Certified Translation Services in Hilo, Hawaii
Certified translation for Hilo is available from Apostille Authentications at $65 per page and up, with most documents returned in 1 to 2 business days. A signed certificate of accuracy is included with each one. Our office is in the Portland, Oregon area, so the service is remote: upload your file through the quote form and get the translation back electronically or by mail. This page covers the Hawaii County offices and Hilo institutions that ask for translated documents.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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Hilo offices that handle records and licenses
Hilo is the seat of Hawaii County. These are the published addresses for the offices most often involved when a document has to be translated or authenticated.
| Third Circuit Court | Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720. Legal Documents: (808) 961-7400. Counter hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. |
|---|---|
| Hilo District Health Office (vital records) | 75 Aupuni St., Suite 201, Hilo, HI 96720. Phone 808-974-6008. |
| County Vehicle Registration and Licensing | 349 Kapiolani St., Hilo, HI 96720 |
UH Hilo and translated transcripts
The University of Hawaii at Hilo states that transcripts not in English require a certified English translation. This applies to both high school and college records.
Graduate applicants with international transcripts must also send them for professional evaluation by an agency on the university’s list, and the transcript in its original language is sent directly to UH Hilo along with the English version. A translation and a credential evaluation are different things: we translate, and the evaluation agency assesses the credential.
Foreign driver's licenses at the Hawaii County counter
Hawaii County publishes the document list for the limited purpose driver’s license, provisional license and instruction permit. Accepted proof of name and date of birth includes a consular identification or passport, a sealed foreign school record with a photograph, a foreign federal electoral photo card, a foreign student identification card or a foreign driver’s license.
The county states that foreign-language documents must be accompanied by a certified translation or an affidavit of translation into English. Ask the licensing office which of your documents it will need translated before you order.
Getting vital records on Hawaii Island
Birth, death and marriage certificates are state records held by the Department of Health. On Hawaii Island you order and pay online at vitrec.ehawaii.gov first, then schedule a pickup. The Hilo District Health Office lists pickup on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. The Kamuela office at 67-5189 Kamamalu St. lists Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The state fee is $10 for the first certified copy and $4 for each extra copy of the same record, with a $2.50 administration fee per order. Property documents are recorded with the statewide Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu; Hawaii has no county recorder.
The apostille route from Hilo
Apostilles are issued only in Honolulu, by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor at the State Capitol, 5th Floor, 415 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI 96813. From Hilo the practical route is the online application at apostille.ehawaii.gov followed by mail.
- Step 1 for notarized papers. A document notarized by a Hawaii Island notary must be certified at the Third Circuit Court’s Legal Documents office before it is sent to Honolulu.
- Step 2. Send the document with the application. The fee is $3 per document through December 31, 2026 and $5 from January 1, 2027. Personal checks are not accepted.
- Timing. The office states 7 to 10 business days and no expedited service. Documents come back by USPS unless you enclose a self-addressed prepaid envelope.
- Vital records. Certificates issued after January 1, 2025 with the State Registrar’s signature and embossed seal can be sent directly. For earlier ones, order a new certificate from the Department of Health.
Interpreters in the Third Circuit and languages in Hilo
The Hawaii State Judiciary provides interpreters free of charge to limited English proficient parties and witnesses in all case types, including at Hale Kaulike. Hawaiian is an official language of the state, and the Judiciary’s 2018 policy is to provide or permit Hawaiian language interpreters, to the extent reasonably possible, for parties who choose to speak Hawaiian in court.
Census Reporter’s ACS profile for Hilo puts the foreign-born share of residents at 11 percent, lower than the statewide figure. We translate 100 languages. Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese are among those requested most; for other languages, ask us to confirm before ordering.
Ordering a translation from Hilo
Upload the document as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form, or phone (971) 514-3743 during office hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Remember the time difference with Oregon when you call.
The finished translation arrives by email with the signed certificate of accuracy, and we can mail a paper copy to Hilo. USCIS filings fall under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), which calls for a complete English translation certified by a competent translator. If asked, we hire a Hawaii notary to notarize the translator’s statement. We also help with apostilles. No translator can guarantee acceptance by an agency.
Related services for Hilo
- Hawaii document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- Hawaii apostille service
- All document translation services
Hilo translation questions
Apply to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Honolulu, online at apostille.ehawaii.gov and by mail to the State Capitol, 5th Floor, 415 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI 96813. Notarized documents from Hawaii Island are first certified at the Third Circuit Court in Hilo.
Apostille Authentications serves Hilo remotely from the Portland, Oregon area. You upload the document, and the certified translation is returned electronically or by mail, from $65 per page.
Yes. UH Hilo states that transcripts not in English require a certified English translation, and graduate applicants with international transcripts must also obtain a professional evaluation.
The Hilo District Health Office is at 75 Aupuni St., Suite 201, Hilo, HI 96720. Orders are placed and paid online first, and pickup is by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
For the limited purpose license, Hawaii County says foreign-language identity documents, including a foreign driver’s license, must come with a certified translation or an affidavit of translation into English.
The Third Circuit Court at Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo. Its Legal Documents office can be reached at (808) 961-7400.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Hawaii State Judiciary: Hawaii Island court contacts
- Department of Health: Hawaii Island vital records
- Department of Health: birth and marriage certificates
- UH Hilo: international transcripts
- Hawaii County: limited purpose license documents
- Office of the Lieutenant Governor: apostille application
- Judiciary Hawaiian language interpreter policy
- 8 CFR 103.2
- Census Reporter: Hilo
Get your Hilo 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.