Hawaii LLC Articles of Organization
(LLC-1) Instructions

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Articles of OrganizationIn this lesson, we will walk you through starting a Hawaii LLC by filing your LLC Articles of Organization (LLC-1) with the Hawaii Business Registration Division.

This is the document that officially creates your new LLC in Hawaii.

You can file your LLC Articles of Organization online or by mail.

Hawaii LLC State of Hawaii Business Registration Division
(State of Hawaii, Business Registration Division Building)

Hawaii LLC filing fee

The filing fee for an LLC in Hawaii is $51. This is a one-time fee.

The $51 LLC fee is the same for both the online filing and mail-in filing.

How much is an LLC in Hawaii will explain all the LLC fees.

Note: The “LLC filing fee” (the fee to create a Hawaii LLC) is the same thing as the “Articles of Organization fee”. The Articles of Organization is the document, that once approved by the Business Registration Division’, creates your Hawaii LLC.

How long does it take to get a Hawaii LLC?

Online filing:

Hawaii LLC approval time is 7-10 business days if you file online.

Mail filing:

Hawaii LLC approval time is 7-10 business days (plus mail time) if you file by mail.

Note: Filing times may take longer due to government delays. For the most up-to-date LLC processing times, check how long does it take to get an LLC in Hawaii.

LLC University® recommendation

We recommend the online filing as it’s easier to do and the approval time is much faster. The state also prefers online filings too.

However, if you prefer to file by mail, the instructions below will still apply. Download Form LLC-1, prepare a check or money order for $51 (payable to “Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs”) and mail them to: State of Hawaii – DCCA, Business Registration Division, PO Box 40, Honolulu, HI 96810.

The other option is to hire an LLC formation company to file the paperwork for you. If you want to hire a company to form your LLC, check out Best LLC Services in Hawaii for our recommendations.

Prior LLC University® lessons

Before completing your LLC Articles of Organization, make sure you have read the prior lessons:

Need to save time? Hire a company to form your LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)

(Learn why Northwest is #1 in Northwest vs LegalZoom)

Instructions for filing Hawaii LLC Articles of Organization Online

Create an Online Account with eHawaii.gov:

  1. Visit eHawaii.gov Account Services.
  2. Enter your email address and click “Continue”.
  3. Complete your profile and click the “Create Account” button.
  4. You’ll see a confirmation message on the next page. You’re now ready to begin.

Get Started:

  1. Visit eHawaii.gov: Welcome to Hawai‘i Business Express (HBE)
  2. Click the “Use QuickFile” button on the right. You don’t need to select anything from the drop down menu. Then login on the next page.
  3. Click the “LLC-1 Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Company” link.
  4. You’ll see a popup message about “multiple agencies” and using the “Wizard”. You can click “Continue” to use QuickFile. We’ll show you how to register with the Department of Taxation in the Hawaii LLC tax requirements lesson.

I. LLC name

Enter your LLC name exactly as you would like it, including your preferred capitalization, as well as the designator “LLC” or “L.L.C.” (the abbreviation “LLC” is the most common).

You can use a comma in your LLC name or you can leave it out. Ex: “ABC Widgets, LLC” and “ABC Widgets LLC” are both acceptable.

II. Mailing address of initial principal office

Enter your LLC’s principal office address. PO Boxes are not allowed. The state will use this address when they need to send mail to your LLC.

You can use any street address you like. It could be a home address, an office address, or a friend or family member’s address. The address can be in Hawaii, but it doesn’t have to be.

III. Registered Agent

  • Prior lesson: Make sure you have read the Hawaii LLC Registered Agent lesson before proceeding. We have some tips on keeping your address off of public records.

If your LLC’s Registered Agent is a person:

  • Name: Enter their first and last name
  • Agent Type: Select “Individual”
  • Ignore the State and Country drop downs
  • Enter their street address in Hawaii

If you hired a Registered Agent company:

  • Name: Enter their company name
  • Agent Type: Select “Entity”
  • State: Select the company’s state of incorporation
  • If you hired Northwest Registered Agent, their state of incorporation is Wyoming.
  • If you hired a different Registered Agent company, make sure to contact them for this information
  • Enter your Registered Agent’s street address in Hawaii

If you hired Northwest Registered Agent, double-check their state record (Business Registration Division: Northwest Registered Agent LLC). Their address should be:

1001 BISHOP ST STE 2685A, HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813, Honolulu County

IV. Organizer

Individual or Entity:

Most filers will select “Individual” since it’s a person who is the LLC Organizer.

However, if a company will be the LLC Organizer, select “Entity”. Note: your LLC cannot be its own Organizer.

Enter the address of the LLC Organizer.

Only 1 Organizer is needed:

An LLC only needs one Organizer. Again, read the link mentioned at the top of this section. However, if you want to list additional Organizers, you can click the “Add Another Organizer” link.

V. Period of Duration

In this section, you need to let the State of Hawaii know about the duration of your LLC (how long it will remain in existence).

If you prefer for your LLC to be “open-ended” with no set closure date, select “At-will”.

If you prefer for your LLC to automatically be shut down on a specific date, select the 2nd option and enter that date.

What do most people do? Most filers choose “At-will”. This allows the LLC to be open indefinitely, unless they decide to close it down by filing dissolution paperwork.

VI. Manager-Managed or Member-Managed

Tip: Read this section slowly. Member-managed and Manager-managed not only sound confusingly similar, but they almost look the same. Who the heck chose such confusing names? lol!

Manager-managed LLC:

Select option A if your Hawaii LLC will be Manager-managed. Then enter the number of LLC Members (owners).

Member-managed LLC:

Select option B if your Hawaii LLC will be Member-managed. This is how most LLCs are managed. You don’t need to enter the number of LLC Members (owners).

C. Manager(s) or Member(s) info:

If your LLC will be Manager-managed, enter the name and address of the first Manager. Click “Add Another Manager/Member” on the right to add additional LLC Managers, if applicable.

Note: You will not be listing any Members (owners) if your LLC is Manager-managed.

If your LLC will be Member-managed, enter the name and address of the first Member (owner). Click “Add Another Manager/Member” on the right to add additional LLC Members, if applicable.

What do most people do? The majority of LLCs in Hawaii are managed by the owners, so most filers elect for their LLC to be Member-managed.

VII. Liability

Select whether or not the LLC Members will be liable for the debts and obligations of the Hawaii LLC.

What do most people do? Most filers select the first option: “Shall not be liable for the debts, obligations, and liabilities of the company”.

Signature (Organizer’s signature)

Most people are the Organizer of their own LLC. If that’s the case, select “Individual” and enter your name twice.

Then click “Review and Purchase” at the bottom.

Review and Confirmation

Review the information you entered for your Hawaii LLC. Review for accuracy and check for any typos.

If you need to make any changes:
Click the small “go back” link at the top of the page.

If everything looks good:
Check off the “I certify” box at the bottom and then click the “Confirm” button.

Confirmation of Forms/Fees

You’ll see the total Hawaii LLC filing fee on this page.

Email reminders:
By default, there will be a check box selected to receive email reminders for your Hawaii LLC Annual Report. We recommend leaving this selected.

Click “Checkout” to proceed.

Checkout

Select “Credit Card”. Then enter your billing information and click “Continue” to finalize your payment to the state.

Congratulations! Your Hawaii LLC has been filed for processing.

On the next page, you will see a confirmation message and a receipt. You can save/print this page for your records. Now you just need to wait for approval.

How long does it take to get my Hawaii LLC approved?

The state will review your LLC filing and approve it within 7-10 business days.

Once your LLC is approved, the state will email you back a stamped and approved copy of your Articles of Organization.

State of Hawaii Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can contact the Hawaii Business Registration Division at 808-586-2727. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 7:45am to 4:30pm.

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Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.

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4 comments on “Hawaii Filing Forms”

Disclaimer: Nothing on this page shall be interpreted as legal or tax advice. Rules and regulations vary by location. They also change over time and are specific to your situation. Furthermore, this comment section is provided so people can share their thoughts and experience. Please consult a licensed professional if you have legal or tax questions.

  1. When registering it gives the following options: #1. I would like to register a new business in Hawaii with the Business Registration Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. #2. I would like to register a new business in Hawaii and obtain a Hawaii GE Tax License from the Department of Taxation.
    When I asked an online help chat person the difference this is what she shared: Hi, the first option will only register the entity or trade name with the DCCA, the second option does both the DCCA registration and the GE tax number. Eventually you will need the GE tax number, but some will wait if they won’t be starting business right away. They may just want to clear the name and put it on record. I went on to share with her I plan for a single member LLC and she shared this with me:
    So as a single member LLC with no employees you won’t need to apply for a FEIN. If you use the second option, it’s designed to ask for a FEIN, so in your case, just do the first one and clear the name. Then once you receive approval from the DCCA, go to the tax website to apply for just the GE, then no FEIN will be required.
    Why would I not want to get a FEIN?

    • Hi Ema, we don’t agree with what you were told. While yes, technically, a Single-Member LLC can operate with the IRS and any applicable tax filings using your SSN, we don’t recommend doing so for two reasons. First, it’s an identity theft risk. For example, companies that pay your LLC will likely ask for a W-9. If you fill out that form and send via an email attachment, we think it’s quite risky. And also, having an EIN makes opening an LLC bank account much easier. Furthermore, getting an EIN online for an LLC takes about 10 minutes, so it’s really easy. I still don’t know why people recommend that a Single-Member LLC use the owner’s SSN. Having said that, your SSN will be used on your tax return, but that is private and only with the IRS. Hope that helps.

  2. This article and instruction is excellent. Went thru it step by step and was 100% successful. Good job!

    • Fantastic! Thanks for the lovely comment. Glad to hear we could help :)

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