Form a Hawaii LLC by filing Articles of Organization on LLC-1. Its annual report is due in the calendar quarter determined by the registration date.
This guide covers forming a new Hawaii LLC. If your LLC already exists in another state or country, use the foreign-registration process instead.
Hawaii LLC at a glance
- Official filing website
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division
- Business name check
- Search business namesA name search does not reserve or approve the name.
- Formation document
- Articles of Organization (LLC-1)
- State filing fee
- $50DCCA’s LLC schedule lists a $50 base fee. Its Business Action Center lists a $51 registration charge; confirm the final total for your filing method. Expedited review is separately priced.
- Processing time
- Online10-15 business daysPaper10-15 business days; add mail transitPublished guide estimate. Published guide estimate for a complete filing; not a state guarantee. Check the filing office before setting a deadline.
- Ongoing report or tax
- Annual Report
- Report / renewal charge
- $15DCCA lists a $15 standard annual-report fee and $12.50 for online filing in its LLC information guidance.
- Frequency / due date
- Annually, in the filing quarter tied to the registration date
- General excise tax base
- 4%Local rates may apply. July 1, 2026 snapshot; not an address-specific rate. Hawaii uses a general excise tax on business activity, not an identical retail-sales-tax system. County surcharges can apply.Official tax agency ↗
- Names in formation records
- Management names requiredManager-managed LLCs list initial managers; member-managed LLCs list initial members. The form also identifies organizers. Other filings and private bank/tax records may identify owners.
Before you file in Hawaii
Prepare the principal addresses, Hawaii agent, organizers and initial managers or members.
File the Articles of Organization (LLC-1)
Open Hawaii Business Express ↗
- Open Hawaii Business Express and start a domestic LLC registration.
- Complete LLC-1, including the management section for the structure you choose.
- Sign, review the filing/handling charges and submit. Save the accepted articles and registration date.
What to enter in the form
- Manager-managed
- List the initial managers and complete the member-count information the form requests.
- Member-managed
- List the initial members in the member-management section.
- Organizers
- Identify the people signing the articles. Their role can differ from the people managing the LLC.
- Agent and office
- Use the appointed Hawaii agent and office. Keep the principal-office and mailing fields distinct.
After approval in Hawaii
- Review Hawaii tax registration for the business, including whether it needs a General Excise Tax account.
Annual Report
- Find the company in Hawaii Business Express and open its annual report. The registration date determines the reporting quarter.
- Confirm or update the addresses, agent and management information. Sign the certification.
- Submit by the end of that quarter and save the accepted report.
Compare the filing cycles in our annual report and recurring-fee table.
Next steps: operating agreement · get an EIN · starting checklist.
Sources and filing links
Sources checked . Confirm the state’s current fees and instructions before filing.
- Hawaii DCCA: LLC fees
- Hawaii DCCA: LLC information and annual reporting
- Hawaii Business Action Center: Domestic entity registration
- Hawaii DCCA: Articles of Organization, Form LLC-1
Research and walkthrough references
These references provide background and filing walkthroughs. Follow current state instructions if an older walkthrough differs.
See our editorial policy for the research process and contact page for correction information.