Skip to content
Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration verdict · Hawaii

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Hawaii (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in Hawaii: Mainstay Filing ($199), Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199) and HI Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes first place: $199 plus the state's own fee, with the registered agent free for the first year and one price in every state.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Top pick on this page
Spot 1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

Service fee $199, $250 due at checkout with the state fee; agent $149 yearly after year one

9.5Editorial score
out of 10

Mainstay Filing wins here: it prepares the Hawaii registration for $199 and serves as your registered agent, free in year one, then $149 a year.

After the free first year the agent is $149 a year, whichever state you register in.

The three-year bill is $100 higher than Hawaii Registered Agent.co's, and the wider coverage is worth that to us.

What you get

  • The registration, prepared and submitted for you
  • Free registered agent service for the first year
  • Any legal papers served on the company are scanned the same business day for free

What we like

  • One price in all fifty states
  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above Hawaii Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Low renewal
Spot 2

2. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for companies adding only Hawaii

$199 service fee, state fee added; $99 a year from year two

9.0Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to Hawaii Registered Agent.co: $199 over the state fee to register in Hawaii, with the agent renewing at $99.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • Year-one registered agent service

What we like

  • Year-two agent cost of $99
  • Includes the first year as your registered agent
  • Service fee $199, state fee extra

Cons

  • Covers Hawaii only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Hawaii Registered Agent.co verdict
Best for a Hawaii-only company
Spot 3

3. HI Registered Agent.org: best for Hawaii registrations only

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

8.7Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to HI Registered Agent.org: $199 over the state fee to register in Hawaii, with the agent renewing at $99.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

On price and features Hawaii Registered Agent.co and HI Registered Agent.org match line for line, which makes this a close call between safe choices.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • One year of registered agent service

What we like

  • Includes the first year as your registered agent
  • $199 to register, plus the state's fee
  • $99 a year for the agent from year two

Cons

  • Covers Hawaii only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full HI Registered Agent.org verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1Mainstay Filing9.5$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Hawaii Registered Agent.co9.0$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3HI Registered Agent.org8.7$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The marks out of 10 are editorial: Filing Verdict sets them from the criteria on How we rank, and customers do not rate anything here.

Hawaii foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
Hawaii Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
HI Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Hawaii's $51 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

The reasoning behind the order

Filing Verdict gives total over three years and paperwork the price handles 35% each, and renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing split the rest. In Hawaii the order was settled by paperwork the price handles.

Registering in a second state involves two states, so one provider with one price in both scored best on coverage, ahead of Hawaii Registered Agent.co.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Hawaii foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division by filing the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1). The state fee is $51. Hawaii also asks for original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 60 days of filing.

Afterwards the company files the annual report ($12.50), due end of the quarter in which the LLC was registered.

Before you file: a checklist

  • Original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 60 days before you file.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $51 state fee, paid with the filing.
  • A calendar entry for the annual report and its $12.50 fee.

What skipping Hawaii registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in Hawaii courts (HRS 414-432(a); 428-1008(a)). Contracts it signs stay valid (HRS 414-432(e); 428-1008(b)). Back fees for the period it operated unregistered are also due.

Hawaii foreign registration service: questions answered

Does Hawaii require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in Hawaii?

The state fee is $51, and the service fee is $199.

Which form does Hawaii use for foreign registration?

Use the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1), filed with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division.

Does Hawaii want a certificate from my home state?

Yes. It asks for original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 60 days of filing.

Is a registered agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a registered agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in Hawaii?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 on top of the state fee, the same in any state, with the first year of registered agent service included.

More from us

Sources and dates

  1. Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July 1, 2026, confirmed October 2026
  2. Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  3. Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  4. Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  5. Hawaii registered agent statute, confirmed October 2026
  6. Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration, confirmed October 2026
  7. Form FLLC-1, confirmed October 2026
  8. Foreign LLC filing fees, confirmed October 2026
  9. Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not transacting business, confirmed October 2026
  10. New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs, confirmed October 2026
  11. Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-432, consequences of transacting business without authority, confirmed November 2026
  12. Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1008, effect of failure to obtain certificate of authority, confirmed November 2026
  13. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Hawaii service page
  14. Checked November 12, 2026: Hawaii Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages
  15. Checked November 12, 2026: HI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages