child being adopted. It feeds into the Hawaii Department of Health's vital records process — this is how the new birth certificate eventually gets issued with the adoptive parents' names.

The AIS asks for the child's current name, the proposed new name after adoption, the child's date and place of birth, and the names of the biological parents. Accuracy here matters: errors on the AIS cause downstream problems when the amended birth certificate is issued.

The form also requires a Medical Information Fly Sheet — a separate document capturing medical history that accompanies the AIS into the vital records process. This is sometimes submitted separately from the main packet, and its absence is a common cause of processing delays.

Consent Forms

Consent must be executed by the birth parents (under HRS §578-2), the child if ten years or older (unless waived), and any putative father who has not had his rights terminated. The court provides specific consent forms — these are not documents you draft from scratch.

The critical timing rule: no consent is valid if signed before 72 hours after the child's birth. Any consent signed in that window is legally void. The consent must be signed before the court clerk or a notary, depending on the circuit's requirements, and filed with the court promptly.

Once a judge accepts a consent, it is irrevocable except in cases of fraud or duress. The consent proceeding is a separate hearing in some circuits from the finalization hearing.

For stepparent and relative adoptions where the non-petitioning biological parent is cooperative, the consent form and its execution are often the simplest part of the process. For cases where a birth parent cannot be located or is contesting the adoption, the process shifts into TPR territory, which involves a separate proceeding under §587A-33 and additional court filings.

The Certified Birth Certificate

You need a certified copy of the child's original birth certificate — not a photocopy, not a hospital-issued souvenir certificate. For children born in Hawaii, this comes from the Department of Health Vital Records Office (1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, or via the eHawaii online portal). For children born out of state or in another country, you obtain the birth certificate from the jurisdiction of birth.

The certified copy is filed with the petition and used to verify the child's identity and date of birth. It becomes part of the sealed court record after finalization.

The Filing Fee

The court filing fee for an adoption petition statewide is $215.00. This figure includes base filing fees and surcharges and is payable to the Clerk of the Court at the time of filing. For families who cannot afford the fee, the court may consider a fee waiver petition — consult the clerk's office about this process before filing day.

Circuit-Specific Requirements That Catch Families Off Guard

Third Circuit (Hawaii Island) — Asset and Debt Statement

The Third Circuit requires petitioners to submit an Asset and Debt Statement as part of the adoption filing. This document lays out the financial picture of the household — assets (savings, property, retirement accounts) and debts (mortgage, loans, obligations) — to help the court assess financial stability. This requirement does not appear on most online overviews of Hawaii adoption forms because they default to First Circuit procedures.

Third Circuit — Home Study Addendum

If your home study was completed more than twelve months before you file your petition in the Third Circuit, you need a home study addendum from the agency that conducted the original study. A twelve-month-old study is not automatically invalid, but it must be updated for the Third Circuit before the court will accept your filing.

This is particularly relevant for families who completed their home study during the matching process and then experienced delays before reaching the filing stage.

Neighbor Island Hearing Schedules

The Second, Third, and Fifth Circuits hold adoption hearings less frequently than the First Circuit. If you file and then expect a hearing date within a few weeks, you may be waiting longer than anticipated. Confirm the current hearing calendar with the clerk's office when you file — don't schedule commitments based on assumed timelines.

The Home Study Report

The home study itself is not a court form you fill out — it's a report prepared by a licensed social worker or agency. But it is a required court document, filed with the petition, and the court will reject your filing if the home study is missing or if it has aged past twelve months without an addendum (Third Circuit) or without the court's acceptance that it remains current.

The home study is conducted under HRS §346-19.7. For foster-to-adopt placements through DHS, the DHS or its contractor (often Catholic Charities Hawaii) provides the study. For independent or agency adoptions, a licensed agency like Hawaii International Child typically conducts it.

After Filing: What Happens Next

Once your petition and supporting documents are filed and the fee is paid:

1. The court assigns a case number and schedules a supervised placement review period. Hawaii law requires a minimum six-month supervised placement before finalization — the clock typically starts at placement, not at filing.

2. A social worker makes periodic visits and submits reports to the court documenting the child's adjustment and the family's suitability.

3. The finalization hearing is scheduled. Petitioners and the child must appear personally unless specifically excused by the court.

4. If the judge is satisfied that the adoption serves the child's best interests, the Adoption Decree is signed.

5. After the decree, the adoptive family petitions the Department of Health for an amended birth certificate listing the adoptive parents. A separate Medical Information Fly Sheet initiates this process.

Getting the Right Forms for Your Circuit

The Hawaii State Judiciary's self-help resources are the starting point, but they skew toward First Circuit materials. For Second, Third, and Fifth Circuit-specific packets:

• Call the clerk's office of the circuit court where you'll file and ask specifically for the adoption forms packet for your case type (consented minor, stepparent, relative, etc.)
• Ask whether they have a checklist of required documents — several circuits provide intake checklists that are not publicly posted online
• Confirm the current filing fee and accepted payment methods before you go

The Hawaii Adoption Process Guide includes a document checklist organized by adoption type and covers the circuit-specific requirements — including the Third Circuit's Asset and Debt Statement and the home study addendum rule — so you can prepare your full filing packet before you set foot in the courthouse.

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