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Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division — contact & fees

Updated August 2026

Quick Answer

Hawaii's business entity registrations are handled by the Business Registration Division (BREG) within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA). BREG registers all business entities, trademarks, and trade names; it also maintains records for professional licensing boards under the same DCCA umbrella, though those are handled by separate divisions.

Open Official Hawaii Business Registration Division (DCCA) Portal ↗

Office contact

Street address
King Kalakaua Building, 335 Merchant Street, Room 201, Honolulu, HI 96813
Mailing address
DCCA — Business Registration Division, P.O. Box 40, Honolulu, HI 96810
Toll-free phone
1-844-808-3222
Administration phone
(808) 586-2744
Fax
(808) 586-2733
Filing submissions email
breg-doci-filing@dcca.hawaii.gov
Office hours
Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time
BREG homepage
cca.hawaii.gov/breg

Entity formation and filing fees

Fees below are confirmed against BREG's live per-entity-type fee schedules (domestic LLC, domestic profit corporation, domestic nonprofit corporation) as of August 2026. Expedited review pricing varies by filing type — most standard filings carry a $25.00 expedited fee, but mergers/conversions run $75.00 and certifications run $10.00; expedited handling was reportedly suspended during the mid-2026 portal transition, so confirm availability before filing. Verify all current amounts at cca.hawaii.gov/breg — Fees before filing.

LLC — Articles of Organization

Fee
$50

LLC — Annual Report

Fee
$15

Profit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation

Fee
$50

Profit Corporation — Annual Report

Fee
$15

Nonprofit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation

Fee
$25

Nonprofit Corporation — Annual Report

Fee
$5

Name Reservation

Fee
$10

Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Compliance)

Fee
$5 standard / $10 expedited

Document copy (per page)

Fee
$0.25

Certified copy surcharge (per document)

Fee
$10.00

Expedited filing service (add-on, most document types)

Fee
+$25

Hawaii's annual report fee ($15 for profit entities) is one of the lowest in the country. The formation fee for LLCs and profit corporations ($50) is also modest. Nonprofits pay $25 to form and just $5 for annual reports.

New online portal (2026 system migration)

Effective July 6, 2026, BREG transitioned business registration to a new computer system and online portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov, replacing the former Hawaii Business Express site (hbe.ehawaii.gov). Filing and document/certificate requests are available on the new portal; some services are still being migrated over, and expedited handling was suspended during the transition — confirm current expedited availability before relying on it. Filings can still be submitted by email, mail, or fax, though BREG notes processing may be slower through those channels during the changeover.

UCC filing, notary, and apostille services

These three services are split across three different state offices, none of them DCCA's Business Registration Division:

  • UCC search and filing — handled by the Bureau of Conveyances (Dept. of Land and Natural Resources), not DCCA; $25 per search request plus $5 for each creditor found.
  • Notary public commissions — issued by the Attorney General, with the required bond approved by a circuit court judge.
  • Apostilles and authentications — issued by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which acts as Hawaii's Secretary of State for this purpose.

Source: Hawaii Dept. of the Attorney General (ag.hawaii.gov), Office of the Lieutenant Governor (ltgov.hawaii.gov), and Bureau of Conveyances (dlnr.hawaii.gov).

Key Hawaii state licensing agencies

Hawaii DCCA — Professional and Vocational Licensing Division

What it covers
Professional licenses (contractors, healthcare, real estate, cosmetology, and more) — administered under the same DCCA umbrella as BREG

Hawaii Department of Taxation

What it covers
General excise tax (GET) — required for most businesses in Hawaii; income tax withholding; transient accommodations tax
Website
tax.hawaii.gov

Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR)

What it covers
Unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, wage and hour law

Hawaii Business Action Center (BAC)

What it covers
One-stop assistance for new businesses — state business registration, employer registrations, state taxpayer ID

Frequently Asked Questions

What changed with Hawaii's business registration portal in 2026?

Effective July 6, 2026, BREG moved business registration to a new computer system and portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov, replacing the former hbe.ehawaii.gov site. Some services are still migrating over, and expedited handling was suspended during the transition.

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Hawaii, and what's the annual report fee?

Articles of Organization for an LLC cost $50, and the annual report fee is $15 — one of the lowest annual report fees of any state. Nonprofits pay less: $25 to form and just $5 for their annual report.

How much extra does expedited filing cost for Hawaii business documents?

Most standard filings carry a $25.00 expedited fee, though mergers and conversions run $75.00 and certifications run $10.00. Expedited handling was reportedly suspended during the mid-2026 portal transition, so confirm availability before filing.

Compare Other States

Entity search rules, fees, and offices are set state by state. These are the states closest to Hawaii — useful if you're comparing how a neighboring state runs the same process.

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How Much Does It Cost to Start an LLC? Formation Fees by State

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LLC Annual Report Fees and Deadlines by State

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