Statutes

We have been working with the Hawaiʻi State Archives to digitize all Hawaiʻi statutes--with a primary focus on collecting materials from the Kingdom era. The digital collection of statutes is quite comprehensive. The original statutes may be found using this call number: KFH 561 .A3.

A “statute” is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a particular jurisdiction (e.g., Kingdom, Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and state and county). Common synonyms for “statute” include “law,” “act,” or “enactment.” Chronological compilations of statutes are commonly called “session laws;” topical compilations are commonly titled “code,” “compiled laws,” or “revised statutes.” “Codes” compile formal enactments of a legislative authority by topic or subject (e.g., penal code, which compiles criminal statutes), and generally have a detailed index to facilitate access. These compilations typically incorporate legislative updates as well.

Please click on the following links to access this digitized collection.

Early Laws by Decade:
  • Undated
  • 1820-1829
  • 1830-1839
  • 1840-1849

  • Statutes by Decade:
  • 1830-1839
  • 1840-1849
  • 1850-1859
  • 1860-1869
  • 1880-1889
  • 1890-1899
  • 1900-1909