Apply to Health Department for death certificate copies

Question: How and where may I obtain a death certificate of a person to whom I wasn’t married, was not of blood relationship, but was lovingly dedicated to, including buying a condo jointly. My partner died in 2013.

Answer: State law allows a person to inspect or obtain a copy of a vital record — a birth, death, civil union, marriage or divorce certificate — from the state Department of Health only if a "direct and tangible interest in the record" can be shown.

Under Section 338-18 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, the following persons are considered to have a direct and tangible interest in a public health statistics record: the registrant (person named on the record); a spouse, parent, descendant (e.g., child or grandchild) or legal guardian of a registrant; a person having a common ancestor (e.g., sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin) with the registrant; a person or agency acting on behalf of the registrant; a personal representative of the registrant’s estate; a person whose right to inspect or obtain a certified copy of the record is established by a court order; adoptive parents who need to determine the death of the prospective adopted child’s natural or legal parents; a person who needs to determine the marital status of a former spouse to determine alimony; a person who needs to determine the death of a nonrelated co-owner of property purchased under a joint tenancy agreement; and a person who needs a death certificate for the determination of payments under a credit insurance policy.

The Department of Health may permit records to be searched for research purposes only, with no identifying use of information.

All applications requesting certified copies must be made in writing or online, although only requests for birth, civil union and marriage certificates can be made online.

Telephone, fax or email requests are not accepted.

Fees are $10 for the first copy of each certificate and $4 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. (Extra $2.50 fee for each copy ordered online.)

Fees may be paid by credit card, cash (except for applications made by mail), money order, certified check or cashier’s check. Personal checks are not accepted.

Go to 1.usa.gov/1zZ4UwK for details on obtaining certified copies of vital records.

If you are not able to download an application form or to order online, you can apply in person from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, except holidays, at Room 103 of the Health Department building, 1250 Punchbowl St.

Application forms are available in the lobby and should be completed first.

If you do not have access to a computer, call 586-4539 or 586-4542 during normal business hours for more information.

Question: Does the state have anyone picking up trash at Sand Island Park? It has been piling up for quite a while. There are bags full of trash that were picked up by beachgoers out of concern for the aina but no real place to put the bags. There are no trash containers at the end of the park. I have visited many parks on the mainland, and nothing compares to this mess. There is a homeless problem out there, also, which doesn’t help. The beach is filthy and not a pretty sight for our visitors.

Answer: We passed on your complaint to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and was told caretakers were sent to remove the trash.

If you see this happening again, call the Oahu State Parks office at 587-0300.

Parkgoers "could really help by just putting the trash in a trash can," said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward, although you noted that none was available nearby.

The problem is a familiar refrain: too few caretakers because of budget cuts.

"We are currently short-staffed again and are working on filling the vacancy as soon as possible," Ward said. "We welcome volunteer assistance to help in park cleanups."

Interested volunteers should call the parks office at the above number.

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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.