District Court of the First Circuit — Traffic Division
O’ahu’s primary traffic court, located in the Ka’ahumanu Hale building in downtown Honolulu. Handles HPD and DOT citations from across the island, including the H-1 and H-2 corridors.
HRS §291D-7 lets you contest a civil traffic infraction by mailing a Written Statement instead of appearing in court. Complete Option 2 (deny) or Option 3 (admit and mitigate) on the back of your citation, attach a separate written statement of defense plus any photos or exhibits, and mail it within 21 calendar days of the citation date. Do NOT include payment:
District Court of the First Circuit — Traffic Division
1111 Alakea St
Honolulu, HI 96813
The District Court of the First Circuit accepts a Written Statement contest under HRS §291D-7. Complete the "Answer to Notice" on the back of your citation — Option 2 (Deny) or Option 3 (Mitigate) — attach a separate written statement with any photos or witness statements, and mail it so it reaches the court within 21 calendar days of the citation issue date. Do NOT include payment. The judge rules in writing and the court mails notice of the decision; if you denied (Option 2) and lose, you have 30 days to request a Trial de Novo.
Hawaii does NOT require payment when you mail your Written Statement under HRS §291D-7 — the court rules in writing and mails notice of any amount owed. Only pay now if you are admitting the infraction without contesting. Hawaii’s eCourt Kokua portal accepts online payment for most civil traffic infractions: District Court of the First Circuit — Traffic Division’s online pay portal.
Every extra week between the citation and your filing is another week the officer can forget. Hawaii courts routinely grant first-time extension requests as a matter of course — you generally do not need a hardship reason.
- Typical grant
- 30 additional days
- Method
- Call the traffic clerk
- Bail deadline
- Extended with the response deadline.
- Traffic clerk phone
- (808) 538-5121
“I’d like to request a 30-day extension on my response deadline so I can prepare and file a Trial by Written Declaration. My casenumber is ____.”
Common Hawaii violations eligible by mail
Other courthouses in Honolulu County
Not legal advice. Courthouse addresses, hours, and filing procedures change. Verify with the official Hawaii court website before mailing or appearing.