# Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-107: Evidence of death or status

> Hawaii · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-107

## Section

- **Citation:** Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-107
- **Heading:** Evidence of death or status
- **Jurisdiction:** Hawaii
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Hawaii Code / Division 3 / Title 30A / Chapter 560 / Section 560:1-107

## Text

In addition to the rules of evidence, the following rules relating to a determination of death and status apply:

(1) Death occurs when an individual has sustained either:

(A) Irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions; or

(B) Irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards;

(2) A certified or authenticated copy of a death certificate purporting to be issued by an official or agency of the place where the death purportedly occurred is prima facie evidence of the fact, place, date, and time of death and the identity of the decedent;

(3) A certified or authenticated copy of any record or report of a governmental agency, domestic or foreign, that an individual is missing, detained, dead, or alive is prima facie evidence of the status and of the dates, circumstances, and places disclosed by the record or report;

(4) In the absence of prima facie evidence of death under paragraph (2) or (3), the fact of death may be established by clear and convincing evidence, including circumstantial evidence;

(5) An individual whose death is not established under the preceding paragraphs who is absent for a continuous period of five years, during which the individual has not been heard from, and whose absence is not satisfactorily explained after diligent search or inquiry, is presumed to be dead. The individual's death is presumed to have occurred at the end of the period unless there is sufficient evidence for determining that death occurred earlier;

(6) In the absence of evidence disputing the time of death stated on a document described in paragraph (2) or (3), a document described in paragraph (2) or (3) that states a time of death one hundred twenty hours or more after the time of death of another individual, however the time of death of the other individual is determined, establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the individual survived the other individual by one hundred twenty hours. [L 1996, c 288, pt of §1]

## Nearby sections

- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-102 Purposes; rule of construction.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-102.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-103 Supplementary general principles of law applicable.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-103.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-104 Severability.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-104.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-105 Construction against implied repeal.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-105.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-106 Effect of fraud and evasion.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-106.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-107 Evidence of death or status.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-107.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-108 Acts by holder of general power.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-108.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-302 Subject matter jurisdiction.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-302.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-303 Venue; multiple proceedings; transfer.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-303.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-304 Practice in court.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-304.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-305 Records and certified copies.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-305.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-306 Jury trial.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-306.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-307 Registrar; powers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-307.md)
- [Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:1-308 Appeals.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-308.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_HI_D3_T30A_C560_S560%3A1-107. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.