How to search and claim an LLC name in Hawaii
- Search Hawaii's official entity records (free to search; copies of documents cost extra), leaving “LLC” off the name.
- Make sure the name ends with one of Hawaii's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “L.L.C.”
- Hold the name with a $10 reservation for 120 days if you need time before filing.
- File the Articles of Organization with the Hawaii Business Registration Division (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) for $50.
- Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: $12.50 online each year ($15 on paper).
What a Hawaii LLC name must include
Hawaii accepts these endings for a limited liability company:
- Limited Liability Company
- L.L.C.
- LLC
Hawaii's LLC name rules are in HRS § 428-105. Its endings are “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.” and “LLC”, and within the ending “Ltd.” may stand for “Limited” and “Co.” for “Company”. No restricted-word list could be confirmed on an official page, so ask the Business Registration Division about any regulated word before filing.
How Hawaii decides two names are the same
Your LLC's name can't match, or be substantially identical to, an existing domestic or authorized foreign entity's name. It also has to differ from reserved names, and from trade names, trademarks and service marks on Hawaii's register. The holder's written consent, with words added to distinguish the names, or a court judgment can clear a conflict. Even after filing, a business can ask the state for an order of abatement against a confusingly similar or substantially identical name (§ 428-105.5), so a close match is worth avoiding entirely.
Where the rules are written. HRS § 428-105 (LLC name), § 428-105.5 (abatement), § 428-106 (reservation).
Searching for an LLC name in Hawaii
The Business Name Search on the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' site is free to use; the only charge is for copies of filed documents, which you can buy from the same search page.
Open the official Hawaii entity search
Leave the ending off when you search, so every version of the name shows up, then compare each result word by word. If one matches apart from spacing, punctuation or a plural, change a real word in your name.
Live from Hawaii's records. Pick Hawaii in the LLC name check and it runs your words through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division's Business Search when you submit, then lists the registered names that share them, longer ones that open with them, and those starting with the same two words.
Holding the name: Hawaii LLC name reservation
Reserving an LLC name costs $10, nonrefundable, with an extra $25 for expedited review, and the hold ends at midnight on the 120th day. File Form X-1 for each name you want to hold, online through Hawaii Business Express or by email, mail or fax.
File a Hawaii name reservation
Forming the LLC in Hawaii
File Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the Business Registration Division for $50; an expedited review adds $25. Hawaii Business Express handles the filing online.
File the Articles of Organization online
The annual report isn't due in the year the LLC is formed. After that it falls due each year when the quarter of the LLC's registration closes, costing $12.50 online or $15 on paper, with a $10 late fee online and a penalty of up to $100 for not filing. Hawaii's business registry levies no franchise tax and needs no newspaper notice. Proof of good standing, a Certificate of Good Standing or Compliance, is $5 through the search page, plus $10 if expedited.
When the LLC trades under another name
For a second name, an LLC can register a trade name with the Division on Form T-1: $50 to register, $20 extra to expedite, and $50 to renew. It's optional and doesn't make the name the LLC's property.
Sources
- Fees, cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Dllc, cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Fees, cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Llc info 3 2023 (PDF), cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Faqs, cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Hrs 0428 0105, capitol.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Hrs section 428 105 5 administrative order of abatement for infringement of limited liablity company name uniform limited liability act (PDF), cca.hawaii.gov, checked 2026-10-07
These are the official pages behind every fact above. If one of them now says something different, it's right and this page is out of date.
A few were read from search results, not the page itself, because the site refused direct requests; treat the facts they back as provisional until the Hawaii Business Registration Division (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) confirms them.
Common questions
Can two LLCs in Hawaii have the same name?
No. Hawaii accepts a new LLC name only if it can be told apart from every name on its record.
How long can I hold an LLC name in Hawaii?
120 days, for $10.
Does a new Hawaii LLC have to publish a notice?
No. Hawaii has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.
How much is the Hawaii LLC filing fee?
$50, paid when you file the Articles of Organization.