Start a Hawaii Corporation

Forming a Hawaii corporation involves formally registering your business with the Business Registration Division (BREG) in Honolulu. There is typically a very quick turnaround, and incorporating in Hawaii is especially attractive because the state does not assess a charter tax or business franchise tax.

Documents Required to Incorporate in Hawaii

Articles of Incorporation

To register your corporation in Hawaii, Articles of Incorporation (Form DC-1) must be filed with the BREG in Honolulu; this document, when filed, officially gives legal corporate status to your business, allowing it to exist for perpetuity and enter into contracts and other agreements.

Your Articles of Incorporation should contain, at minimum, the following information:

  1. Name of the corporation (should end in "Corporation," "Inc.," "Corp.," or similar)
  2. Mailing address of the corporation
  3. Registered agent information
  4. Number and classes of shares authorized
  5. Incorporator information and signature

It's important to note that while the Hawaii Articles of Incorporation required by the Business Registration Division meet state requirements, it is your responsibility to check with any other agencies you may deal with in the future to ensure that your Articles meet their requirements.

(Of course, you could also file an article amendment at a later date, if you find that you do need to update your BREG registration.)

We have free sample Hawaii Articles of Incorporation for you to reference when drafting your own!

Annual Report

Most business entities in Hawaii, corporations included, must file an annual report with the BREG. The due date for the annual report will depend on the month in which the LLC was registered.

The state will mail out annual report reminders, but it is ultimately the business's responsibility to file the report itself.

Articles of Amendment

When anything about the business changes—the name of the corporation, for example, or the mailing address—Articles of Amendment should be registered with the BREG office in Honolulu. Not only is this required by law, but without current address information on file with the state, you could miss out on important reminders and notices, potentially causing you to miss deadlines and be assessed fees.

How Click&Inc Can Help

Please, feel free to use our free sample Hawaii Articles of Incorporation to reference when drafting your own.

Or, if you'd like us to take care of the legwork, we can register your corporation in Hawaii for you—quickly and accurately. Just give us some information about your business and we'll draft and submit the paper for you!

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Other Businesses in Hawaii

An LLC is by no means the only type of business available for registration with the Honolulu offices. Take a look at the information below to learn more, and talk to your legal advisor to determine which business type is best for you. Aloha!