Hawaii Registered Agent

Whether you’re starting a new LLC or updating the registered agent for your existing business, it’s important to choose the best Hawaii registered agent for your needs.

This article will help you to choose the registered agent that best fits your business, go over the basic functions of registered agents, and answer common questions about registered agents.

If you haven’t yet formed your LLC, you can get one year of registered agent services for free if you form your LLC with Northwest Registered Agent ($29 + state fees). (This is a great deal!).

Best Hawaii Registered Agent Service

When choosing a registered agent service, you want someone who understands the importance of staying compliant and being diligent about legal processes and paperwork. That’s why Northwest Registered Agent is our #1 registered agent service choice for Hawaii businesses.

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent, which offers everything that you need to form your LLC along with Registered Agent services. The company boasts over 20 years of operations helping small businesses start or grow.

Northwest has a 100% Error-Free Guarantee with outstanding customer support, exceptional services, and high prices to match. If data privacy and access to customer support are top on your list, the extra costs of working with Northwest Registered Agent may be well worth it for you and your business.

What Does a Hawaii Registered Agent Do?

A registered agent does a few things for a company. Their main task is to be present when or if the company needs to receive tax or legal paperwork. These would be documents that can’t be sent to a mailbox or delivered to a front desk; rather, documents that must be handed directly to the person who represents the company.

A simple example would be a service of process, which is the delivery of legal documents in a lawsuit. These service documents must be delivered directly to the company’s representative – the registered agent – to ensure they are received.

This may seem like a small task, but the caveat that makes this a critical position is that the registered agent is required to be at the documented location to receive these papers during all “regular business hours.” This is the main reason that most people choose to use a registered agent service rather than operating as their own agent.

Other forms that your registered agent may receive on your behalf are:

• Tax forms
• Legal documents
• Official government correspondence
• Service of process

Another function of a registered agent is to file official documents with the state in which the LLC or corporation is established. In most states, businesses are required to file an annual report once per year to keep the business in “good standing” with the state.

Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Hawaii?

The short answer is yes, you can be your own registered agent.

Whether or not that’s the best plan for you or your company is another question entirely. If you are looking to spend the absolute, bare minimum amount of money on your business, then being your own registered agent may not be a terrible choice. Still, even in that scenario, we don’t recommend it.

Benefits of Using a Registered Agent Service

There are only a few realistic options when it comes to whom you file as your registered agent:

• Yourself
• An attorney
• A registered agent service

As mentioned above, being your own agent has pitfalls and isn’t recommended. What’s more, an attorney in this position would be quite expensive and is generally only a viable option if you had them form your business for you.

So, that leaves you with the option of using a service. Here are the biggest benefits of using a professional registered agent service:

Privacy

When you form an LLC or corporation, your formation data goes into a state database which is open and searchable to the public. The information in this database can include:

• Business name
• Formation date
• Registered agent name
• Registered agent address

While you can’t stop the state from publishing this information, you can retain the privacy of your name and your address by using a registered agent service. Since this information is public, marketing companies use these databases to gather information to market their products and services to business owners. Your mailbox will thank you for keeping your business address private.

Another major privacy benefit is having legal documents delivered to your agent and not you personally. If, for some reason, someone brings a lawsuit against your company, would you rather have your agent call you with these documents or have them served to you in front of your customers, clients, or employees?

Easy Compliance

Along with privacy, another of the main benefits of using a registered agent service is that they will help to keep your business in “good standing” with the state.

Some states require LLCs and corporations to file annual reports or other timely documents. While these generally aren’t difficult tasks, they are often easily forgotten or lost in the day-to-day work that your business hands you.

Your registered agent will send you reminders that this work needs to be completed, and some will even provide you with the proper documents to make your work even easier.

How Do I Elect a Registered Agent in Hawaii?

Forming an LLC in Hawaii requires that you elect a registered agent. Your registered agent may have to accept (and sometimes sign for) tax bills and notices, service of process documents, and other important correspondence.

A registered agent should generally be able and willing to receive these communications and also be able to pass on any communications in a prompt and appropriate manner. They also must have a physical address somewhere in Hawaii.

You elect a registered agent by filing the Articles of Organization as part of forming your LLC in Hawaii. If you’re using an LLC formation service to establish your business, the service will list the registered agent when it files these articles on your behalf.

You can self-file Articles of Organization online or via hard copy:

1. Register your business and file Articles of Organization online through Hawaii Business Express. You will need the registered agent’s name, registered agent’s contact information, and Hawaii address (P.O. addresses aren’t suitable). The platform reminds users that a registering business can’t serve as its own registered agent. The registered agent must be either an individual or another business (most often a registered agent service) that’s located within the state. The new Hawaii LLC filing fee is $50, payable online at the time of filing.
2. You can file by mail, fax, email, or in person by downloading and completing the Articles of Organization for a Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1), which the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) makes available online as a PDF file. The costs of filing by mail include the standard $50 filing fee plus a $1 archiving fee. Submit the form to the DCCA using one of the methods found in the Contact Information section below.

How Do I Change My LLC’s Registered Agent in Hawaii?

Should you ever need to change your LLC’s registered agent, there are multiple ways to do so.

Which of the following options best suits your LLC depends on when you’re changing the registered agent and your preferred mode of communication:

• File Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent You can complete a Statement of Change of Registered Agent by Entity (Form X-7). The form can be submitted online, by mail, by email, by fax, or in person. The filing fee is $25 paid by check, credit card, or money order. To file online, navigate to the form through your LLC’s Hawaii Business Express account. Prompts will ask you all of the questions on the form and then pay the filing fee. To file a hard copy form, download and complete Form X-7. Checks should be enclosed to pay the filing fee for mailed filings. Email and fax filings must submit payment by credit card.
• File Your Hawaii LLC Annual Report The most convenient option is to simply update your LLC’s registered agent when filing an annual report. If you’re close to the annual report, simply update the registered agent’s name and address when you fill out the report online with Hawaii Business Express. This method incurs a fee of $12.50. Hawaii also offers a PDF annual report (Form C5) for mailing purposes, but the state encourages filers to complete the report online. The mailing fee is $15.

If you choose to use or switch to a registered agent service, they should complete and file the changes for you. For more information about our recommended Registered Agent service for your LLC, check out our Northwest Registered Agent review.

Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Business Registration Division
335 Merchant St.
P.O. Box 40
Honolulu, HI 96810

Physical Address:

335 Merchant St.
Room 201
Honolulu, HI 96813

Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:45 am – 4:30 pm

Phone: (808) 586-2727

Email: breg@dcca.hawaii.gov

Fax: (808) 586-2733