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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 2 · Hawaii

The Hawaii Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

For naming a registered agent in Hawaii in 2026, this unit puts Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and HI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) at the top of the class, in that order. The 6 tasks below cover what Hawaii requires of a registered agent, who may serve, which address counts and how to put the agent on record.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

Needed by law?
Yes
Source: capitol.hawaii.gov, read in October 2026
What recommended services charge
$99 to $149 a year
As each company lists them
Recurring report
$12.50 a year
Source: files.hawaii.gov, read in October 2026
How many tasks
6
Each one explained

By the end you will know

  • The legal requirement
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • Getting the agent listed
  • The agents we picked

If you want someone else to file

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to expand

Highest gradeFirst year $149; renewal $149

In Hawaii, Mainstay Filing leads the class: one flat $149 yearly price that does not depend on which state the LLC sits in.

You pay $150 more over three years than at Hawaii Registered Agent.co and leave less of the paperwork to yourself.

What the price covers

  • A real street address in the state
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Works in all fifty states
  • Price $149; renews at $149

What to weigh

  • Costs $50 extra every year
  • This plan does not file your reports
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for a small yearly agent fee

Local choiceFirst year $99; renewal $99

Pick number 2 is Hawaii Registered Agent.co, where an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year.

What the price covers

  • A physical address in Hawaii
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • $99 a year, same at renewal
  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • Hawaii only; each other state needs its own agent
  • Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is outside the price
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. HI Registered Agent.org: best for a local alternative

Local choiceFirst year $99; renewal $99

Pick number 3 is HI Registered Agent.org, where an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year.

Its prices are the same as Hawaii Registered Agent.co's, so either works.

What the price covers

  • A physical address in Hawaii
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, same at renewal

What to weigh

  • Hawaii only; each other state needs its own agent
  • Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is outside the price
Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Hawaii Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3HI Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. State fees do not change with your choice of agent.

The Hawaii agent, in order

  1. Task 1

    Learn the requirement

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

    Source: Source: capitol.hawaii.gov, read in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Check who is eligible

    A Hawaii resident, or a business entity formed in Hawaii or authorized to do business there. The LLC cannot be its own agent. See Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-107 for the text.

  3. Task 3

    The address rule

    The address has to be a place of business with a street address in Hawaii. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    With a service, the public record shows its address instead of yours.

  4. Task 4

    Serve yourself or use a professional

    A qualified owner may act as agent. If you would rather not, our recommended agents charge $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Task 5

    Record the appointment

    On a new Hawaii LLC, the agent goes on the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1). A later switch is a separate filing with the Hawaii Secretary of State.

    Source: Source: cca.hawaii.gov, read in October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Track the recurring filing

    Mail from the state about the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report reaches your registered agent. The filing is $12.50 every year, due last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized.

    Source: Source: files.hawaii.gov, read in October 2026

Agent and state costs

ItemPayeeTotal
Hiring an agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
From year twoYour service$99 to $149 a year
Recurring state reportThe state$12.50 every year
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

Assignments the price completes settled first place in Hawaii. It is worth 31% of the grade, and the other 69% comes from course fee across three years, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

An agent who can come with you to any state beat Hawaii Registered Agent.co's lower price.

Common questions

Is an LLC in Hawaii obliged to keep a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, once you pass the tests for who may serve and which address counts, in tasks 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes; the Hawaii Secretary of State accepts change filings, and task 5 says what to send.

What does a registered agent cost in Hawaii?

Our recommended agents charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Mostly the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report, $12.50 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing is first, Hawaii Registered Agent.co and HI Registered Agent.org follow, and Mainstay Filing wins on assignments the price completes.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July: our unit draws on cca.hawaii.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: our unit draws on files.hawaii.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on cca.hawaii.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on cca.hawaii.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on Hawaii registered agent statute: our unit draws on capitol.hawaii.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Hawaii service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  7. pricing page of Hawaii Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page of HI Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026