The official search
The registry is run by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division (BREG). If you are looking for a "Hawaii Secretary of State" business search, it does not exist — BREG does that job.
- Search page: https://hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov/search-and-buy
- Cost: Free
- Login: None required for the basic name search
Note that the portal moved: Hawaii Business Express used to live at hbe.ehawaii.com, but BREG launched a new portal at hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov in July 2026, and old bookmarks are stale. Expedited handling was suspended during that move, so check the portal for its current status before counting on it.
The search covers everything BREG registers — corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and LLPs — and, importantly, it returns trade names, trademarks, and service marks in the same result list as entities. That matches the law: your LLC name is tested against those registrations too.
There is no separate yes/no availability tool, and the portal warns that search results should not be treated as a definitive determination of availability. BREG makes the formal decision when your filing or name reservation is reviewed. A result record generally shows the business name, record type, file number, status, registration date, address, registered agent, and filing history, and you can buy documents and certificates through the same portal.
Step by step
- Open Hawaii Business Express and go to Search & Buy on the current portal, hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov — not an old ehawaii bookmark.
- Enter your name without "LLC" in the single business-name field.
- Start with Begins With, then switch to Contains. Begins With is the reported default; Contains catches your distinctive words anywhere in a registered name, trade name, or mark.
- Read every record type in the results. A blocking registration can be a corporation, a partnership, a trade name, or a trademark or service mark — not just another LLC.
- Look beyond exact matches. Because Hawaii's test is "substantially identical," also judge near-matches yourself: would customers confuse the two names? The state may register both and leave the confusion problem to you.
- If nothing substantially identical appears, the name is probably available — but BREG's review of your actual filing is definitive.
Hawaii's name rules
The rules are in HRS §428-105 of the Hawaii Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Chapter 428).
Designator. The name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC." "Limited" may be abbreviated as "Ltd." and "company" as "Co."
Characters. The letters in the name must be letters of the English alphabet.
Substantially identical — the Hawaii standard. The name may not be the same as, or substantially identical to:
- Any domestic corporation, partnership, limited partnership, LLC, or limited liability partnership in Hawaii
- Any foreign entity of those types authorized to transact business in Hawaii
- A name already reserved under Hawaii law
- A fictitious name approved for a foreign LLC
- Any trade name, trademark, or service mark registered in Hawaii
This is a lower bar than the "distinguishable" test most states use. Names that are merely similar — different enough not to be substantially identical — can both be registered. The director can also authorize a substantially identical name in limited cases, such as with the existing holder's consent or after a merger or reorganization.
The abatement risk. Under HRS §428-105.5, an existing Hawaii LLC in good standing can petition the director for an administrative order of abatement if it claims your registered name is substantially identical to, or confusingly similar with, its name. The order can force you to change your name or do business under a new trade name — and an entity that ignores the order can be dissolved or terminated. Clearing the search is not the end of the story in Hawaii.
Reserving a name. Under HRS §428-106, you can reserve an available LLC name for 120 days. The reservation fee is currently listed by BREG at $10 — confirm the amount on the current BREG fee schedule before filing. A reservation is optional and does not create the LLC.
What the search can't tell you
- Whether your name will confuse customers. Hawaii's substantially-identical test can let confusingly similar names coexist. Brand clarity is your responsibility, not the registry's.
- A final verdict. Search results are not an availability ruling; BREG decides when it reviews your filing or reservation.
- Federal trademarks and domains. The search says nothing about USPTO rights or .com availability.
- Tax registration. Forming the LLC with BREG does not register you with the Hawaii Department of Taxation; most operating businesses also need a General Excise Tax license from Taxation.
If the name looks available
File Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the Business Registration Division, online through Hawaii Business Express, or by email, mail, or fax.
- Cost: $51 total — a $50 filing fee plus a $1 State Archives fee. Filing fees are not refundable.
- Expedited review is listed on the fee schedule at an additional $25, but it was suspended during the 2026 portal transition — check whether it is currently offered before paying for it.
Ongoing: the annual report.
- Fee: $12.50 online ($15 on the paper fee schedule) — among the cheapest in the country.
- Due date — think in quarters, not anniversaries: your report is due by the end of the calendar quarter in which you registered. Registered in February, your report is due March 31; registered in August, it is due September 30. You can file any time during that quarter, and an LLC is not required to file in its formation year.
- Late penalty: $10 per year delinquent. Continued non-filing can lead to administrative termination.
FAQ
Is the Hawaii LLC name search free? Yes. Search & Buy on Hawaii Business Express is free, and the basic name search needs no login.
Why is there no Hawaii Secretary of State business search? Hawaii does not route business registrations through a Secretary of State. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division (BREG), is the filing office.
What does "substantially identical" mean for a Hawaii LLC name? Under HRS §428-105, your name cannot be the same as or substantially identical to an existing entity name, reserved name, fictitious name, or registered trade name, trademark, or service mark. It is a lower bar than most states' "distinguishable" test, so similar names can sometimes coexist.
How much does it cost to form a Hawaii LLC? The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) fee is $50, plus a $1 State Archives fee — $51 total.
When is the Hawaii LLC annual report due? By the last day of the calendar quarter in which your LLC was registered — March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31. It costs $12.50 online, and the late fee is $10 per delinquent year.
Sources
- Hawaii DCCA, Business Registration Division — Domestic Limited Liability Company registration: https://cca.hawaii.gov/breg/registration/dllc/
- Hawaii DCCA, Business Registration Division — Chapter 428 fee schedule: https://cca.hawaii.gov/breg/registration/dllc/fees/
- Hawaii Business Express — Search & Buy: https://hbe.dcca.hawaii.gov/search-and-buy
- HRS §428-105 (LLC name rules): Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 428
- Hawaii DCCA — Annual business reports reminder (fees and quarter deadlines): https://cca.hawaii.gov/breg/third-quarter-hawaii-annual-business-reports-due-2026/