Hawaii (HI) Secretary of State (SOS) LLC & Business Search

In Hawaii, you can conduct a search for businesses through the Hawaii Business Registration Division, Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs. They enable you to search for businesses and learn more about them as well as access a range of documents. You can search their business database by:

• Business name
• Agent

Search by business name

You can search for businesses registered in Hawaii by their business name and you can select the search mode as contains or begins with.

The search results contain businesses with the name searched and the information in the list includes business name, record type, file number and status. They enable the list to be filtered by record type, status and entity type to reduce the search results.

You can view further details about the businesses by clicking on the business name which is highlighted in blue. The business records include information such as:

• Master name
• Business type
• File number
• Status
• Purpose
• Organized in
• Registration date
• Mailing address
• Cross reference name
• Term
• Agent details
• Annual filings
• Officers
• Trade names

They also offer the option to purchase a Certificate of Good Standing for $7.50 and access documents such as annual filings, articles of incorporation and application of registration which cost $3.

Search by agent

The Hawaiian business database can also be searched by agent and you can select the search mode of either active business or all businesses.

The search results will produce a list of agents that match your search criteria and will detail the agent’s name, number of business records, price for the records and a purchase tick box. To view the records, you will need to purchase them. A list of Hawaiian businesses represented by a registered agent or combination of agents can be purchased for $2 plus 5c per business record.

Contact details

Website: https://hbe.ehawaii.gov/documents/search.html

Phone: (808) 586-2727

Address: King Kalakaua Building, 335 Merchant Street, Room 201, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Hours: Monday-Friday 7.45am-4.30pm

Email: breg@dcca.hawaii.gov

How to register a business in Hawaii?

Businesses can be registered in Hawaii by following these steps:

1. Decide what name you are going to call your business and check whether that name might already be in use in Hawaii by doing a business search.
2. You will also need to decide what structure your business will be operating under so that you can register it correctly.
3. To register your business online in Hawaii you will need to set up an account with gov which will also allow you to update your business and manage notifications.
4. You will need to complete formation documents such as the Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization. You can complete these online on Hawaii.gov or can mail paper copies to the Business Registration Division. Fees start at $25 depending on the business type.

How much does a Hawaii business entity search cost?

Business searches on the Hawaii business search database are free but there are charges if you want to view records by agent name. The cost for an agent list is $2 per list and 5c per record which can be for a single agent or a combination of several agents. There are also charges if you want to access documents such as annual filings, articles of incorporation and application of registration which cost $3. You can also purchase a Certificate of Good Standing for $7.50.

How can I get a business license in Hawaii?

Businesses are required to have a General Excise Tax License in order to operate their business on the islands of Hawaii. The cost of registration for a General Excise Tax License is $20 and this is a one-off fee. Other licenses may be required depending on what industry you are in as professional licenses may be needed.