Hawaii Small Claims Filing Methods — TurboCourt Is Gone, Here's What's Left

TurboCourt Is Gone

TurboCourt, the guided online filing platform that walked Hawaii self-represented filers through their small claims paperwork, stopped accepting new and subsequent filings after June 30, 2025. The platform handled document generation and electronic submission for the District Courts — and nothing replaced it.

If you find old links to TurboCourt or instructions telling you to file online through it, ignore them. Cases already filed through June 30, 2025 continued through that date; new or subsequent filings after June 30 must be filed in person at the courthouse.

Filing in Person at the Clerk's Window

This is the most straightforward option and the one the courts are set up for. Walk into the Legal Documents Branch or Service Center at your local District Court with:

• Your completed Statement of Claim and Notice form (Form 1DC06 for general claims on Oahu, Form 1DC05 for security deposit claims, Form 5DC06/5DC05 on Kauai — each circuit has its own form prefix)
• The original plus one copy for each defendant
• One extra copy for yourself (the clerk stamps it as your receipt)
• $35 filing fee in cash, money order, or — at some locations — credit card (call ahead to confirm payment methods)

The clerk reviews the form for completeness, stamps it, and schedules the hearing. You walk out with a file-stamped copy and a hearing date, typically within 5 to 30 days. If something is missing, the clerk can point it out while you are still there.

Under HRS § 633-28(a), court clerks can help individual plaintiffs (not businesses or LLCs) with preparing the filing papers. This means they can explain what goes in each field and help you fill out the form, but they cannot give legal advice about what to write in your factual claim description or whether you have a valid case.

Filing by Mail

The Judiciary's current small claims instructions require filings to be made in person at the District Court Legal Documents Branch. Do not mail a new claim unless the clerk confirms that route is accepted for your case.

Courthouse Drop Boxes

The Judiciary's current small claims instructions do not list a courthouse drop box as an accepted filing method. All filings after June 30, 2025 must be made in person; confirm any drop-off procedure with the clerk before relying on it as a filing.

What About JEFS (Electronic Filing)?

JEFS — the Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System — is Hawaii's official e-filing platform. Self-represented parties may request access for eligible active civil cases, but new small claims filings after June 30, 2025 must be made in person. JEFS requires Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA, implemented September 2026).

In practice, JEFS is not a realistic filing option for most pro se small claims plaintiffs. The registration overhead is steep for a case that might be resolved in a single hearing, and the platform's interface assumes familiarity with civil procedure formatting.

eCourt Kokua — the other system you will encounter — is strictly a case lookup and docket search tool. You can use it to check hearing dates and case status after filing, but you cannot file new cases through it.

Choosing Your Method

For a complete walkthrough of the filing process including which forms to use at each court, the Hawaii Small Claims Filing Guide covers every step from demand letter through hearing day.

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