[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.