No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides, $250 payable at checkout; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.1out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds HI Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- One price in each of the fifty states
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than HI Registered Agent.org
No.2
Best for a Hawaii-only company
2. HI Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Hawaii
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.9out of 10
Second place: HI Registered Agent.org. It charges $199 beyond the state fee, including year-one registered agent service, then $99 a year for the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- Serves Hawaii only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best for a Hawaii-only company
3. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for Hawaii registrations only
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score8.6out of 10
Third place: Hawaii Registered Agent.co. It charges $199 beyond the state fee, including year-one registered agent service, then $99 a year for the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
Hawaii Registered Agent.co mirrors HI Registered Agent.org on price and features, so the pair is nearly level.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
Weak spots
- Serves Hawaii only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | HI Registered Agent.org | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Hawaii Registered Agent.co | 8.6 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on
How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.
Hawaii foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
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| HI Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Hawaii Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Hawaii's $51 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
How the ruling was reached
The decisive criterion in Hawaii was work taken off the founder. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of HI Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Hawaii: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division using the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1). The state fee is $51. Hawaii also requires original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no more than 60 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $12.50, with a due date of end of the quarter in which the LLC was registered.
Items to gather before filing
- Original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 60 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $51 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $12.50 fee.
Consequences of operating in Hawaii unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Hawaii courts (HRS 414-432(a); 428-1008(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (HRS 414-432(e); 428-1008(b)). Fees for the unregistered period are owed too.
Questions on Hawaii foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Hawaii?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Hawaii run in total?
The state fee is $51; service charges run $199.
What does Hawaii call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1), lodged with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Hawaii accepts it?
It must. Original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no more than 60 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Hawaii?
Mainstay Filing, since its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
The record
- Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July 1, 2026, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration, on the record as of October 2026
- Form FLLC-1, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign LLC filing fees, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
- New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs, on the record as of October 2026
- Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-432, consequences of transacting business without authority, on the record as of November 2026
- Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1008, effect of failure to obtain certificate of authority, on the record as of November 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Hawaii service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: HI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Hawaii Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026