Hawaii business entity search
Hawaii moved its business name search to a new portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov, and the old Hawaii Business Express address now points visitors there.
Check a name against Hawaii's naming rules
- Type a business name above and press Check name. Its ending and any restricted words show here.
Get the matching domain name
Type a business name to check its .com, .net, .org and .us.
"Not registered" is the registry's answer at this moment. It is not a promise that the name can be bought at the standard price, since some unregistered names are reserved or sold at a premium. The buttons open Spaceship, a domain registrar, where the price is shown.
See an example check
Example: a check of "Blue Heron Bakery LLC" against Hawaii's rules.
- Ends with "L.L.C.", an ending Hawaii lists for an LLC.
This checks the ending and the restricted words Hawaii publishes. It does not tell you whether another company already holds the name. Only the state's own search can show that.
A private website, not a government site. Every state entry links to that state's official search.
Hawaii's own search
- Run by
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
- Called
- Business Name Search
The state's search is the record that counts. State Business Entity Search is not a government site.
The Business Registration Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs keeps the register.
Hawaii filing fees for a new business name
| Filing | State fee | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Form an LLC in Hawaii | $50 | Articles of Organization. Source: Hawaii Business Registration Division, Domestic limited liability companies. |
| Form a corporation in Hawaii | $50 | Articles of Incorporation. Source: Hawaii Business Registration Division, form and fee schedule. |
| Reserve a name in Hawaii | $10 | Source: Hawaii Business Registration Division, form and fee schedule. |
| Annual report for a Hawaii LLC | $15 | Every year. By March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31 depending on the registration date. Source: Hawaii Business Registration Division, form and fee schedule. |
| Trade name registration with the Business Registration Division in Hawaii | $50 | Source: Hawaii Business Registration Division, form and fee schedule. |
Name endings Hawaii accepts
For an LLC (Form LLC-1 Articles of Organization (Section 428-203, Hawaii Revised Statutes); the form does not cite the statute for the name wording)
The Hawaii Business Name Search portal
The division's FAQ names its tool Business Name Search. It now sits on the Hawaii Business Express portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov. Open a business record there and use its Buy Available Docs tab to get documents. The old address still loads a notice that names the new portal.
The division also sells custom lists of local businesses through a Business Data List Builder, which is a paid service.
What a Hawaii LLC name must contain
Form LLC-1 says the name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC". "Limited" may be abbreviated "Ltd.", and "company" may be abbreviated "Co." The name endings by state lists these for comparison.
Hawaii filing fees
The division's LLC page sets the fee for Articles of Organization at $50. Expedited service adds $25, and a $1 State Archives fee is added. The fee is nonrefundable, so run the portal search before you file. Both domestic LLCs and corporations register with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and the LLC page adds a $1 archives fee on top of LLC filing fees.
Other figures come from the fee schedule dated December 2022. It lists Articles of Incorporation at $50, reservation of an LLC name at $10 and good standing at $5. A good standing certificate, which Hawaii calls a Certificate of Compliance, costs $5 on the same schedule.
Hawaii annual reports
The fee schedule dated December 2022 puts the annual report at $15, and no financial information is required. The division's FAQ says the due date depends on the registration date. It lands on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31. An entity registered in the same year as its due date does not file that year.
Trade names in Hawaii
A trade name is the name a business chooses to do business under. Hawaii registers trade names with the same division that registers entities, under HRS Chapter 482, so one portal covers both. The fee schedule dated December 2022 lists the application to register a trade name, trademark or service mark at $50. The guide on protecting a business name explains what a trade name registration covers.
Checking and claiming a name in Hawaii
- Search the name on the Business Name Search portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov.
- Confirm the LLC name contains "limited liability company", "L.L.C." or "LLC".
- If you want to hold the name first, ask the division about the LLC name reservation and its period.
- File Form LLC-1 for $50, plus the $1 archives fee, or add $25 for expedited service.
- Mark the annual report due date from the quarter in which the LLC registered.
Hawaii name search questions
Where do I search for a Hawaii business name now?
The old Hawaii Business Express page tells visitors that the Business Registration Division's new online portal is at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov. The division's FAQ calls the tool Business Name Search.
Does Hawaii add anything to the LLC filing fee?
Yes. The division's LLC page lists a $1 State Archives fee on top of the $50 fee, and expedited service costs $25 more.
When is a Hawaii annual report due?
It depends on the registration date. The division's FAQ ties the due date to the quarter the entity registered in, and an entity registered in the same year as the due date does not file that year.
What does a Hawaii good standing certificate cost?
The fee schedule dated December 2022 lists it at $5. Hawaii calls it a Certificate of Compliance.
Can I buy a list of Hawaii businesses?
The division offers a paid Business Data List Builder for custom lists of local businesses and professionals.
After the Hawaii name check
- LLC cost calculatorHawaii filing and report fees added up
- Business name rules by stateHawaii's endings beside other states
- West Virginia business entity searchWest Virginia Secretary of State
- Vermont business entity searchVermont Secretary of State
- Texas business entity searchOffice of the Secretary of State of Texas
- Company domain nameWhat a domain is, who registers it, how renewal works and what the official pages say about email.
- LLC name examplesInvented names that meet, and miss, the ending rules in Delaware, Florida, Texas and California.
7 official Hawaii sources
- Hawaii Business Registration Division, Registration, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Hawaii Business Registration Division, new online portal notice, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Hawaii Business Registration Division, Domestic limited liability companies, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Hawaii Business Registration Division, Frequently asked questions, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Hawaii Form LLC-1, Articles of Organization, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Hawaii Business Registration Division, form and fee schedule, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Hawaii Business Registration Division, home page, retrieved November 12, 2026.