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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Textbook chapter 3 · Hawaii

Foreign LLC Registration Chapter, Hawaii (2026): 5 Sections and the 3 Best Services

Summary for 2026: to handle registering an LLC formed elsewhere in Hawaii with outside help, choose among Mainstay Filing ($199), HI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. 5 sections explain the filing, the $51 fee and the duties that follow.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key facts for this chapter

State filing fee $51 cca.hawaii.gov, as published October 2026
Home-state certificate 60 days Maximum age at filing
Recurring report $12.50 Annual report
What the state collects over three years $76 No service fee included
Section count 5 Outlined below

After this chapter you will understand

  • Whether Hawaii registration applies to an LLC
  • The form and the fee
  • Recurring obligations
  • Which services are recommended and why

Who we recommend in Hawaii

Ranked by the grading page: three-year cost (34%), paperwork completed (30%), second-year price, fit with Hawaii rules and clarity of the price list.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a series of registrations

Top recommendation
$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

First place goes to Mainstay Filing; a charge of $199 plus Hawaii's fee covers the filing and the first year of the registered agent.

Compared with HI Registered Agent.org, the reader pays $100 more across three years and keeps fewer filings to prepare.

The agent line on the second invoice reads $149, and stays there in each state.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • The registered agent carries no charge in year one
  • Service in all fifty states

Advantages

  • The first agent year is included
  • Ready for a later state as well
  • $199 to register

Limitations

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above HI Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. HI Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent fee

Single-state plan
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Entry number 2 is HI Registered Agent.org, where the registration charge is $199 plus state fees, and the first agent year is already paid.

Price covers

  • Registration filing
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • Works in Hawaii only, leaving the home state without an agent
Visit HI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

Single-state plan
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Entry number 3 is Hawaii Registered Agent.co, where the registration charge is $199 plus state fees, and the first agent year is already paid.

On price, it matches HI Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • Registration filing
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 and the state fee

Limitations

  • Works in Hawaii only, leaving the home state without an agent
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 HI Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit HI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Hawaii Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. The $51 state fee is omitted from these figures.

The Hawaii registration, in sequence

  1. Section 1

    Does the registration rule apply?

    An LLC formed in another state must register with Hawaii before conducting business there. The consequences of failing to register include: until registered, the LLC cannot bring suit before Hawaii's courts (HRS 414-432(a); 428-1008(a)) its contracts can still be enforced (HRS 414-432(e); 428-1008(b)) back fees on top

    Reference: cca.hawaii.gov, as published October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Obtain a certificate from the home state

    Attach original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no earlier than 60 days.

    Leave it until the other documents are ready.

  3. Section 3

    Appoint a registered agent for Hawaii

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a place of business with a street address in Hawaii. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    The recommended services each fill this role.

    Reference: capitol.hawaii.gov, as published October 2026

  4. Section 4

    The filing to prepare is the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company

    Complete the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1), enclose $51, and send both to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division.

    Reference: cca.hawaii.gov, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Handle Hawaii's recurring filing

    Item for the calendar: the annual report, fee $12.50, timing end of the quarter in which the LLC was registered.

Costs section by section

EntryPaid toPrice
Fee to register State agency$51
Annual report State agency$12.50
Optional service Your chosen service$199 initially
State fees across years one to three State agency$76

Anything paid to Hawaii is an official fee that can be verified in the bibliography. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists; service prices are not part of it.

How the ranking came out

Chapters the price completes accounts for 30% of the ranking, and led on it in Hawaii.

HI Registered Agent.org renews for less, yet reach across several states counted for more.

Short answers

How much must an LLC formed elsewhere pay to register with Hawaii?

$51 in state fees. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

A single form does the job, and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division handles it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 60 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

until registered, the LLC cannot bring suit before Hawaii's courts (HRS 414-432(a); 428-1008(a)) its contracts can still be enforced (HRS 414-432(e); 428-1008(b)) back fees on top

What is due after registering?

Once registered, the LLC will owe the annual report, billed at $12.50 each time.

Which service should handle the registration?

Choose Mainstay Filing: the first-year agent is included, so the Hawaii registration costs $199 beyond the state fee. Next are HI Registered Agent.org and Hawaii Registered Agent.co.

See also

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Cited for Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July: cca.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  2. Cited for Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: files.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  3. Cited for Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source: cca.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  4. Cited for Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source: cca.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  5. Cited for Hawaii registered agent statute: capitol.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  6. Cited for Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration: cca.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  7. Cited for Form FLLC-1: files.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  8. Cited for Foreign LLC filing fees: cca.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  9. Cited for Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not: capitol.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  10. Cited for New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs: cca.hawaii.gov, edition of October 2026.
  11. Cited for Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-432, consequences of transacting business: capitol.hawaii.gov, edition of November 2026.
  12. Cited for Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1008, effect of failure to: capitol.hawaii.gov, edition of November 2026.
  13. Hawaii service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  14. pricing page (HI Registered Agent.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  15. pricing page (Hawaii Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026