FAQs
FAQ General Tips
- “How to” or “Why” questions pertaining to the following areas should be directed to the correct office. Go to dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/resources for links to:
- Federal taxes, liens & releases – contact the IRS
- State taxes, liens & releases, Conveyance Tax – contact Department of Taxation, State of Hawaii
- County Real Property taxes, home exemptions, liens & releases – contact the County Real Property tax office for where your property is located.
- Hawaii is not a “forms” state so we do not have generic forms that can be used for different real property documentation needs.
- Many “How To” questions for changes in property ownership or tenancy cannot be directly answered by the BOC due to the individual legal or tax implications which is why we recommend consulting an attorney or title/escrow company.
- Copies of documents recorded at the BOC since January 1, 1976 can be purchased online and downloaded at https://bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com. Documents recorded prior to 1976 can be ordered can be ordered by submitting a written request.
General
Recording
Fees
Copies
Ownership Status and/or Tenancy
Research
Uniform Commercial Code
GENERAL
Q: Where is the Bureau of Conveyances located?
A: 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room #120 (Kalanimoku Building), Honolulu, HI 96813.
Q: What are the Bureau’s office hours?
A: Office Hours: Monday – Friday, except State holidays 7:45AM to 4:30PM.
Recordation (Rooms #120 and #122): Monday – Friday, except State holidays 8:01AM to 3:29PM.
Public Research/Reference Room (Room#123): Monday – Friday, except State holidays 8:15AM to 3:30PM. [Hours can change on short notice due to staffing shortages, including lunch hour closures.]
Q: What is the difference between Land Court and Regular System?
A: Regular System serves to give ‘notice that a document is on public record.
Land Court System provides State certification for the ownership of a property. Property is in Land Court if it was registered with the State at some point since the 1900’s. Conversely, all non-registered properties are part of the Regular System.
Q: How do I update the name shown on my real property tax bill?
A: Contact the County Real Property Tax office in which your property is located. See dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/resources for a list of the County office websites.
Q: What are the instrument codes on the document ordering website?
A: See below for a list of commonly used instrument codes:
| AD | Apartment Deed |
| D | Deed |
| FSU | Financing Statement |
| LCO | Land Court Order |
| M | Mortgage |
| MFS | Mortgage & Financing Statement |
| NL | Notice of Lien |
| R | Release |
| TS | Timeshare |
RECORDING
Q: How do I know what system my document was recorded in?
A: Regular System Document numbers:
Prior to 1990: Liber (book) and Page references. i.e. 12546/552
From 1990 – 2011: Year followed by a document number. i.e. 1990-002230
2012 – Present: Sequential 8 digit numbers.
Land Court Document numbers:
Sequential series of numbers up to 7 digits preceded by the letter ‘T’.
NOTE: All Regular System documents have a BOC label on the top right corner whereas Land Court document labels will be on the top left corner. Labels on both corners will denote “Double System” documents that were required to be recorded in both systems.
Q: Where can I find forms to record a quit claim deed?
A: The BOC does not provide pre-printed forms and suggests individuals work with an attorney or title company of their choice to ensure documents are properly prepared.
Q: What number can I call with recording questions?
A: Call (808)587-0147 where a detailed message can be left. Calls are returned within one to two business days.
Q: What do I need to submit to record a quit claim deed?
A: Generally the quitclaim deed document, the correct recording fee and either the P64-A or P64-B conveyance tax forms should be submitted. The necessary documents and fees could differ depending on the recording system. The BOC recommends individuals work with an attorney or title company of their choice to ensure documents are properly prepared for their individual situation.
Q: How can I remove a document from record?
A: Once documents are recorded with the BOC, they cannot be removed from the public record as mandated by State statutes governing the BOC without a court order.
FEES
Q: How much for a copy of my recorded document?
A: Copies of recorded documents are $1 per page and can be ordered in person or online at
https://bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com/login.aspx
Q: How much to record a document?
A: Regular System:
-Documents up to and including 50 pages – $41.00 per document.
-Documents 51 pages or more – $106.00 per document.
Land Court:
-Documents up to and including 50 pages – $36.00 per document.
-Documents 51 pages or more – $101.00 per document.
-Certificate of Title Issuance – $50.00.
-Each additional memorandum on Certificates required by any one instrument – $5.00.
UCC11 (Information Request): $25.00 per search request plus $5.00 for each creditor found.
Conveyance Tax may be required, visit tax.hawaii.gov/forms/a1_b3_3convey for more information.
Q: How do I calculate conveyance tax?
A: Visit tax.hawaii.gov/forms/a1_b3_3convey for Conveyance Tax Certificate instructions as different rates from exempt to $.0125 could apply.
Q: How much to record a document that is printed front and back?
A: Previous non-conforming fees for double sided documents no longer apply and should be now submitted as one-sided.
COPIES
Q: How do I get a copy of my recorded document?
A: Please visit our document ordering website at https://bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com/login.aspx. Any documents recorded after January 1, 1976 can be downloaded from the site, for a fee. Documents recorded prior to 1976 can be ordered by submitting a written request which must include a)Requestor’s contact information; b)The document number (Book & Page) of the document along with any other information like the grantor/grantee/type of document; c)Note if you would like your document Certified; d)Self-addressed stamped envelope and e)Payment – check payable to “Bureau of Conveyances”, cost is $35.00 per document + $10.00 processing fee. Mail requests to: Bureau of Conveyances P.O. Box 2867 Honolulu, HI 96803.
Q: I paid off my mortgage so how do I get a copy of my deed?
A: You will not get a copy of your deed when you pay off your mortgage. You should have received a copy of your deed during the closing of the original purchase of your property. When your mortgage has been paid off, it is important to obtain a copy of your “Release” document issued by the lender or their servicing company. If you did not, you can order copies of these documents from our website (see answer above).
Q: How do I get a certified copy of my tax lien?
A: Please visit our document ordering website at https://bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com. Certified copies (of any recorded document) that must be stamped by the BOC to certify that it is a true copy from our records can be purchased online and generally takes 7 to 10 business days to process before being mailed out via USPS.
OWNERSHIP STATUS AND/OR TENANCY
Q: How do I add someone to my deed?
A: A new deed needs to be prepared that will convey the existing interest to the new owners which will include you and the individual(s) you are adding. Hawaii is not a “forms” state where pre-printed deeds are available so the BOC recommends the services of an attorney or title company to ensure documents are properly prepared.
Q: How do I remove someone from my deed due to divorce, death or other?
A: The BOC recommends the services of an attorney or title company to ensure documents are properly prepared.
Q: How do I record a name change?
A: An affidavit can be recorded to reflect your name change. The BOC recommends obtaining the services of an attorney or title company to assist with drafting and filing of the document(s) to ensure they are properly prepared.
Q: How do I change tenancy of my property?
A: A new deed needs to be prepared that will convey the existing interest to the new title holders referencing the new tenancy. The BOC recommends working with an attorney or title company to ensure the documents are properly prepared and to address possible legal and tax issues due to tenancy changes.
Q: Can an affidavit be recorded to note a death and remove the decedent?
A: An affidavit can be used to note the death of a spouse and have them removed from title if the property ownership is recorded in the Regular System only. The BOC recommends the services of an attorney or title company to ensure documents are properly prepared.
RESEARCH
Q: How do I know if a lien is attached to an existing recorded deed?
A: Go to the BOC’s document search website https://bocdataext.hi.wcicloud.com. All documents are indexed so they can be searched by last name or document number dating back to 1976. Liens are identified with ‘Instrument Code’ “NL”. Please take extra care to match the correct lien to the deed in question.
Q: How do I know if a release has been recorded for a mortgage that was paid off?
A: Go to the BOC’s document search website https://boc.ehawaii.gov/docsearch. All documents are indexed so they can be searched by last name or document number dating back to 1976. Releases are identified with ‘Instrument Code’ “R”. Please take extra care to match the correct release to the mortgage in question.
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE
Q: Where can I find information about filing UCCs in the State of Hawaii?
A: You may access the standard UCC forms and filing information at https://www.iaca.org/secured-transactions/forms/ which is also accessible through the BOC website. UCC forms can be submitted electronically by business customers. Please refer to the list of vendors that are able to support this in conjunction with the BOC.
Q: What are the fees associated to filing a UCC?
A: UCC filing fees are on our website at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/recording-fees/.