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In Hawaii the register of companies is run by the Business Registration Division, known as BREG, inside the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA). There is no Secretary of State. You look up corporations, LLCs, partnerships and trade names in the Business Name Search on the DCCA business portal, by the name the entity registered. Even so, many people type "Hawaii secretary of state business search", and BREG is the office that answers it.
Running a Hawaii LLC and corporation search by name
Enter the registered entity name and open the record you want. BREG says that information filed with its office is public, so the record shows whatever the business has filed, which can include officers and directors, partners, members, managers and the registered agent. The record also has a Forms tab with the forms that apply to that entity, and a last tab, Buy Available Docs, for copies and certificates.
The same search lets you check on a filing you sent in. If a form has a problem, the department sends a memo, and the search shows the status.
A change to know about: BREG moved to a new computer system and online portal, replacing Hawaii Business Express. Filing and ordering copies and certificates work in the new portal, but more services are being added over time, and expedited handling was paused at the switch. Some BREG pages still use the old Hawaii Business Express name.
If you would rather read the paper file, documents are open to public inspection in the Records Viewing area, Room 201 of the King Kalakaua building at 335 Merchant Street, Honolulu.
What you will and will not find
Almost every business must register with BREG. The exceptions are sole proprietorships, unincorporated nonprofit associations and foreign insurance companies. Foreign insurers register with the DCCA Insurance Division instead. So a sole trader will only show up if they filed a trade name. Our registered agent lookup guide covers what agent details tell you. In Hawaii the agent must be an individual or entity authorized to do business in the state and physically present there.
Copies of filed documents cost $3 as a flat rate, with $10 more for a certified copy. You can order them online, or by phone, email, fax, mail or in person.
Hawaii name rules
An LLC name must contain Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or LLC, and Limited may be shortened to Ltd. and Company to Co. A profit corporation must use Corporation, Incorporated or Limited, or Corp., Inc. or Ltd. A name cannot be substantially identical to one already registered with the department. The rules for that test are in section 16-36-15 of the Hawaii Administrative Rules, and BREG puts the job of checking a proposed name on the applicant.
A reserved name is held for 120 days once approved, and you can file the reservation online. To cancel, a signed letter from the applicant is enough, since there is no form. See our name reservation guide for how this compares with other states.
Trade names work differently. BREG only checks that no one has a substantially identical registration. It does not check who is actually using a name. Registration does not give ownership, and a trade name not used for a year can be challenged by petition.
Annual reports and good standing
Every registered entity files an annual business report, and the deadline follows the quarter it registered in: March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31. You can file at any time in that quarter, and nothing is due in the year of registration. The report gives public information about the business and needs no financial details. Online, the fee is $12.50 for LLCs, profit corporations and LLPs, $2.50 for nonprofits and $5 for partnerships. A late report costs a $10 late fee for each year it is delinquent.
BREG does not use any outside company to collect or file annual reports, so be wary of mailed offers. Reports filed online earn free email reminders the next year. Our annual report deadlines page shows how Hawaii's quarter system compares.
Proof of standing comes as a Good Standing Certificate, also called a Certificate of Compliance. Order it from the Buy Available Docs tab on the entity record, or by phone, email, mail, fax or in person. A foreign LLC registering in Hawaii must attach a good standing certificate from its home state dated no more than 60 days before filing. For more, read our certificate of good standing guide.
Forming an LLC or profit corporation costs $50, plus a $1 State Archives fee, according to the domestic LLC page. A foreign LLC also pays $50 for its certificate of authority.
Business lists
BREG sells data through its Business Data List Builder, which lets you buy custom lists of local businesses. Prices are not shown on the BREG pages this guide relies on, so check the list builder from the BREG home page for current terms.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Hawaii and the Hawaii registered agent rules.
DBA and assumed names in Hawaii
Hawaii registers DBAs at state level. The state calls them trade names, and the Business Registration Division in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs takes the filing on Form T-1. The filing fee is $50, it is not refundable, and expedited service costs $20 more. A certified copy is $10 plus $0.25 a page.
A registration is valid for five years. You renew it by filing within the six months before it expires, and the renewed term is another five years. Initial filings made online through Hawaii Business Express can receive free email reminders. Registering a trade name does not give you ownership of it, the department says. Ownership comes from using the name before the public. The filing is a notice that you claim the name, so do a careful search before you choose one.
A trade name is not a company. If you run the business as an LLC, register the LLC first and file the trade name under its legal name. The state's trade name page has the forms and fee notes. For the general picture, see how to file a DBA, DBA vs LLC and our DBA search guide. For tax and licenses, see the Hawaii business license guide.
Also see our guides to the Hawaii business license.