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How to start an LLC in Hawaii: checklist (2026)
To start an LLC in Hawaii, file the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (LLC-1) with the Hawaii Secretary of State for $51, name a registered agent, get a free EIN and check your local licenses. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, does the filing, the agent, the EIN application and the report for $199 a year.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Hawaii checklist
- File the formation document. Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (LLC-1), Hawaii Secretary of State, $51. $50 filing fee plus the $1 State Archives fee.
- Name a registered agent. Required. A Hawaii resident, or a business entity formed in Hawaii or authorized to do business there. The LLC cannot be its own agent.
- Get an EIN. Free from the IRS online.
- Check licenses. Hawaii Department of Taxation says: “Businesses operating in Hawaii are required to register with the Department to obtain a license” (state business license or registration).
- Keep it current. Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report, yearly: $12.50, due last day of the quarter in which the llc was organized.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Hawaii?
The state filing fee is $51 for the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (LLC-1). The first Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report later costs $12.50.
Do I need a registered agent in Hawaii?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Do I need a business license in Hawaii?
Hawaii Department of Taxation says: “Businesses operating in Hawaii are required to register with the Department to obtain a license” (state business license or registration).
Sources
- Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: cca.hawaii.gov/breg/registration/dllc/, checked October 1, 2026
- Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: cca.hawaii.gov/breg/registration/dllc/fees/, checked October 1, 2026
- Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July 1, 2026 ($12.50 online, $15 on paper; $10 late fee per year delinquent, which supersedes the $100-per-30-days maximum printed on the older Form C5): cca.hawaii.gov/breg/third-quarter-hawaii-annual-business-reports-due-2026/, checked October 1, 2026
- Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source read 2026-10-01: files.hawaii.gov/dcca/breg/registration/forms/c5.pdf, checked October 1, 2026
- Hawaii registered agent statute (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-107): www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol08_Ch0401-0429/HRS0425R/HRS_0425R-0004.htm, checked October 20, 2026
- Hawaii Secretary of State: cca.hawaii.gov/breg/, checked October 20, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number, checked October 21, 2026
- Hawaii Department of Taxation (business license statement): tax.hawaii.gov/geninfo/licensing/, checked October 21, 2026