Search Honolulu County Property Tax Records

Honolulu County property tax records are managed by the Real Property Assessment Division (RPAD), which covers all of Oahu and its roughly 300,000 parcels. You can search assessed values, tax classifications, exemptions, and payment history online using the county's public database, or visit the office on Bethel Street in downtown Honolulu to get help in person. RPAD keeps records on every parcel in the City and County of Honolulu, and most of that data is open to the public under Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act.

Real Property Assessment Division (RPAD)

The Real Property Assessment Division is the main office that handles property tax records in Honolulu County. RPAD maintains parcel data, assigns Tax Map Key numbers, processes exemption applications, and handles assessment notices for every property on Oahu. The division has a staff of about 150 people and an annual budget near $15 million. It is one of the larger assessment offices in the state, given that Honolulu County accounts for roughly 65% of total statewide assessed value.

RPAD operates two full-service offices. The main location is in the basement of 842 Bethel Street in downtown Honolulu. There is also a satellite office in Kapolei on the west side of Oahu. Both offices keep the same hours and can assist with most RPAD matters. In addition, several Satellite City Halls around the island -- at Ala Moana, Hawaii Kai, Pearl City, and Windward City -- offer limited RPAD services for residents who prefer not to travel to either main location.

Under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 246, counties are responsible for real property taxation. The City and County of Honolulu carries out that function through RPAD and the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services.

The Tax Maps Branch, also at 842 Bethel Street, handles parcel mapping and Tax Map Key (TMK) assignments. If you are trying to confirm a parcel's boundaries or identify the correct TMK number for a property, that branch is the right place to start. TMK numbers follow a 9-digit format without the island code and without hyphens when entered into the online search system.

The RPAD portal homepage gives access to property search, forms, appeal information, and help resources. The screenshot below shows what the portal looks like.

The RPAD website at realproperty.honolulu.gov is the starting point for most property tax searches, exemption filings, and appeal inquiries in Honolulu County.

How to Search Honolulu County Property Tax Records Online

The main search tool for Honolulu County property tax records is the public database at qpublic.honolulugov.org. You can look up any parcel on Oahu by entering a Tax Map Key number, a street address, or an owner name. The database is free to use and does not require you to create an account or log in.

Search results show a full record for each parcel. The General Info tab displays the property address, owner of record, land area, and classification. The Assessment Details tab breaks out land value and improvement value separately, then shows total assessed value and net taxable value after exemptions. The Sales History tab lists prior arm's-length transactions with sale prices and dates. The Exemptions tab shows what exemptions are currently applied -- home exemption, disability exemption, or other types. The Tax Details tab shows the current tax amount owed based on classification and rate. Together, these tabs give you a complete picture of how a property is taxed.

Keep a few things in mind when using the database. Assessment values are posted each year in mid-December after RPAD completes the annual roll. Ownership records can lag four to six weeks behind actual deed recordings, since RPAD gets its ownership data from the Bureau of Conveyances. If a property recently changed hands and the new owner is not yet showing up, that delay is the reason. The Bureau of Conveyances is governed by Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 502, which sets the rules for recording deeds and other conveyance documents on Oahu.

RPAD does not maintain mortgage or lien information. That data lives at the Bureau of Conveyances, not in the property tax database. If you need lien history or mortgage records for a parcel, the Bureau of Conveyances is where you look, not RPAD.

Honolulu County Property Tax Rates

Honolulu County uses a tiered classification system with different tax rates for each property type. Rates are set per $1,000 of assessed value for the tax year. The rates listed here are for the 2025-2026 tax year. All properties in Honolulu County are assessed at 100% of fair market value each year under the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system RPAD uses.

Here are the current tax rates by classification:

• Residential: $3.50 per $1,000
• Residential A Tier 1 (value $1M to $1.5M, no home exemption): $4.50 per $1,000
• Residential A Tier 2 (value over $1.5M, no home exemption): $9.00 per $1,000
• Commercial: $12.40 per $1,000
• Industrial: $12.40 per $1,000
• Agricultural: $6.00 per $1,000
• Conservation: $6.50 per $1,000
• Hotel/Resort: $13.90 per $1,000
• Commercialized Residential: $4.50 per $1,000

The Residential A classification applies to residential properties that do not have a home exemption and have an assessed value above $1 million. Properties that qualify for the standard Residential classification -- meaning owner-occupants with an active home exemption -- pay the much lower $3.50 rate. The two-tier structure for Residential A means a high-value investment property with no home exemption faces a significantly higher tax burden than an owner-occupied home of similar value. Details on Residential A rules are available at realproperty.honolulu.gov/help-resources/residential-a/.

Hotel and resort properties carry the highest rate at $13.90 per $1,000. Commercial and industrial properties both sit at $12.40. Agricultural and conservation land pay a mid-range rate. These differences reflect the county's policy choices about how to distribute the tax burden across different land uses and owner types.

Home Exemption in Honolulu County

The home exemption is the biggest tax break available to Honolulu County property owners. It reduces the assessed value used to calculate your tax bill, which lowers what you owe each year. The amount depends on your age. Owners under 65 get a $120,000 exemption. Owners who are 65 or older get a $160,000 exemption. Both of those amounts are scheduled to increase on July 1, 2027 -- to $140,000 for those under 65, and to $180,000 for those 65 and older.

To qualify, you must meet several conditions. The property has to be your principal residence as of October 1 of the tax year. You must live there at least 270 days per year, be a registered Hawaii voter, or file a Hawaii state income tax return. Ownership must be recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances on or before September 30. Only one exemption is allowed per taxpayer statewide -- if your spouse also owns property and claims an exemption, that counts toward the one-per-taxpayer rule. LLCs, corporations, and partnerships are not eligible, even if the property is used as a personal residence.

The forms page at realproperty.honolulu.gov/tax-relief-and-forms/forms/ has all the forms you need. The form to apply for the home exemption is Form BFS-RPA-E-8-10.3, available directly at the home exemption page. You file it by September 30 to get the exemption applied to the next tax year's bill. Original signatures are required -- RPAD does not accept electronic signatures for exemption forms.

If you rent out any part of the property, it can reduce or remove your exemption. You are required to report changes within 30 days or by November 1, whichever comes first. Failing to report a change that affects your eligibility carries a $300 penalty plus rollback taxes for the years you should not have had the exemption. The screenshot below shows the home exemption forms page on the RPAD website.

The RPAD home exemption page at realproperty.honolulu.gov has Form BFS-RPA-E-8-10.3 and full instructions for filing.

Assessment and Appeals Process

RPAD assesses every parcel on Oahu once a year as of October 1. That date is the assessment date -- the value assigned to your property reflects what it was worth on that day. Assessment notices go out by December 15 each year. The appeal window runs from December 15 through January 15, giving property owners exactly 30 days to challenge their assessed value if they think it is wrong.

Most properties are valued using the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal system, which compares each parcel to recent sales of similar properties in the area. RPAD does individual appraisals only for new construction, major renovations, or properties that are actively going through the appeals process. All 300,000 parcels are assessed at 100% of fair market value each year -- there is no assessment ratio or fractional assessment used in Honolulu County, unlike some other jurisdictions.

The screenshot below shows the RPAD appeal information page, which walks through the full process.

Full appeal procedures and deadlines are posted at realproperty.honolulu.gov/appeals/appeal-information/.

To appeal your assessment, you file Form BFS-RPA-M-8-12 with a $50 filing fee per parcel. That fee is refunded in full if RPAD grants any reduction, even a small one. Valid grounds for appeal include: the assessed value exceeds market value by more than 10%; your property was assessed at a higher rate than comparable properties; your exemption was denied; or the assessment was made in a way that violates the law. You cannot appeal just because you think your taxes are too high -- the appeal has to be based on the value itself or on one of those specific grounds.

Appeals are heard by the Board of Review, an independent body appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The Board sends written decisions within 60 days of the hearing. If you disagree with the Board's decision, you can take the case to Tax Appeal Court, but you have to file that appeal within 30 days of the Board's written decision. Missing that deadline generally ends your options for that tax year. The RPAD FAQ page at realproperty.honolulu.gov/help-resources/faq/ answers common questions about the assessment process, mass appraisal methods, and key dates.

Key dates to keep in mind for the Honolulu County property tax calendar:

• July 1: Tax year begins
• July 20: First-half tax bills mailed
• August 20: First-half payment due
• September 30: Home exemption filing deadline
• December 1: Certified roll sent to City Council
• December 15: Assessment notices mailed; appeal period opens
• January 15: Appeal period closes
• January 20: Second-half bills mailed
• February 20: Second-half payment due

The screenshot below shows the RPAD FAQ page, which also lists important dates and explains how RPAD uses mass appraisal techniques.

RPAD's FAQ at realproperty.honolulu.gov/help-resources/faq/ covers how assessments are calculated, what CAMA means, and when key deadlines fall each year.

Assessment records in Honolulu County are public information. Access rights are governed by Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92F, also known as the Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA). That law gives the public a broad right to inspect government records, with limited exceptions for personal privacy. RPAD assessment data falls squarely in the public category -- anyone can look up assessed values, tax classifications, and exemption status for any parcel on Oahu without needing to show a reason or relationship to the property.

Cities in Honolulu County

All cities and communities on Oahu are part of the City and County of Honolulu. Property tax records for all of these areas are maintained by RPAD at the Bethel Street office and accessible through the online parcel database.

Other Hawaii Counties

Hawaii has four other counties, each with its own real property assessment office. If you need property tax records for a parcel outside of Oahu, use the links below to reach the right county.