LLC Formation in Hawaii (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
Best picks for starting an LLC in Hawaii in 2026, in order: Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and HI Registered Agent.org ($199). Hawaii takes $51 at filing and expects the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year. 7 moves cover it.
Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Hawaii's $51 fee.
Starting a Hawaii LLC, move by move
Move 1
Pick the name and test it
A taken name can get the Hawaii filing bounced. Run the business search at the Hawaii Secretary of State before you do anything else.
A spare name saves a redo.
Move 2
Name a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Hawaii resident, or a business entity formed in Hawaii or authorized to do business there. The LLC cannot be its own agent.
The address has to be a place of business with a street address in Hawaii. P.O. boxes are not accepted.
Skip the service: $51 to the state. Use one of our picks: $199 more, and you skip the forms.
Move 4
Submit the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company
This is the filing that creates the company: the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1), sent to the Hawaii Secretary of State with $51 (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-203).
Where this comes from: Official page: cca.hawaii.gov (October 2026)
Move 5
Request an Employer Identification Number
The IRS issues EINs, not Hawaii. Apply after approval and hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application inside the package.
Move 6
Put ownership rules in writing
A single-owner Hawaii LLC still benefits from a written operating agreement in the files.
Move 7
Plan for year two
Calendar the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report: $12.50, every year, due last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized. Miss it and it is $10 more.
Where this comes from: Official page: files.hawaii.gov (October 2026)
What you will pay
Move
Recipient
Total
Setting up the LLC
To the state
$51
Recurring report
To the state
$12.50 every year
Late report
To the state
$10
Paid help
Service company
$199 for year one
State fees for three years
To the state
$76
State fees come from the official pages in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where one applies.
How we ordered the Hawaii picks
won on founder outlay over three years (27% of the mark), with close behind.
Hawaii Registered Agent.co costs $397 for years one to three; Mainstay Filing costs $200 more.
What founders ask
What does Hawaii charge for a new LLC?
The state fee is $51. $199 extra buys a service that does the filing.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Hawaii Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1), the paper that forms the company.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Hawaii require each year?
Mark your calendar for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report: $12.50, every year, last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. Pay the state $51 at filing; the LLC still needs a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Hawaii Registered Agent.co, since $199 on top of the state fee, agent free in year one, then $99 a year. Then Mainstay Filing and HI Registered Agent.org.