Estate Planning for Kauai, Hawaii Property Owners

For most Kauai County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Kauai County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Fifth Circuit Court. The two tools that keep a Kauai County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Skipping this planning step means the Fifth Circuit Court decides who receives the property: a simple Hawaii probate takes 6+ months and opens with $215 in court filing fees.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Kauai County

A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Kauai County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, a Hawaii transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentHRS 527-1 to 527-17Verified Aug 24, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathHRS 527-1 to 527-17Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.

Create a HawaiiTOD deed →Kauai Countysigning requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Kauai County are recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances, led by Registrar of Conveyances Mike H. Imanaka, at 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 120, Honolulu, HI 96813. Phone: 808-587-0147. Hours: Office: 7:45 AM - 4:30 PM, Mon-Fri; Recording Window (Rooms 120 & 122): 8:01 AM - 3:29 PM, Mon-Fri; Public Research Room (Room 123): 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM, Mon-Fri. Closed State holidays. Hours may change on short notice due to staffing.

Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 2867, Honolulu, HI 96803.

The Bureau of Conveyances charges $41 for 1-50 pages, $106 for 51+ pages. A 2-page transfer on death deed costs $41 to record in Kauai County. A transfer on death deed is exempt from transfer tax.

Kauai County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile / CSC / Indecomm / ePN.

Recording Office Record

Bureau of Conveyances

Kauai County · Registrar of Conveyances · Mike H. Imanaka

Address

1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 120Honolulu, HI 96813Mailing: P.O. Box 2867, Honolulu, HI 96803

Fax

808-587-0136

Hours

Office: 7:45 AM - 4:30 PM, Mon-Fri; Recording Window (Rooms 120 & 122): 8:01 AM - 3:29 PM, Mon-Fri; Public Research Room (Room 123): 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM, Mon-Fri. Closed State holidays. Hours may change on short notice due to staffing.

E-recording

Available via Simplifile / CSC / Indecomm / ePNE-recording info →
Visit recorder website →

Recording fees

1-50 pages$41
51+ pages$106
Oversize Document Fee (51+ pages)$65
Transfer tax on a TOD deedExempt

Bureau of Conveyances published fee schedule, eff. 2/27/2017 (dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/recording-fees-new/, fetched 2026-09-04); rulemaking authority HRS 502-25(a); HAR § 13-16-22(a)(1)-(2) (am. and comp. 2/10/2017) states $35 / $100, raisable under HRS 92-28

Open in Google Maps

Verified September 4, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Kauai County

FirmLihue, HI

Kauai Estate Law, LLLC

Serves 1 county

Serves Kauai from Watumull Plaza in Lihue. Handles estate and trust administration for executors and trustees, represents estates, trusts, and will contestants in estate and trust litigation, and provides ancillary probate for out-of-state decedents who owned Hawaii property. Attorneys Cynthia Hannah-White and Katherine A. Caswell work primarily in estate planning and administration.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationAsset ProtectionLong Term CareProbate Administration

Office
4334 Rice Street, Suite 202Lihue, HI 96766

Solo PracticeLihue, HI

Law Office of Dawn N. Murata LLLC

Serves 1 county

Serves Kauai from the historic Lihue Plantation building in Lihue. The office assists with administration of probate and trust assets and debts, including probate filings, trust documentation, oversight of distributions to beneficiaries, and deeds and affidavits to transfer property. The practice opened in 2011, after Dawn Murata spent eight years with a Kauai firm.

PracticesEstate PlanningElder LawProbate Administration

Office
2970 Kele Street, Suite 205Lihue, HI 96766

Solo PracticeLihue, HI

Law Offices of Glen T. Hale LLLC

Serves 1 county

Serves Kauai from Lihue. Glen T. Hale has practiced law on Kauai for over eighteen years with a focus on real estate, condominium law, estate planning, and business transactions. Licensed in both Hawaii and Utah.

PracticesEstate Planning

Office
2970 Kele Street, Suite 210Lihue, HI 96766
Free consultation

FirmLihue, HI

McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP

Serves 1 county

Kauai office of a Honolulu-based firm, located on Pahe'e Street in Lihue. Its Trusts & Estates practice handles trust administration and probate and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. Kauai partner Michael D. Scarbo, a Kauai resident since 2003, practices primarily in estate planning and real estate.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationConservatorshipGuardianshipProbate Administration

Office
4463 Pahe'e Street, Suite 207Lihue, HI 96766

Solo PracticeLihue, HI

Sherman Shiraishi, Attorney at Law, A Law Corporation

Serves 1 county

Serves Kauai from Lihue. Sherman Shiraishi has 47 years of experience practicing law on Kauai, admitted to the Hawaii bar since 1979. Handles estate planning, business law, and real estate matters.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbate Administration

Office
2403 Ulu Maika StreetLihue, HI 96766

FirmHonolulu, HI

Reese & Van Atta LLC

Serves 4 counties

Serves Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island from downtown Honolulu. Guides personal representatives through probate filings, creditor payments, and distributions, handles small estate procedures, and advises trustees on fiduciary duties, asset management, and distribution in trust administration. Practicing in Hawaii for over 35 years.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate Administration

Office
1003 Bishop Street, Suite 2550Honolulu, HI 96813
See all 19 firms serving Kauai County→

Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.

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Data sourced from Hawaii statutes and official state code. How we research.

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