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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Hawaii

Starting an LLC in Hawaii (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for setting up an LLC in Hawaii are Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and HI Registered Agent.org ($199). By the numbers: 7 tasks, $51 to file, $12.50 for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Key facts for this unit

Formation fee
$51
Source: cca.hawaii.gov, read in October 2026
Recurring report
$12.50 a year
Mark the calendar: last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized
What the state collects in three years
$76
Service fees not included
Task count
7
Each one explained

Course objectives

  • The Hawaii formation paper, its price and where it goes
  • The registered agent requirement
  • The state filing that recurs
  • Which services we recommend and why

Who we would hire in Hawaii

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

Top of the class

1. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for a tight-budget formation

Start with this one$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Our first pick is Hawaii Registered Agent.co; $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99.

On three-year cost it beats Mainstay Filing, which is a big share of the grade.

Set aside time for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year; the price does not cover it.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • $199 above the state fee
  • The agent renews at $99

What to weigh

  • Filing the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not in the price
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

Does most of the work$199 yearly plus the $51 state fee

Pick number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where for $199 each year you get the formation filed, a registered agent in place and the annual report sent in.

Hawaii Registered Agent.co comes in $200 lower across three years, which holds this one back from first.

The Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is part of the service, and the $12.50 state fee is passed through.

What the price covers

  • We mean: the filing is done for you
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • No extra charge for the EIN application
  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • Renews for $199

What to weigh

  • A yearly premium of $100 over Hawaii Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. HI Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

In-state service$199 and fees, then $99 each year

HI Registered Agent.org takes third place: $199 gets you started and the agent costs nothing in year one; from year two it is $99.

Set aside time for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year; the price does not cover it.

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

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • A free first agent year
  • The agent renews at $99

What to weigh

  • Filing the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not in the price
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Hawaii picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Hawaii Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3HI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Add the $51 state fee to every row.

Setting up an LLC in Hawaii, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Open the business search run by the Hawaii Secretary of State before anything else; it shows whether the name already sits on the Hawaii register.

    While you are searching, see whether the web domain is open too.

  2. Task 2

    Assign the registered agent role

    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.

    Hire any one of the recommended services for this task.

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

  3. Task 3

    Do it yourself or hire a service

    The state charges $51 either way. Hiring help adds $199; see the ranked list for the order.

  4. Task 4

    Work through the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company

    What you need: the Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1), $51, and an address at the Hawaii Secretary of State to send it to; see Haw. Rev. Stat. § 428-203.

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

  5. Task 5

    Obtain an Employer Identification Number

    After Hawaii approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an Employer Identification Number; banks and payroll companies want it. Mainstay Filing's yearly price already includes this application.

  6. Task 6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Get ready for year two and beyond

    Hawaii wants the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year, due last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized, with a fee of $12.50. Miss the deadline and $10 is added.

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

Hawaii costs by task

ItemPayeePrice
Formation feePaid to the state$51
State reportPaid to the state$12.50 every year
Missing the deadlinePaid to the state$10
Paid helpYour service$199 to start
Three-year state totalPaid to the state$76
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

The reasoning behind the order

Course fee across three years makes up 34% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in Hawaii.

Count three years and Hawaii Registered Agent.co totals $397, $200 below Mainstay Filing.

Hawaii questions

Which fees does Hawaii collect when an LLC is formed?

$51, paid to the state. Put $199 on top if a service 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 creates 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?

Hawaii asks for the Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year at $12.50, and it gives the deadline as last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. You pay the state $51 when you file, and the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

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

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July. Each statement rests on cca.hawaii.gov, last opened October 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source. Each statement rests on files.hawaii.gov, last opened October 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on cca.hawaii.gov, last opened October 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on cca.hawaii.gov, last opened October 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for Hawaii registered agent statute. Each statement rests on capitol.hawaii.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Figures from Hawaii Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  7. Figures from Mainstay Filing's Hawaii service page, November 13, 2026
  8. Figures from HI Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026