Hawaii has burial grounds on every major island, from Oahu Cemetery on Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu, founded in 1844, to small upcountry plots on Maui. Our database lists 25 cemeteries in four counties, and the way they operate changes sharply between busy Oahu and the quieter neighbor islands. This page explains who regulates burial grounds, how the islands differ, and what to do first when you need a plot, a record, or an answer.

Who Oversees Cemeteries in Hawaii

State cemetery law is found in Chapter 441 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, titled Cemeteries and Funeral Trusts. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) administers it. The law centers on money and accountability: cemetery authorities, pre-need contracts, and the trust accounts that hold payments families make in advance. Our database lists a Cemeteries & Funeral Trust office at 335 Merchant Street in Honolulu, reachable at 808-586-2704.

That office is a regulator, not a burial ground. Contact it if you hold a pre-need contract and have questions about the trust, if a promised refund never arrives, or if you want to confirm that a seller follows the rules. For the grave itself, you deal directly with the cemetery's own office.

Several other bodies touch the process. The Hawaii Department of Health keeps death records and issues the permits that allow burial or cremation, and your funeral provider usually files that paperwork for you. Each county sets zoning and land-use rules, which govern where new cemeteries can be built. Native Hawaiian burials fall under Chapter 6E, the state historic preservation law, which is handled by the State Historic Preservation Division within the Department of Land and Natural Resources and by island burial councils.

Cemeteries here fall into a few types. Private memorial parks sell plots and niches and run staffed offices. Historic and community-run grounds, such as Seamens Cemetery in Lahaina or the Makawao Cemetery Association, are often older, with records that go back generations. Veterans cemeteries are run by federal or state governments and have their own eligibility rules. Knowing which type you are calling saves time, because each handles records and fees differently.

Oahu: Honolulu's Historic Grounds and the Windward Memorial Parks

Honolulu County covers the whole island of Oahu and holds more than half of the state's listings in our database. Oahu Cemetery, at 2162 Nuuanu Avenue (808-538-1538), is among the oldest in the islands. Manoa Chinese Cemetery on Pakanu Street is another historic site, and families still gather there in spring for the Qingming tradition of tending graves.

In and around town you will also find Honolulu Memorial Park Cemetery at 22 Craigside Place (808-537-4303), Diamond Head Memorial Park Cemetery at 529 18th Avenue (808-734-1954), and Valley of the Temples Memorial Park Cemetery at 1585 Kapiolani Boulevard (808-946-1500). Ask each office where interments actually take place, since an office address and the burial grounds are not always at the same location.

Kaneohe, on the windward coast, has five listings. Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery at 45-425 Kamehameha Highway answers at 808-233-4400, the same number given for Kaneohe Greenhaven Memorial Park Cemetery at 45-147 Waikalua Road. A separate mortuary line for Hawaiian Memorial Park is 808-824-3425. Woolsey Funeral & Cemetery Services is at 45-5 Pomaikai Place (808-234-6282). On the North Shore, PuUiki Cemetery sits on Kahaone Loop in Waialua. We have no phone number for it, so a local funeral home is often the quickest route to current contact details.

Large Oahu memorial parks usually run staffed sales and family-service offices. Expect to make an appointment, and expect to discuss plots, niches, opening and closing charges, and marker rules in one meeting.

Maui, Hawaii Island and Kauai: Cemeteries Beyond Oahu

Maui County includes Maui, Molokai and Lanai, but all six of its listings are on Maui. Wailuku has Maui Memorial Park Cemetery at 450 Waiale Road (808-495-4306) and Wailuku Valley Isle Memorial Park Cemetery at 105 Waiale Road (808-244-4065). Haiku Valley Isle Memorial Park Cemetery sits on Hana Highway in Haiku-Pauwela (808-244-4911). Upcountry, Makawao Cemetery is at 3363 Baldwin Avenue (808-572-4110), and the Makawao Cemetery Association is at 199 Malanani Drive in Kula (808-878-8338). Seamens Cemetery on Front Street in Lahaina is reached at 808-661-3262.

Lahaina was devastated by the August 2023 wildfire, so call before visiting any site along Front Street. Families on Molokai and Lanai, where our database shows no listings, may need to coordinate with providers on other islands, including inter-island transport.

Hawaii County is the Big Island, and distance shapes every decision there. Homelani Memorial Park and Crematory Cemetery is in Hilo at 388 Ponahawai Street (808-657-3257). Mauna Kea Memorial Park Cemetery is in Papaikou at 27-696 Kaieie Road (808-964-2282). On the Kona side, Kona Memorial Park Cemetery is in Holualoa at 75-5553 Mamalahoa Highway (808-657-3258). Hilo and Kona sit on opposite sides of the island, so most families choose the cemetery closest to home.

Kauai County lists three cemeteries, all in Lihue: Kalapaki Bay Memorial Park Cemetery at 2970 Kele Street (808-245-8810), Kauai Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 4716 Maalo Road (808-245-3661), and Lihue Cemetery at 2731 Apapane Street (808-245-4517). On a small island, staff often know local families, which can help when you are tracing an older grave.

Rural offices tend to keep shorter hours than Oahu's memorial parks. Phone first, leave a clear message with your name and the person you are asking about, and allow a day or two for a reply.

Veterans Burial and Cultural Rules in Hawaii

National Memorial Cemetery-Pacific is at 2177 Puowaina Drive in Honolulu (808-532-3720). It sits inside Puowaina Crater, widely known as Punchbowl, and is operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligible veterans, and generally their spouses and eligible dependent children, can be buried there at no charge for the gravesite, opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker. Bring the veteran's DD-214 discharge paperwork.

The Kaneohe Veterans Cemetery, at 45 Kamehameha Highway (808-233-3630), is the state veterans option on the windward side. Ask the office directly about its eligibility rules, since they can differ from the national cemetery's.

Culture shapes practice here. Native Hawaiian ancestral remains, called iwi kupuna, are protected by Chapter 6E. If bones are found during construction or digging, work in the area must stop and the State Historic Preservation Division must be notified. Cremation is also very common in Hawaii, and ocean scattering is a frequent request. Burial at sea and scattering come with federal Environmental Protection Agency conditions, including a reporting step, so ask your funeral provider or boat operator to confirm the details.

First Steps When You Need a Cemetery in Hawaii

Unresolved problems with a seller can go to the DCCA office in Honolulu. Keep your contract, receipts and the names of the staff you spoke with.

Government cemeteries in Hawaii include facilities administered by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries funded through state and federal partnerships, and local municipal and county cemeteries operated by city and county governments throughout the state.

Cemetery locations are available in 12 cities across Hawaii. They are spread across 4 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Honolulu, Kaneohe, Lihue, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in Hawaii may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the Hawaii Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Services to confirm eligibility requirements and available state-operated facilities.

Cemetery by Counties

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Families and genealogists in Hawaii can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many Hawaii counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

Browse Cemetery by county across Hawaii to find the nearest location.

Finding Records and Planning a Visit to Hawaii's Cemeteries

Old graves in Hawaii can be hard to trace. Historic grounds such as Oahu Cemetery in Honolulu and Seamens Cemetery in Lahaina hold burials from the 1800s, and their records may be handwritten or incomplete. Start by calling the cemetery office with a full name, an approximate death year, and any family connection. The Hawaii State Archives in downtown Honolulu is a useful second stop for genealogists, and the Department of Health handles requests for death certificates.

Planning ahead is easier when you know how the islands differ. Cemeteries in Honolulu County tend to have full-time family-service offices and book appointments. Elsewhere, smaller offices may answer only during limited hours, and some are run by community associations rather than large companies. Prices vary by island and by cemetery, and fees change, so we do not list them here. Ask for a current written price sheet from every cemetery you contact, and compare the total cost of the plot, the opening and closing, and the marker.

Rules at the grave also vary. Many cemeteries limit certain decorations or set days for clearing old arrangements, so ask before leaving lei, glass vases, or potted plants. If you plan a visit around a family event such as Qingming at Manoa Chinese Cemetery, let the office know in advance if you expect a large group.

Chapter 441 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, titled Cemeteries and Funeral Trusts, is the main state law, and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs administers it. The law deals largely with cemetery authorities, pre-need sales, and the trust accounts that hold advance payments. Our database lists a Cemeteries & Funeral Trust office at 335 Merchant Street in Honolulu, phone 808-586-2704. Call it with questions about a pre-need contract or a dispute over trust funds. For everyday matters such as plot availability, burial scheduling, and marker rules, contact the cemetery directly, because each cemetery's own office makes those decisions.

The cemetery at 2177 Puowaina Drive (808-532-3720) is run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who served on active duty and left under conditions other than dishonorable are generally eligible, and spouses and eligible dependent children may be buried with them. The VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing, a headstone or marker, and a burial flag without charge. Bring the DD-214 or other discharge papers, and have your funeral director or family contact the cemetery early to confirm eligibility and scheduling. Exceptions exist, so verify the details with the VA before making other plans.

Stop work immediately and protect the area. Hawaii's historic preservation law, Chapter 6E of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, covers unmarked burials and ancestral Native Hawaiian remains known as iwi kupuna. Notify the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and local police if the remains might be recent. Island burial councils help decide how Native Hawaiian burials are treated, often in consultation with descendants. Do not move bones or keep excavating, since doing so can bring legal consequences and cause real cultural harm. Builders and landowners on every island should build this step into their project plans.

Yes, though it takes coordination. A funeral provider on the island of death normally prepares the remains and handles the permits, then arranges inter-island transport by air to a receiving funeral home, which delivers to the cemetery. Contact the cemetery first, whether it is in Wailuku in Maui County, in Lihue, in Hilo, or in Honolulu, to confirm plot availability and a burial date that fits flight schedules. Airlines have their own packaging and paperwork rules, so let the funeral director manage them. Transport costs are added to the other charges, so ask for an itemized estimate before agreeing to anything.

Ocean scattering is common in the islands, but rules apply. Federal Environmental Protection Agency conditions cover burial at sea, including a requirement to report it to the agency within 30 days afterward. Your funeral provider or boat operator can explain the current terms. Scattering from shore, from a park, or on private land generally requires permission from whoever manages the land, and some places do not allow it at all. Use a biodegradable urn and loose flowers without plastic or wire. Do not assume a beach or harbor is open for scattering without checking first.

Start with the cemetery office: Oahu Cemetery at 808-538-1538 or Seamens Cemetery at 808-661-3262. Give the full name, the likely year of death, and any known relatives. Older registers may be handwritten, and spellings of Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese names often vary, so try several versions. If the cemetery cannot help, try the Hawaii State Archives in Honolulu and the Department of Health for death certificates. For Lahaina sites, confirm access before you travel because of damage from the 2023 wildfire. Ask the office whether photography or grave rubbings are allowed before you begin.