Hawaii property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Hawaii's differ from its neighbours in ways that decide whether your document records or comes back. Here is the whole picture: which deeds exist here, how they have to be signed, what the recorder wants on the page, and what it costs.
- Recording office
- Bureau of Conveyances (statewide)
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $0.10 to $1.25 per $100
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$36 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
Deeds Hawaii recognizes
| Deed | What it does | Available? |
|---|---|---|
| Quitclaim deed | Transfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title. | Yes |
| General warranty deed | Transfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows. | Yes |
| Special warranty deed | Transfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it. | Yes |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Names who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive. | Yes |
| Lady bird deed | An enhanced life estate deed: you keep total control for life, and the property passes automatically at death. | No |
| Life estate deed | You keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you. | Yes, less common |
| Gift deed | Transfers property to someone as an outright gift, for no payment. | Yes, less common |
Hawaii does not recognize lady bird deeds. Recording one here wouldn't achieve what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Hawaii
Hawaii requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public. No witnesses are required.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required for every signature |
| Witnesses | None |
| Preparer statement | Customary, not required |
| Grantee address on the deed | Required |
| Prior deed reference | Optional |
| Spousal joinder | Not generally required |
Hawaii document formatting rules
The Bureau of Conveyances in Hawaii expect 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 3-inch top margin on the first page and 1-inch margins elsewhere. Type must be at least 10 point. That top margin is the recorder's stamp area. Writing into it is the most common formatting rejection there is.
Hawaii transfer tax and recording fees
Hawaii charges Conveyance tax at $0.10 to $1.25 per $100, graduated by value and by whether the buyer qualifies for a homeowner exemption. Customarily paid by the grantor.
Common exemptions: transfers where consideration is $100 or less, transfers between spouses or reciprocal beneficiaries, and transfers to a revocable trust.
A form has to travel with the deed
Hawaii requires Form P-64A or P-64B Conveyance Tax Certificate with most recorded deeds, including gifts and other exempt transfers. Recorders reject packages that are missing it.
Recording fees run about $36 for the first page. Hawaii charges a flat fee per document; Land Court and Regular System documents are priced separately.
How to hold title in Hawaii
- Sole ownership. One person owns everything.
- Tenancy in common. Separate, divisible shares with no survivorship. A deceased owner's share goes to their heirs.
- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Equal shares; the survivor takes the whole property automatically.
- Tenancy by the entirety. Married couples only, with automatic survivorship and, in most states that allow it, protection from one spouse's creditors.
Where to record a deed in Hawaii
Deeds are recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances (statewide) in the county where the property is located. Hawaii has 5 counties. Most offices accept e-recording through a submitting service, which is usually same-day.
Honolulu · Hawaii · Maui · Kauai. all Hawaii recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Hawaii
- Hawaii records every deed in a single statewide Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu. There are no county recorders.
- Hawaii runs two parallel systems: the Regular System (recording) and Land Court (Torrens registration). Which one applies depends on the property, and the requirements differ. Check your prior deed. It will say.
- A conveyance tax certificate (P-64A or P-64B) must accompany every deed, including exempt transfers.
- Hawaii recognizes transfer-on-death deeds under chapter 527.
From $39. Every Hawaii rule above is applied automatically, and you read the finished document before you pay.
Common questions
You sign a deed, have it notarized, and record it with the Bureau of Conveyances (statewide) in the county where the property sits. Which deed depends on what you're doing: a quitclaim for family transfers and adding or removing a name, a warranty deed for a sale, and a transfer-on-death deed for probate avoidance.
No. Hawaii does not require an attorney to prepare or record a deed. Use one when ownership is disputed, when the owner has died and the estate has not been probated, when the estate is large enough to owe tax, or when Medicaid planning is involved.
About $36 for the first page. Hawaii also charges conveyance tax at $0.10 to $1.25 per $100, graduated by value and by whether the buyer qualifies for a homeowner exemption.
Yes. The statute is Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 527. It must be recorded before the owner's death to be effective.
Keep reading
- Hawaii quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Hawaii general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Hawaii special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Hawaii transfer-on-death deedNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- Hawaii recording officesWhere to file in each county, with fees and contact details.
- Compare all 51 jurisdictionsWitness rules, transfer taxes, and recording fees side by side.
Deedly is not a law firm
We provide self-help software and state-specific statutory forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.