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Biz Formation Academy

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

Chapter 1 · Hawaii

Hawaii LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Hawaii are Mainstay Filing ($199), HI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. Read 7 sections to learn the process. The fee at Hawaii's filing office is $51; afterward the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report falls due every year.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key facts for this chapter

Charge at the filing office $51 Source text at cca.hawaii.gov, October 2026
Recurring report $12.50 a year Filing period, in the state's words: last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized
Three years of state fees $76 Service fees excluded
Number of sections 7 In sequence

Learning objectives

  • The Hawaii formation document, its fee and its recipient
  • What the registered agent rule requires
  • What follows formation
  • Which services are recommended and why

The Hawaii shortlist

Cost over three years comes first, then paperwork completed, second-year price, Hawaii fit and price clarity (grading page).

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with little paperwork

Top recommendation
$199 a year plus the state fee ($250 due at checkout)

In Hawaii, Mainstay Filing heads the list: for $199 a year the owner receives the filing, registered agent service and the annual report, renewing at $199.

Three years cost $200 more than HI Registered Agent.org, yet this service completes more of the paperwork, and the ranking weighs that.

Included: the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report; the state's $12.50 is charged exactly as Hawaii sets it.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • Official fee with nothing added

Advantages

  • $199 every year
  • A flat $199 each year
  • The EIN section is part of the package

Limitations

  • After year one it costs $100 more annually
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. HI Registered Agent.org: best for Hawaii LLCs that watch every dollar

Local option
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

Entry number 2 is HI Registered Agent.org, where $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service included, then $99 a year.

Set aside time for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year; the price omits it.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • No agent fee in year one
  • A modest $99 renewal
  • A formation charge of $199

Limitations

  • No service for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is offered
  • It charges $99 for the EIN section
Visit HI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for a small agent renewal

Local option
Formation $199; renewal $99 annually

Entry number 3 is Hawaii Registered Agent.co, where $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service included, then $99 a year.

Set aside time for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year; the price omits it.

It charges exactly what HI Registered Agent.org charges.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • A formation charge of $199
  • A modest $99 renewal
  • No agent fee in year one

Limitations

  • No service for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is offered
  • It charges $99 for the EIN section
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 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.

Listed prices, consulted November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $51 state fee.

The sections

  1. Section 1

    Confirm the name is not taken

    Start in the business name records of the Hawaii Secretary of State. A name already registered in Hawaii may cause the filing to be rejected.

    It helps to have a fallback name ready.

  2. Section 2

    Arrange the 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.

    You may use any recommended service for this section.

    Reference: Source text at capitol.hawaii.gov, October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Who prepares the filing

    An owner who files alone pays only the $51 state fee. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the recommended list ranks them.

  4. Section 4

    The state wants the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company

    The Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) goes to the Hawaii Secretary of State with a fee of $51; the governing law is Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-203. Once accepted, the LLC exists.

    Reference: Source text at cca.hawaii.gov, October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Get the EIN

    Once Hawaii approves the filing, the LLC applies to the IRS for an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll services require. With Mainstay Filing this section is completed for you.

  6. Section 6

    Record how the company will be run

    A one-member Hawaii LLC should still have a written operating agreement in its records.

  7. Section 7

    Maintain good standing in Hawaii

    Every year the LLC files the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report and pays $12.50; the deadline is last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized. Late filers owe $10.

    Reference: Source text at files.hawaii.gov, October 2026

Hawaii costs by section

SectionPaid toCost
Fee to form Filing office$51
Repeating report Filing office$12.50 every year
Missing the deadline Filing office$10
Optional service Your chosen service$199 initially
State fees across years one to three Filing office$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 Hawaii recommendations were ranked

The deciding criterion was chapters the price completes, which carries 30% of the ranking.

The Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is due in Hawaii every year; a bundle that files it beat a lower price that leaves the filing with the reader.

Hawaii questions

What is the Hawaii filing fee for an LLC?

Expect to pay $51 to file. Paid help raises the first-year bill by $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Section 4 explains how to complete the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1) and where it is sent: the Hawaii Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Hawaii require each year?

The recurring obligation is the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($12.50, every year, due last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing prevents it. Hawaii asks $51, and the LLC must name a registered agent, which the owner can be or can hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, HI Registered Agent.org and Hawaii Registered Agent.co, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Further reading

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. Mainstay Filing, Hawaii service page: consulted November 13, 2026
  7. HI Registered Agent.org, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026
  8. Hawaii Registered Agent.co, pricing page: consulted November 13, 2026