inmate.solutions

HI · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Hawaii?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in Hawaii using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
Hawaii DCR
VINELink
Covers Hawaii
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
Hawaii

Which system is holding them in Hawaii?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

Hawaii has no county jails.

After arrest, a person is briefly held in a county police cellblock and then transferred to a state Community Correctional Center (for example OCCC on Oahu).

SAVIN/VINE covers both pretrial and sentenced populations statewide.

If someone was arrested within the last few hours and is not in VINE yet, they may still be in county police holding; contact the arresting county police department (Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, or Kauai).

Not applicable in Hawaii. There are no county sheriff jails; pretrial detention is in state Community Correctional Centers, located through SAVIN/VINE. Only very initial holding is at county police (Honolulu PD, Hawaii County, Maui, Kauai).

Search VINELink (choose Hawaii)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

Hawaii's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) does not run a standalone public inmate database.

Hawaii is a UNIFIED system: the state runs community correctional centers (which hold pretrial detainees, i.e., jail) AND prisons, so one search covers everyone in state custody.

DCR uses SAVIN/VINE (the Hawaii version of VINELink) for custody status and notifications.

The SAVIN page links to the Hawaii VINE search.

General DCR line: (808) 587-1288.

Open the Hawaii inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a Hawaii state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in Hawaii, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out where they are likely held

    In Hawaii, someone just arrested is briefly in county police holding, then in a state Community Correctional Center (jail); someone sentenced is in a state prison run by the same DCR; someone arrested on a FEDERAL charge is in federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    Search Hawaii SAVIN/VINE for custody status and to register for alerts

    SAVIN is Hawaii's VINE service. Search by name (and offender ID if known) across state custody, and optionally sign up for free notifications when custody status changes. Statewide entry point: vinelink.com.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    Open the DCR SAVIN page for the official Hawaii VINE link and DCR contacts

    The DCR SAVIN page confirms SAVIN/VINE is the official method and links to the Hawaii VINE search.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    If very recently arrested and not in VINE yet, call the arresting county police department

    For the first hours after arrest a person may still be in a county police cellblock. Call the arresting county police department's booking or records line to confirm.

    Official source

  5. Step 5

    For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

    If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator instead of the state tools.

    Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name (plus any aliases or maiden name).
  • Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
  • An offender ID if you already have one (helpful but not required).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • Use only official sources: Hawaii SAVIN/VINE (via vinelink.com) and the DCR site. Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
  • Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may post stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
  • Custody data can lag. Someone arrested within the last few hours may still be in county police holding and not yet in VINE; call the arresting county police department to confirm.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in Hawaii

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in Hawaii.

Commercial bail available

In Hawaii, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

Hawaii recognizes commercial surety bail.

Bail is governed by Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 804, which allows release on bail with sureties, so a person can be released by posting a surety bond through a bail bond agent, by depositing the full cash bail with the court, or on a supervised release / recognizance basis in some cases.

Bail bonds are a surety product, and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Insurance Division licenses insurance producers under the surety line of authority.

Bail amounts follow court bail schedules and can be reviewed by a judge.

Hawaii has also expanded release without money bail for many nonviolent petty misdemeanors and violations.

Where a surety bail bond is used, the bail bond agent charges a non-refundable premium (a fee for posting the bond), in practice commonly in the range of about 10% to 15% of the bond amount; confirm the exact figure with a licensed bail bond agent.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official Hawaii contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in Hawaii

How do I find someone who was just arrested in Hawaii?

Hawaii has no county jails. After arrest, a person is briefly held in a county police cellblock and then transferred to a state Community Correctional Center (for example OCCC on Oahu). SAVIN/VINE covers both pretrial and sentenced populations statewide. If someone was arrested within the last few hours and is not in VINE yet, they may still be in county police holding; contact the arresting county police department (Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, or Kauai).

How do I find someone in state prison in Hawaii?

Hawaii's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) does not run a standalone public inmate database. Hawaii is a UNIFIED system: the state runs community correctional centers (which hold pretrial detainees, i.e., jail) AND prisons, so one search covers everyone in state custody. DCR uses SAVIN/VINE (the Hawaii version of VINELink) for custody status and notifications. The SAVIN page links to the Hawaii VINE search. General DCR line: (808) 587-1288.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in Hawaii?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers Hawaii. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in Hawaii?

The person's full legal name (plus any aliases or maiden name). Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. An offender ID if you already have one (helpful but not required).

Does Hawaii have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in Hawaii: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 10 sources