USBC HI - Copy Requests

Copy Requests

You can get copies of documents from a bankruptcy file in several ways:

Postal Mail (for those without access to a computer)

Via the Internet

Clerk's Office (for those without access to a computer)

Certified and Exemplified Copies

From Archived/Closed Cases

Postal Mail	(top of page)
The court can mail copies of documents to you. However, we require payment in advance. We charge 50 cents per page, for copies. If you know the number of pages of which you need copies, you may send us a request for the copies, a check or money order in payment, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. If you do not know the number of pages, call (808) 522-8100 Ext.128. We can give you the information you need. When you send us a request for copies, please state the name of the debtor, the case number, and the exact title of the documents that you need. Generally, cases filed before 1998 have been closed and archived. Documents from these cases are available only from the Federal Records Center. See below for more information.
Internet	(top of page)
The Bankruptcy Court in Hawaii has imaged all documents in cases filed since January 1, 1998. These documents are available on the Internet, to persons using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) program. This program is not free. However, there are several good reasons to use PACER to retrieve documents, rather than coming to the court: 1) Users are charged eight cents per page for documents viewed with no additional charge for printing the information, compared to a 10 cent charge if the document is viewed and printed at the Clerk's office. (2) Users are only billed if they exceed $10.00 in charges in a calendar year. (3) This is the fastest method of getting documents for persons not living on Oahu. Once you register for PACER (provided you enter a credit card authorization for payment), you will get a login and password the same day. You can then immediately use PACER to access documents you need, and print them. (4) A PACER account provides access to dockets of other federal courts throughout the United States. NOTE! – Only cases filed in 1998 and later were imaged. Documents from cases filed before that date must be ordered from the archives at the Federal Records Center in San Bruno, CA. See below for more information on retrieving archived paper documents. Here is what you need to do in order to register for PACER and to access the documents you wish to copy. Step 1: PACER Registration Go to the PACER Service Center site at: http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov. Click on the button which says “Register for PACER”. You will see an informational page stating that you will get a login and password by email, if you enter in a credit card number when registering. If you do not, the login information will be sent by mail. Complete the information and submit it. Step 2: Logging into PACER When you receive your login and password, you can go to the PACER site to login: http://pacer.hib.uscourts.gov. On the page which opens, click this hyperlink: "District of Hawaii - Document Filing System" . Enter your login and password where indicated. You will get the CM/ECF screen. Step 3: Finding the Documents in a Case File On the CM/ECF page, click the word “Query” on the blue bar at the top of the page. The Query page will open. You can search for a case by (1) Case Number, or by (2) Name of the Debtor or by (3) Social Security Number of the debtor. Fill in the information as directed and then click on the “Run Query” button. (Note – You do not need to fill in all of the boxes– just the case number, name, or SSN.) From the screen which now appears, click on the “Docket Report...” hyperlink. You do not need to select anything on this page. Click on the “Run Report” button. You will be charged eight cents per page for opening this report. A docket report for the case you have selected, will open. This report lists all documents filed in the case. There should be a blue underlined number next to the description of the document. If you click on this number, the document will open. You will be charged eight cents per page for any documents which you open. You may print the documents when opened, for which there is no additional charge. If you wish to print multiple documents, use your browser Back button to get back to the docket sheet, and continue to open documents that you wish to print. If you have problems and need assistance in finding cases or documents, contact us.
In Person at the Court	(top of page)
Copies of documents in pending files, and in all cases filed since 1/1/1998, can be obtained by coming to our office. You can print copies of documents from CM/ECF, our online electronic images query program. The cost of each page is ten cents. The Clerk’s Office is open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday (except court holidays).
Certified and Exemplified Copies			(top of page)
In certain circumstances you will need a certified copy of a bankruptcy document, such as a copy of your discharge, to give to a bank or title company. In other instances you may need an exemplified copy, such as a copy of your discharge, to file with the Clerk of a State Court. The Bankruptcy Court charges $9.00 for certification (plus 10 cents per page for the copies) and $18.00 for exemplification (plus 10 cents per page for the copies). Note! We will not certify or exemplify copies which are printed outside the court. Certification will only be done on copies printed at the court at the time of certification. The court is only able to provide certified copies of documents that have been imaged into our CM/ECF database. If the document has not been imaged, and if the case has been archived, you can request a certified copy of the document through the Federal Records Center in San Bruno, CA. To do so, follow the instructions in our "Archived Cases" section below, and specify that you would like the copies certified.
Archived Cases		(top of page)
If you need copies of documents from a case which was closed prior to 1998, first email or call the court at (808) 522-8100 Ext. 128, to find out whether the files have already been sent for storage at the Federal Records Center (FRC) in San Bruno, CA. If so, you may either get copies directly from the FRC, or you may need to request that the file be returned to the court in Honolulu so that copies can be made here. The FRC will only provide copies of documents from closed individual consumer cases, not business cases. If you need copies certified, specify this in your request. Option1: Order copies from the FRC. The least expensive option will always be to order the copies directly from the FRC. Call the court at the number listed above to get specific location information about the files. Once you have obtained this information, fill out the FRC Request Form and include this location information. This form contains instructions on how to submit your form to FRC. If you want additional information, visit FRC's web site. Option 2: Have the files sent to our office. Send us a letter requesting that we retrieve the case file and include the following: Name of the debtor(s) Case Number (if you know the number) or year the case was filed Your name, address, and telephone number A check made out to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court" for $45.00. Send the above to: FRC Request U.S. Bankruptcy Court 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250 Honolulu, HI 96813 It may take several weeks before the file is delivered to the court. When the file arrives, we will contact you and you may then visit the court or order the copies. The cost of the copies is 50 cents per page.