Hawaii small claims
How to fill out Hawaii's General Statement of Claim and Notice (1DC06)
Official form: 1DC06 — General Statement of Claim and Notice · Walkthrough written against 1DC06, Rev. 7/2023 (Oʻahu / First Circuit edition)
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Get the official 1DC06 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
The General Statement of Claim and Notice — form 1DC06 on Oʻahu — starts a case in the Small Claims Division of Hawaii's District Court. It is the same form statewide with per-circuit codes: 1DC06 for the First Circuit (Oʻahu), 2DC06 for the Second (Maui), and 3DC06 for the Third (Hawaiʻi island). A separate variant, 1DC05, exists for residential security-deposit disputes.
Hawaii small claims handles money claims of $5,000 or less — the form's own instructions open with "Use this form to file a small claims case if you believe someone owes you $5,000 or less." The form is three pages in two parts: Part I is the Statement of Claim, ending in a sworn Declaration; Part II is a Notice of Hearing that the court clerk completes with the hearing place, date, and time after you file.
Service is the plaintiff's job, and the form spells out the rules: after the court schedules the hearing, you must deliver a full copy of the form to the defendant by registered or certified mail with restricted delivery, or by personal service — and personal delivery is not allowed between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. except at locations open to the public or by written court order. The form also states a defining feature of Hawaii small claims: the judge's decision is final and may not be appealed.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
Part I, section 1 — contact information
Your name, address, telephone number, and email / Defendant's name, address, telephone number, and email
The form asks for your contact information and as much of the defendant's contact information as you can provide.
Your attorney's name, attorney number, firm name, address, telephone number, and email — with attorney signature line
Completed only when an attorney files; self-represented plaintiffs leave it blank. (Hawaii allows attorneys in small claims except in residential security-deposit cases, which use form 1DC05.)
Part I, section 2 — the money owed
"The Defendant owes me this much money: $___"
The amount claimed — $5,000 or less for this division.
"The Defendant has owed me this money since this date" (month/day/year)
When the debt arose.
"This is why the Defendant owes me money" (attach another sheet if you need more room)
The reason for the claim in your own words; the form allows an additional sheet if the space is not enough.
Part I, section 3 — relief and the Plaintiff's Declaration
Pre-printed relief request
Text asking the court to order the defendant to pay the amount listed, plus interest, costs, and fees the court believes are just and reasonable — you do not add those into the section 2 amount.
Plaintiff's Declaration, signature, and date
The sworn statement: "The information in this claim is true and correct. I understand that I may be prosecuted for perjury if I have stated anything in this form that I know is not true." You sign and date under it — a declaration under penalty of perjury, with no notary block on the form.
Part II — Notice of Hearing (section 4)
"To: (Defendant's name)"
You fill in the defendant's name, then take or mail the form to the court. Court staff schedule the hearing and complete the rest of Part II, then return it to you to serve.
Place / Date & time / Clerk's signature
Court-completed fields. On the Oʻahu edition, the place options are the First Circuit's division courthouses: Honolulu (Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street), ʻEwa (Pearl City), Koʻolaupoko/Koʻolauloa (Kāneʻohe), Wahiawā or Waialua (Wahiawā), and Waiʻanae (Kapolei).
Page 3 — hearing information and service instructions
Hearing information for both parties
Pre-printed answers: a defendant who does not appear risks a default judgment for the amount requested, and a plaintiff who does not appear risks dismissal; either party may come with or without an attorney; witnesses must attend, and documents come to the hearing with at least 2 copies; the court can subpoena witnesses on request; transfer to the Regular Claims Division requires the plaintiff's agreement; a counterclaim over $5,000 opens the door to a jury-trial request; and there is no appeal from a Small Claims Division judgment.
Instructions about delivering the form to the defendant
The service rules printed on the form: deliver a full copy to the defendant by registered or certified mail with restricted delivery, or by personal service, per the Service of Process Information Sheet — and no personal delivery between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless the location is open to the public or a judge permits it by written order.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Claiming more than $5,000 — the form's own instructions limit this division to $5,000 or less; larger claims belong in the District Court's Regular Claims Division.
- ⚠Leaving the Declaration unsigned — the sworn statement in section 3 is what makes the form a Statement of Claim, and it carries perjury consequences the form spells out.
- ⚠Skipping the defendant's name in Part II, section 4 — the form directs you to fill it in before the court can complete the Notice of Hearing.
- ⚠Using the wrong circuit's edition — each judicial circuit issues its own edition of the form (1DC06 is Oʻahu's; the other circuits, including Maui, Hawaiʻi island, and Kauaʻi, have their own), and security-deposit disputes use the 1DC05 variant instead.
- ⚠Serving by ordinary mail — the form requires registered or certified mail with restricted delivery, or personal service, and proof of it at the hearing.
- ⚠Personally serving between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. — the form bars it except at locations open to the public or with a judge's written order.
What filing costs, and where it happens
The filing fee for a small claims Statement of Claim is $35.00 per the Hawaiʻi Judiciary's own small-claims guide for the First Circuit, and the guide notes a judge may waive the fee on a claim of financial hardship. A counterclaim costs $10.00 to file. Service costs are separate — postal fees for registered/certified mail or a process server's fee and mileage. Fee amounts can change; the District Court clerk or Service Center (on Oʻahu, (808) 538-5629) confirms the current figures — verify before filing.
You file with the District Court for the right circuit and division — the Judiciary's guide places venue in the division where the defendant resides, with fallback rules when the defendant lives outside the circuit. On Oʻahu, all small claims documents are filed at the District Court of the First Circuit, Civil Division, 1111 Alakea Street, Third Floor, Honolulu. After the clerk schedules the hearing on Part II, you serve the full form on the defendant and both sides appear on the hearing date.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Hawaii small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the 1DC06?
From the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary's website (courts.state.hi.us) — the official fillable PDF is free and linked on this page. Use the code for your circuit: 1DC06 (Oʻahu), 2DC06 (Maui), or 3DC06 (Hawaiʻi island); the District Court Service Center also provides copies.
How much can I sue for in Hawaii small claims?
$5,000 or less, excluding interest and costs the court may award. A defendant's counterclaim can run up to $40,000, and a counterclaim over $5,000 lets either party request transfer for a jury trial — rules the form's page 3 lays out.
Does the form need to be notarized?
No. Part I ends in the Plaintiff's Declaration — a statement signed under penalty of perjury — with no notary block on the form.
Can I appeal if I lose?
No — the form itself answers this: in a small claims action the judge's decision is final, and a judgment of the Small Claims Division may not be appealed. (The losing party may ask the court to alter or set aside the judgment within 10 days, per the Judiciary's guide.)
Who serves the defendant?
You do. After the court completes the Notice of Hearing, the form requires you to deliver a full copy to the defendant by registered or certified mail with restricted delivery, or by personal service under the rules printed on page 3 — and to bring proof of that service to the hearing.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.