How to Start an LLC in Hawaii (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Hawaii, you file Articles of Organization, Form LLC-1, with the Business Registration Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and pay $51.

Maya What makes up that $51?

Dan A $50 filing fee, plus a $1 State Archives fee.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Hawaii for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What comes first?

0:32 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Your name has to include limited liability company, or the abbreviation L.L.C. or LLC.

Maya Any flexibility on the wording?

Dan Limited may be written Ltd., and company may be Co.

Maya What's the other rule?

Dan It can't be substantially identical to a name already registered. Search the state's business registry first.

Maya And holding a name for later?

Dan A reservation is $10, and it lasts 120 days.

1:00 Step 2: Name a registered agent

Maya Who can be my registered agent in Hawaii?

Dan A Hawaii resident, or a business authorized in Hawaii. Either way, it needs a street address in the state.

Maya Can my LLC be its own agent?

Dan No, it can't.

Maya And privacy?

Dan The agent's address is public. That's why many owners use a commercial agent. Changing agents later costs $25.

1:24 Step 3: File Form LLC-1

Maya Where do I send it?

Dan Through the state's online business portal. You can also file by email, mail, fax, or in person.

Maya What does it cost?

Dan $50, plus the $1 State Archives fee, so $51 in total.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Good to meet you, Maya. One more detail on the form: it asks for each organizer, and, if the LLC is member-managed, the initial members' names and addresses.

Maya Is that private?

Dan No. Every filing is public.

Maya How fast is the approval?

Dan The state doesn't publish a processing time. And expedited processing isn't available right now.

2:03 Step 4: Write an operating agreement

Maya Does the state collect an operating agreement?

Dan No. It isn't filed with the state, and there's no fee. Keep it with your records.

Maya What belongs in it?

Dan Who owns what, how profits are split, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves.

Maya And do I put it in writing?

Dan Yes. That's the safe way to do it.

2:24 Step 5: Get a free EIN

Maya What about the federal side?

Dan Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state files your Articles.

Maya How quick is it?

Dan If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away.

Maya Is there a Hawaii tax registration too?

Dan Most businesses also need a general excise tax license from the Department of Taxation. It's a one-time $20.

Maya And a beneficial ownership report?

Dan You can skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies.

2:56 Step 6: File the annual report

Maya What's due after I'm formed?

Dan An annual report, every year, by the end of the calendar quarter you registered in.

Maya So my deadline depends on when I formed?

Dan It does. And you skip the report in the year you form.

Maya What does it cost?

Dan $12.50 online.

Maya What if I'm late?

Dan A $10 late fee for each year.

Maya And if I ignore it?

Dan Skip it for two years and the state can terminate the LLC. Reinstatement costs $25, plus the missed reports.

3:28 What it costs

Maya Give me the do-it-yourself number.

Dan $51 to form. Plus $20 for the general excise tax license. Then $12.50 a year for the annual report online.

Maya And the EIN?

Dan Free.

Maya Anything optional?

Dan A name reservation at $10. And if you switch agents, $25.

Maya So how much is that on day one?

Dan $71, counting the $51 filing and the $20 license.

3:59 Paper or online

Maya Does paper cost more?

Dan For the annual report, yes. It's $15 on paper, against $12.50 online.

Maya And the Articles?

Dan The same $51 however you file them. That's online, email, mail, fax, or in person.

Maya So filing online is cheaper only on the report.

Dan Right. And the portal is the simplest route for the Articles.

4:27 The cost of falling behind

Maya Let me press on the late rules. What's the price of filing on time?

Dan $12.50 online.

Maya And the price of being a year late?

Dan The $12.50, plus a $10 late fee for that year.

Maya And two years?

Dan The state can terminate the LLC by administrative action.

Maya What does the way back cost?

Dan Reinstatement is $25, plus the missed reports.

Maya So on time is simplest.

Dan By far. It's a small report, and the state sets the date by your quarter.

5:01 What the form asks

Maya Walk me through Form LLC-1.

Dan The name, the registered agent, and each organizer.

Maya And members?

Dan If the LLC is member-managed, the initial members' names and addresses.

Maya That's a lot of names in public.

Dan Every filing is public record, so think about who you list.

Maya What's the total again?

Dan $51, a $50 filing fee plus the $1 State Archives fee.

5:28 First-year checklist

Maya Give me the order of operations.

Dan Search the name. Choose your registered agent. File Form LLC-1 for $51. Then get your EIN, your general excise tax license, and write your operating agreement.

Maya And the calendar?

Dan The $12.50 annual report, due the quarter you registered in, starting the year after you form.

5:52 The 3 best ways to file in Hawaii

Maya What if I'd rather have someone else file?

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Hawaii. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $51 state fee, checkout comes to $250.

Maya What does that include?

Dan Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199.

Maya And the annual report?

Dan In Hawaii, Mainstay files it by the end of your quarter every year. You pay only the $12.50 state fee.

Maya Number two?

Dan HI Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, also $250 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year.

Maya And number three?

Dan Hawaii Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year.

Maya How do I choose?

Dan Hawaii's annual report is cheap and quick. So if you'll file it yourself, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $12.50 state fee is the same either way.

7:14 Three years of service fees

Maya Give me the three-year view.

Dan Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397.

Maya A $200 gap.

Dan Yes, and in Hawaii, that gap pays for having your annual report filed on time.

7:39 Recap

Maya Can I hear it one more time?

Dan Choose a name with LLC in it, name a registered agent with a Hawaii street address, file Form LLC-1 for $51, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $12.50 annual report in your quarter each year.

Maya The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Hawaii LLC.