How to Start a Business in Hawaii (2026): Registration, GET and Licenses

To start a business in Hawaii, register your LLC or corporation with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Business Registration Division (BREG) for $50 plus a $1 archives fee, get a free EIN, and apply for a General Excise Tax (GET) license with the Department of Taxation for a one-time $20. Hawaii’s recurring state costs are low: LLCs and corporations file a $15 annual report during the calendar quarter of their registration date.

Hawaii has no sales tax, but the GET applies to almost all business income, so nearly every business, including sole proprietors, needs a GET license. Figures are current as of October 2026.

Updated October 2026.

Best Business Formation Services in Hawaii (2026)

Our ranked picks for forming a business in Hawaii are below, starting with Mainstay Filing. Each entry lists the yearly price and what the service covers.

1. Mainstay Filing

Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Hawaii. It costs $199/year + state fee at cost and covers lLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing. The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.

2. HI Registered Agent.org

HI Registered Agent.org is a Hawaii registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

3. Hawaii Registered Agent.co

Hawaii Registered Agent.co is a Hawaii registered agent service at $99/year. It provides in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.

What it costs to start a business in Hawaii

Picking a structure for your Hawaii business

Hawaii handles every entity type through BREG, including general partnerships, which register with a $15 partnership registration statement. The choices most owners weigh:

• Sole proprietorship: no entity registration, though you still need a GET license and, if you use a business name, a trade name registration.
• General partnership: registers with BREG for $15 and files a $5 annual statement; partners remain personally liable.
• LLC: $50 to form, $15 per annual report, with liability protection for members.
• Profit corporation: the same $50 formation fee and $15 annual report, suited to businesses planning to issue stock.

With formation and annual fees identical for LLCs and corporations, the decision in Hawaii turns on tax treatment and ownership, not state fees. See our Hawaii LLC guide for the full LLC walkthrough.

What does a Hawaii LLC cost in its first year?

Using the posted state fees, a new LLC typically pays $51 to register ($50 plus the $1 archives fee) and $20 for its GET license, or about $71 in state charges. No annual report is due in the year the LLC is organized; the first one ($15, or $12.50 online) comes the following year. Add $10 if you reserve the name first and $50 if you register a separate trade name. County permits, professional licenses and insurance vary by business and island, so budget for those separately.

Naming your business in Hawaii

Search the Hawaii business registry on the BREG search page before committing. LLC names need an LLC designator such as “Limited Liability Company” or “LLC,” and corporate names need a word like “Corporation,” “Incorporated” or “Limited,” or its abbreviation. Our Hawaii business name search guide explains the search.

A name reservation costs $10 if you need to hold a name before filing.

Use the Namechk business name generator to brainstorm, and check Namechk for matching domains and social handles; for a tourism or retail brand, the website and Instagram handle may matter as much as the legal name.

Trade names

Hawaii registers trade names at the state level with BREG, not with counties. The application fee is $50 (the same as a trademark or service mark registration). Sole proprietors who operate under a business name and entities using a brand different from their registered name should file.

Appointing a registered agent in Hawaii

Hawaii LLCs and corporations must list a registered agent with a physical address in Hawaii, where lawsuits and official notices can be delivered during business hours. The agent can be an individual Hawaii resident or a commercial registered agent listed with BREG.

An owner who lives in Hawaii may serve personally, though the LLC itself can’t be its own agent. Off-island and mainland owners usually hire an agent; Mainstay Filing includes one for the first year with its formation package. A Statement of Change of Registered Agent (Form X-7) costs $25, plus the $1 archives fee. Our Hawaii registered agent guide explains who can serve.

Registering your entity with BREG

On July 6, 2026, BREG moved from Hawaii Business Express to a new online portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov. Filing and document services are available there, and BREG says additional services will follow. At the time of writing, expedited handling was temporarily unavailable, so plan for regular review.

To form your entity:

1. Create an account on the new BREG portal.
2. Choose Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (profit corporation).
3. Enter the name, mailing address, registered agent, and the members, managers, officers or directors the form requires.
4. Pay $50, plus the $1 State Archives preservation fee that BREG collects on permanent records.

Next, write an operating agreement (LLC) or bylaws (corporation). Hawaii doesn’t require you to file them, but lenders and partners will ask. For a full cost breakdown, see Mainstay’s Hawaii LLC cost guide.

Getting an EIN

Request your Employer Identification Number on the IRS website. It’s free and issued at the end of the online application. You’ll enter it on the GET application.

Federal beneficial ownership reporting no longer applies to companies formed in the United States; FinCEN’s final rule took effect August 14, 2026.

Getting a GET license and other Hawaii tax accounts

Hawaii’s General Excise Tax is assessed on the business, not the customer, and applies to almost all business activity. According to the Department of Taxation:

• You register online through Hawaii Tax Online by completing Form BB-1, the Basic Business Application, and paying a one-time $20 registration fee.
• Online applicants receive a Hawaii Tax ID in about 5 to 7 days; mailed applications take about 4 to 6 weeks; in-person applications at a DOTAX district office are issued immediately.
• The GET rate is 4% for most activities, 0.5% for wholesaling, manufacturing and similar activities, and 0.15% for insurance commissions.
• All four counties (Honolulu, Kauai, Hawaii and Maui) add a 0.5% county surcharge to activity taxed at the 4% rate.

The same BB-1 application covers other state tax accounts you may need, such as withholding and the Transient Accommodations Tax for short-term rentals.

Hiring in Hawaii

Hawaii’s minimum wage is $16.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026, and rises to $18.00 on January 1, 2028, according to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Employers also register with DLIR for unemployment insurance, report new hires, and must carry workers’ compensation and temporary disability insurance for employees.

Licenses and permits for Hawaii businesses

There is no single statewide business license beyond the GET license. Other approvals depend on your activity and island:

• Professional and vocational licensing: DCCA’s Professional and Vocational Licensing Division licenses contractors, cosmetologists, real estate brokers and dozens of other occupations.
• County permits: building, zoning and land-use approvals come from your county, and short-term vacation rentals face strict county rules.
• Health permits: food businesses need approval from the Department of Health.
• Liquor licenses: issued by each county’s liquor commission.

Check requirements for each island you operate on, since county rules differ.

Bank account, insurance and online presence

Open a business bank account in the entity’s name with your filed articles, EIN and GET license. Keeping finances separate protects your LLC’s liability shield and simplifies GET returns.

Beyond the workers’ compensation and temporary disability coverage employers must carry, most businesses buy general liability insurance, and many add property coverage suited to Hawaii’s storm and flood exposure. Then claim your domain and set up a website.

Staying in good standing in Hawaii

• File your annual report during the calendar quarter that contains your registration date. BREG’s quarters run January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December. No report is due in the year you form. The fee is $15 for LLCs and profit corporations, or $12.50 when filed online.
• If you miss it, BREG assesses a $10 late fee for each year the report is delinquent.
• File GET returns (periodic and annual) on the schedule DOTAX assigns, plus withholding and any other tax returns.
• Renew professional licenses on their cycles and keep your registered agent current with BREG.

FAQs

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