Clear your Hawaii record.

For an arrest, you apply in writing to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. It acts for the attorney general. It issues the order and a certificate. With it, you can say you have no record of that arrest.

Some arrests must wait. A deferred plea that ended in dismissal waits one year. A petty misdemeanor or violation lost to bail forfeiture waits five years. Some never qualify, like a felony or misdemeanor lost to bail forfeiture. Your steps list the rest.

A conviction is different. First you apply to the court for an expungement order. The court can grant one in four cases. One is some drug offenses, after you finish the treatment and probation it set. One is a first class C felony property offense, on the same terms, if you had no earlier felony. One is possession of three grams or less of marijuana, with no other charge. One is a first under-21 violation for driving with a measurable amount of alcohol, once you turn 21. Then you send the court's order with your application to the Data Center.

If you only got a citation or summons and were never arrested or booked, there is no arrest record to expunge. In 2024 the state set up a clean slate task force. It is planning a program where the state clears records on its own. Its final report is due before the 2027 session.