How much does it cost to start an LLC in Hawaii?

The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division charges a $50 filing fee for the Articles of Organization and also collects the $1.00 fee the State Archives imposes on permanent records, so forming costs $51. Your total first-year cost is $63.50 when you add the $12.50 annual report fee due within the quarter of your formation anniversary. For example, if you form your LLC in February, your first $12.50 annual report is due by the last day of the first quarter, March 31, of the following year, so plan accordingly. Additional costs typically include a registered agent service and any required business licenses. Hawaii state income tax on LLC profits is an additional ongoing expense for members. Exception: professional LLCs in regulated fields such as medicine, law, or engineering must obtain a separate Hawaii professional license before operating. File online at cca.hawaii.gov for immediate submission confirmation and fastest processing. The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division publishes no standard processing time for this filing.

Do I need a Hawaii address to form an LLC in Hawaii?

You don't need to be a Hawaii resident to form a Hawaii LLC, but your LLC must maintain a registered agent with a physical Hawaii street address, P.O. boxes aren't permitted. This registered agent receives legal documents and state correspondence on your LLC's behalf during standard business hours. For example, a Texas entrepreneur can form a Hawaii LLC and operate their business from the mainland by appointing a professional registered agent service with a Hawaii address. Exception: if you're a Hawaii resident with a qualifying home or business address, you can serve as your own registered agent at no additional cost, keeping your overhead low. Professional registered agent services in Hawaii charge a yearly fee and provide privacy and reliability for out-of-state owners. Keep your registered agent information current with the Hawaii Business Registration Division to avoid compliance issues.

When is the Hawaii LLC annual report due?

Hawaii LLCs must file an annual report during the quarter that contains their formation anniversary date, with a $12.50 fee online ($15 by paper) paid to the Hawaii Business Registration Division. For example, if your LLC was formed on March 15, your annual report is due by the last day of the first quarter, March 31, each year. If formed on August 10, your annual report is due by September 30 each year, as August falls in the third quarter. The annual report updates your registered agent's name and address and your LLC's principal office location. Filing online through cca.hawaii.gov is the fastest and most reliable method and provides immediate confirmation. Exception: LLCs that formally dissolve before their anniversary quarter aren't required to file. Late filings incur penalties and prolonged non-compliance can result in administrative dissolution. Set a reminder for the month of your formation anniversary each year to ensure timely filing.

Does Hawaii require LLC publication?

No, Hawaii doesn't require LLCs to publish a formation notice in any newspaper or other publication. Once the Hawaii Business Registration Division approves your Articles of Organization, your LLC is fully and legally formed. No additional publication step is required. This saves Hawaii LLC founders the newspaper charges that apply in states like New York, where mandatory newspaper publication is charged at rates the newspapers set. Arizona requires a newspaper notice of a new LLC's formation, run three consecutive times within 60 days, unless the LLC's statutory agent has a street address in a county of more than 800,000 people (currently Maricopa and Pima Counties), where the Arizona Corporation Commission posts the notice online for free. For example, forming a Hawaii LLC costs only the $51 the Business Registration Division collects (the $50 filing fee and the $1.00 State Archives fee), with no publication cost on top. Exception: certain Hawaii regulated industries or local county permits may require public notice as part of a separate licensing process. Check with your county office and industry licensing board to confirm. File your Articles of Organization at the Business Registration Division's site, hbe.ehawaii.gov. The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division publishes no standard processing time for this filing.

What are the Hawaii LLC naming requirements?

Your Hawaii LLC name must include 'Limited Liability Company' or an abbreviation such as 'LLC' or 'L.L.C.' as the last words of the name. The name must be distinguishable from all other business entities already registered with the Hawaii Business Registration Division, meaning it can't be identical or confusingly similar to an existing Hawaii business. Restricted words such as 'bank,' 'insurance,' 'trust,' or 'university' can't be included without authorization from the applicable Hawaii regulatory agency. For example, a name like 'Aloha Ventures LLC' is acceptable as long as it's unique in the Hawaii business registry. Exception: if your preferred name is already taken, you can reserve an available alternative for $25 for up to 120 days while preparing your Articles of Organization. Search the Hawaii Business Registration Division's name database at cca.hawaii.gov before filing to confirm availability and avoid rejection of your formation documents.

How to Start an LLC in Hawaii: $51 to File

Form your limited liability company in the Aloha State with a $51 state filing charge and straightforward paperwork.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: October 2026

Filing an LLC in Hawaii costs $51 upfront and has an annual report due anniversary quarter ($12.50). Hawaii publishes no standard processing time. See breakdown below.

Hawaii publishes no standard LLC turnaround: its fee schedule prices expedited service but attaches no figure to an ordinary filing

The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division sells speed instead of promising it: $25 for Expedited review. Treat any specific day count you see quoted for Hawaii with suspicion. It didn't come from the state. Plan around the filing itself, and buy an expedite tier if your timing is genuinely fixed.

Source: MyStateLLC 50-state primary-source processing verification, July 2026

Read this guide for another state:

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$39 with Northwest, plus your $51 state fee. Northwest's $39 includes a year of registered agent service.

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Form your LLC with Northwest ($39 + state fee)Includes a year of registered agent service. After year one, registered agent service is $125/yr. That enrolls you by default in annual report filing at $100 plus state fees, charged automatically to your saved payment method and cancellable any time.

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Quick Facts

State filing fee	$51
Processing time	Not published by the state
Annual report due	Anniversary quarter
Annual report fee	$12.50
State income tax	Yes. Members pay state income tax on pass-through profits. Check the current rate with the state tax agency.

Source: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division (verified October 2026)

Step diagram for forming an LLC in Hawaii, showing the 7 required steps, $51 state filing fee, $12.50 annual report. — The 7 steps to form an LLC in Hawaii, with the state's own filing fee and annual report cost. Source: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division, verified October 2026.

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

1
Choose Your Hawaii LLC Name
Select a unique name ending with 'LLC' or 'Limited Liability Company' that's not already taken in Hawaii. Search the Hawaii Business Registration Division's database to check availability and ensure your name complies with state naming requirements.
How to search Hawaii's business entity records →
Pro tip: Consider reserving your name for $25 if you need extra time to prepare your filing documents.
2
Appoint a Registered Agent
Designate a registered agent with a Hawaii street address who can receive legal documents during business hours. You can serve as your own registered agent if you've a Hawaii address, or hire a professional service.
Hawaii registered agent rules, costs and options →
Pro tip: A professional registered agent service puts its address, not yours, on the registered agent line of the public filing, and accepts legal papers during business hours.
3
File Articles of Organization
Submit your Articles of Organization to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division online or by mail.
What You File in Hawaii
In Hawaii, the formation document is the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), filed with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division. The state filing fee is $50. Hawaii lets you fill in and file the Articles of Organization online. The form itself requires the LLC's name, the registered agent's name, the registered office address, a mailing address, the organizer's name, whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed and the LLC's duration. Every line of the Articles of Organization, field by field →
Processing Times
- Online: Not published, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division states no standard turnaround for online filings
- Mail: Not published, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division states no standard turnaround for mailed filings, and every state that comments says mail is slower than online
- Expedited: $25 for Expedited review
Pro tip: File online at cca.hawaii.gov for faster processing and immediate confirmation of your submission.
4
Create an Operating Agreement
Draft an operating agreement outlining ownership structure, member responsibilities, and business operations. This page has not confirmed whether Hawaii law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way: it records who owns what share, who makes decisions and how profits are divided.
Hawaii LLC operating agreement: what to include →
Pro tip: Even single-member LLCs benefit from operating agreements to maintain clear separation between personal and business affairs.
5
Obtain an EIN
Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, which most banks ask for to open a business bank account and which the IRS requires if the LLC hires employees, owes certain employment or excise taxes, or is taxed as a partnership or corporation. The EIN is free when applying directly through the IRS website.
How to get your LLC's EIN from the IRS, free →
Pro tip: Apply online at irs.gov for immediate EIN approval rather than waiting weeks for mail processing.
6
Open a Business Bank Account
Establish a dedicated business bank account using your EIN and Articles of Organization to maintain separation between personal and business finances. This separation matters for preserving your LLC's liability protection.
Business bank accounts for Hawaii LLCs →
Pro tip: Shop around for business banking packages - many Hawaii banks offer special rates for new small businesses.
7
Obtain Business Licenses
Research and apply for any industry-specific licenses or permits required for your business type in Hawaii. Check with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for professional licenses and local counties for business permits.
Does your Hawaii LLC need a business license? →
Pro tip: Hawaii's Business Action Center (BAC) provides one-stop assistance for navigating state licensing requirements.

Watch: How to Start an LLC in Hawaii (2026): Step-by-Step Guide

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each Secretary of State publishes for forming an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

: The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division charges a $50 filing fee for the Articles of Organization and also collects the $1.00 fee the State Archives imposes on permanent records, so forming costs $51. Your total first-year cost is $63.50 when you add the $12.50 annual report fee due within the quarter of your formation anniversary. For example, if you form your LLC in February, your first $12.50 annual report is due by the last day of the first quarter, March 31, of the following year, so plan accordingly. Additional costs typically include a registered agent service and any required business licenses. Hawaii state income tax on LLC profits is an additional ongoing expense for members. Exception: professional LLCs in regulated fields such as medicine, law, or engineering must obtain a separate Hawaii professional license before operating. File online at cca.hawaii.gov for immediate submission confirmation and fastest processing. The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division publishes no standard processing time for this filing.
: Hawaii publishes no standard processing time for Articles of Organization, so nobody can honestly quote you one. DCCA/BREG's LLC registration and fee pages state only that a filer may choose 'expedited or regular review'; no standard turnaround time is published, so no processing estimate could be verified. What the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division does publish is a price for speed: $25 for Expedited review. Those are firm commitments, and they're the only way to get a guaranteed date. File online where the state offers it. Every state that discusses the difference says online is faster than mail, and treat any specific day count you see quoted for Hawaii as unsourced.
: You don't need to be a Hawaii resident to form a Hawaii LLC, but your LLC must maintain a registered agent with a physical Hawaii street address, P.O. boxes aren't permitted. This registered agent receives legal documents and state correspondence on your LLC's behalf during standard business hours. For example, a Texas entrepreneur can form a Hawaii LLC and operate their business from the mainland by appointing a professional registered agent service with a Hawaii address. Exception: if you're a Hawaii resident with a qualifying home or business address, you can serve as your own registered agent at no additional cost, keeping your overhead low. Professional registered agent services in Hawaii charge a yearly fee and provide privacy and reliability for out-of-state owners. Keep your registered agent information current with the Hawaii Business Registration Division to avoid compliance issues.
: Hawaii LLCs must file an annual report during the quarter that contains their formation anniversary date, with a $12.50 fee online ($15 by paper) paid to the Hawaii Business Registration Division. For example, if your LLC was formed on March 15, your annual report is due by the last day of the first quarter, March 31, each year. If formed on August 10, your annual report is due by September 30 each year, as August falls in the third quarter. The annual report updates your registered agent's name and address and your LLC's principal office location. Filing online through cca.hawaii.gov is the fastest and most reliable method and provides immediate confirmation. Exception: LLCs that formally dissolve before their anniversary quarter aren't required to file. Late filings incur penalties and prolonged non-compliance can result in administrative dissolution. Set a reminder for the month of your formation anniversary each year to ensure timely filing.
: No, Hawaii doesn't require LLCs to publish a formation notice in any newspaper or other publication. Once the Hawaii Business Registration Division approves your Articles of Organization, your LLC is fully and legally formed. No additional publication step is required. This saves Hawaii LLC founders the newspaper charges that apply in states like New York, where mandatory newspaper publication is charged at rates the newspapers set. Arizona requires a newspaper notice of a new LLC's formation, run three consecutive times within 60 days, unless the LLC's statutory agent has a street address in a county of more than 800,000 people (currently Maricopa and Pima Counties), where the Arizona Corporation Commission posts the notice online for free. For example, forming a Hawaii LLC costs only the $51 the Business Registration Division collects (the $50 filing fee and the $1.00 State Archives fee), with no publication cost on top. Exception: certain Hawaii regulated industries or local county permits may require public notice as part of a separate licensing process. Check with your county office and industry licensing board to confirm. File your Articles of Organization at the Business Registration Division's site, hbe.ehawaii.gov. The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division publishes no standard processing time for this filing.
: Your Hawaii LLC name must include 'Limited Liability Company' or an abbreviation such as 'LLC' or 'L.L.C.' as the last words of the name. The name must be distinguishable from all other business entities already registered with the Hawaii Business Registration Division, meaning it can't be identical or confusingly similar to an existing Hawaii business. Restricted words such as 'bank,' 'insurance,' 'trust,' or 'university' can't be included without authorization from the applicable Hawaii regulatory agency. For example, a name like 'Aloha Ventures LLC' is acceptable as long as it's unique in the Hawaii business registry. Exception: if your preferred name is already taken, you can reserve an available alternative for $25 for up to 120 days while preparing your Articles of Organization. Search the Hawaii Business Registration Division's name database at cca.hawaii.gov before filing to confirm availability and avoid rejection of your formation documents.

Sources

5 documents

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Hawaii sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

cca.hawaii.gov/breg/registration/dllc/Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division: business entity filings
cca.hawaii.gov/breg/registration/dllc/fees/Hawaii LLC filing fees
data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2017/HRS-Chapter-PDF's/HRS_0428.pdfHawaii statute: Annual Report
cca.hawaii.gov/breg/files/2023/03/LLC-INFO_3-2023.pdfHawaii agency guidance: Annual Report
cca.hawaii.gov/breg/online/Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: file the Annual Report

More for Hawaii LLCs

Ready to Form Your Hawaii LLC?

$39 with Northwest, plus your $51 state fee. Northwest's $39 includes a year of registered agent service.

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Prefer to file directly? File yourself at the Secretary of State → ($51 state fee, no service fee)

Not sure which service is right? Compare formation services →

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

How we check facts

How to Start an LLC in Hawaii: $51 to File

Quick Facts

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

Choose Your Hawaii LLC Name

Appoint a Registered Agent

File Articles of Organization

What You File in Hawaii

Processing Times

Create an Operating Agreement

Obtain an EIN

Open a Business Bank Account

Obtain Business Licenses

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

More for Hawaii LLCs

Start and set up

Taxes, money and growth

Stay compliant

Operate in other states

Compare structures

By owner type

By profession

Ready to Form Your Hawaii LLC?

Quick Facts

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

Choose Your Hawaii LLC Name

Appoint a Registered Agent

File Articles of Organization

What You File in Hawaii

Processing Times

Create an Operating Agreement

Obtain an EIN

Open a Business Bank Account

Obtain Business Licenses

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

More for Hawaii LLCs

Start and set up

Taxes, money and growth

Stay compliant

Operate in other states

Compare structures

By owner type

By profession

Ready to Form Your Hawaii LLC?

More Hawaii LLC Guides

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