Certified Translation Services in Honolulu, Hawaii
Apostille Authentications prepares certified translations for Honolulu residents and businesses from $65 per page, and most are ready in 1 to 2 business days. Every translation carries a signed certificate of accuracy. We are based in the Portland, Oregon area and serve Honolulu remotely: you upload the document through our quote form and we send the translation back electronically or by mail. Below are the Honolulu offices where translated documents are usually needed.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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The apostille office is in Honolulu
Honolulu is the only place in Hawaii where apostilles are issued. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor sits on the 5th floor of the State Capitol at 415 S. Beretania St., and it accepts both mail and walk-in drop-off there, Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For someone in Honolulu that means you can hand in the application yourself and choose pickup instead of mail return.
The office lists a fee of $3 per document through December 31, 2026, rising to $5 on January 1, 2027, and a processing time of 7 to 10 business days with no expedited option. Prepaying by credit card at apostille.ehawaii.gov is described as the fastest route. Cash, money orders and cashier’s checks are accepted; personal checks are not. The entrance to the Capitol parking garage is on Miller Street.
Steps before the Capitol: notary, circuit court, vital records
- Notarized documents. A document notarized by a Hawaii notary must first be certified by the circuit court’s Legal Documents office. For Oahu notaries that is the First Circuit Court at Kaahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu.
- Birth and marriage certificates. The Department of Health counter is at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, open Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The first certified copy costs $10, plus a $2.50 administration fee per order.
- Older certificates. For a certificate issued before January 1, 2025, the Lieutenant Governor’s office says to order a new one from the Department of Health.
- Recorded documents. Hawaii has one statewide recording office, the Bureau of Conveyances, at 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 120 (Kalanimoku Building). There is no separate county recorder.
Honolulu courts and interpreter services
State trial courts on Oahu belong to the First Circuit. The published locations are below.
| Circuit Court | Kaahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 |
|---|---|
| District Court | Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 |
| Family Court | Kapolei Judiciary Complex, 4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, HI 96707 |
| Interpreter program | Office on Equality and Access to the Courts, 426 Queen Street, B17, Honolulu, (808) 539-4860 |
| Federal court | U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu |
What court interpreters do and do not cover
The Judiciary supplies interpreters at no charge to people with limited English proficiency who are parties, witnesses or have a substantial interest in a case. You can ask court staff, show a language identification card, or fill in an interpreter request form, which is available at the First Circuit district courts.
That service covers spoken proceedings. A written record from another country that you want a judge to read, such as a foreign divorce decree or birth record, is a separate matter, and the party offering it normally arranges the English translation.
University of Hawaii at Manoa transcript rules
The UH Manoa Graduate Division requires non-English transcripts and academic records to be issued in the original language and accompanied by English translations that are exact, word for word. A translation issued by the school must carry its official seal or stamp. A translation by a professional translator must bear the translator’s original signature and be accompanied by a copy of the original-language document.
Tell us when a translation is for an admissions office so the layout follows the original line by line. Requirements differ between programs, so check with the office that will receive it.
Who lives in Honolulu and which languages we cover
Census Reporter’s ACS profile for Urban Honolulu shows 27.8 percent of residents were born outside the United States, well above the statewide share of 18.6 percent.
Our most requested languages are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. We work in 100 languages overall, so for any other language, ask us and we will confirm before you pay.
Notaries in Hawaii are told by the Attorney General’s manual to notarize a foreign-language document only if they thoroughly understand that language, which is why agencies generally look for a translator’s signed certification instead of a notary’s stamp on the translation.
How to order from Honolulu
Send a scan or clear phone photo as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form. We reply with a price and a delivery date. You receive the certified translation by email, and a paper original by mail if the receiving office wants one.
Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the phone number is (971) 514-3743. If the translator’s statement needs to be notarized for use in Hawaii, we hire a Hawaii notary to do it. We can also help you with the apostille process. Acceptance is always decided by the receiving agency.
Related services for Honolulu
- Hawaii document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- Hawaii apostille service
- All document translation services
Honolulu translation questions
At the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, State Capitol, 5th Floor, 415 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI 96813. It takes mail and walk-in drop-off Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The work is done remotely from the Portland, Oregon area and delivered electronically or by mail.
The office accepts walk-in drop-off, but it states a processing time of 7 to 10 business days and no expedited service. You can choose pickup and will be notified by phone.
From the Hawaii Department of Health at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, Honolulu, open Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or online at vitrec.ehawaii.gov. The first copy is $10 plus a $2.50 administration fee.
Yes. The Hawaii State Judiciary provides court interpreters free of charge to limited English proficient parties, witnesses and people with a substantial interest in a case.
The UH Manoa Graduate Division requires non-English records in the original language with exact word-for-word English translations. Translations by professional translators must bear the translator’s original signature and include a copy of the original document.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Office of the Lieutenant Governor: apostille application
- Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 2-3
- Hawaii State Judiciary: Oahu court contacts
- Judiciary Language Access Plan
- Department of Health: birth and marriage certificates
- Bureau of Conveyances FAQs
- UH Manoa Graduate Division admissions requirements
- Hawaii Notary Public Manual
- Census Reporter: Urban Honolulu
Get your Honolulu translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.