Short answer
Hawaii creates an LLC when the Hawaii Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1). The state fee is $51[2]. A registered agent in Hawaii is named on the filing.
Mainstay Filing does the Hawaii filing for $199 a year; the state's $51 is added at cost[1].
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
The steps to form a Hawaii LLC
The order below is the order most filers follow. The state filing is the only step with a Hawaii fee attached.
- Check the name. Search the Hawaii Secretary of State business records for the name you want[3]. The name needs a designator such as "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company."
- Choose who will be the registered agent. A member or manager who lives in Hawaii can be the registered agent as an individual. Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-107, the options are A Hawaii resident, or a business entity formed in Hawaii or authorized to do business there. The LLC cannot be its own agent.[4]
- Submit Form LLC-1 and pay $51. The Hawaii Secretary of State reviews the filing; the LLC exists once it is accepted[2].
- Draft the operating agreement. This internal document covers ownership, voting and what happens if a member leaves. It is kept with the company, not filed.
- Get an EIN from the IRS. Banks and payroll providers ask for it. The application is made to the IRS, separately from the Hawaii filing, and the IRS charges nothing.
- Mark the report deadline. Hawaii LLCs file the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year ($12.50)[5]. The deadline: last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized[6].
The form and where it goes
The formation document in Hawaii is the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1). It is filed with the Hawaii Secretary of State[2].
The statute that governs it reads, in part:
Articles of organization of a limited liability company shall set forth: (1) The name of the company
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-203[2].
Once the Hawaii Secretary of State accepts the filing, the LLC exists and its record, including the registered agent details, appears in the state's public business search.
New business filings in Hawaii
Business applications in Hawaii reached 19,558 in 2025, the 42nd highest count among the states and D.C. Through Jan-Sep 2026 the count stood at 14,053, a -7.1% change on the year before.
These are IRS employer-ID applications, so they include sole proprietors and corporations as well as LLCs. Hawaii does not publish a comparable monthly LLC count.
What it costs to form an LLC in Hawaii
At $51, Hawaii's fee is below the 50-state median of $100. Among the other states, 10 states charge less and 39 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $51 | [2] files.hawaii.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report | $12.50 every year | [5] cca.hawaii.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered agent service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $99 to $249 first year elsewhere | 6 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Naming yourself or another qualified person as registered agent costs nothing in state fees.
As an island state, Hawaii has no neighbor comparison. Its $51 fee sits against a 50-state median of $100.
Two ways to file
Mainstay Filing files Hawaii LLCs for $199 a year, with the $51 state fee added at cost[1]. Included: the registered agent for the year, the EIN application, and the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report whenever it falls due.
The Hawaii Secretary of State accepts filings from owners directly. Its $51 fee does not change based on who submits the document.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Hawaii?
The state fee is $51 for the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1)[2]. After that, the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report costs $12.50 every year.
Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in Hawaii?
Yes. The formation filing names one. A member or manager who lives in Hawaii can be the registered agent as an individual. What Hawaii does not allow is the company listing itself.
Can a service file the Hawaii LLC for me?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files Hawaii LLCs for $199 a year plus the $51 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered agent service, the EIN application and the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in Hawaii?
The Hawaii Secretary of State. Its website: cca.hawaii.gov/breg/.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-203. files.hawaii.gov/dcca/breg/registration/forms/llc-1-instr.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Hawaii Secretary of State. cca.hawaii.gov/breg/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 425R-4 (appointment of registered agent, Model Registered Agents Act, HRS ch. 425R); see also § 428-107. www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol08_Ch0401-0429/HRS0425R/HRS_0425R-0004.htm. Updated October 29, 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/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- HRS § 428-211; HRS § 428-1302. files.hawaii.gov/dcca/breg/registration/forms/c5.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.