Skip to content
Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
Launchwise Review

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

Launch guide · Hawaii · foreign registration

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Hawaii (2026)

Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
For a 2026 launch in Hawaii, Launchwise Review grades foreign registration services this way: Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and HI Registered Agent.org ($199). Hawaii Registered Agent.co earns the top grade here: $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.
1
Our top pick in Hawaii

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

Service $199, state fee extra; the agent then costs $99 each year

Our mark 9.1 out of 10

Top grade, Hawaii Registered Agent.co: it registers the company in Hawaii for $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

It beats Mainstay Filing where launch budgets feel it most, the three-year total.

In the price

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • A first year as your registered agent

Pros

  • Second-year agent price: $99
  • Registers the company for $199, state fee extra
  • Covers the first year of registered agent service

Less good

  • Hawaii only; the home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Hawaii Registered Agent.co launch review
2
Same price in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for founders working in several states

Pay $199 plus the state fee ($250 in total at checkout), then $149 a year for the agent

Our mark 8.7 out of 10

Next up is Mainstay Filing: $199 beyond the state's fee in whichever state you enter, with year-one registered agent service free.

Your first year as agent is free; each year after that is $149, wherever you register.

Hawaii Registered Agent.co is $100 lower across three years, which puts Mainstay Filing behind it on cost.

In the price

  • Your foreign registration, handled
  • Your registered agent free for the first year
  • Papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day, no charge

Pros

  • One price in every state
  • $199 for the service, with the state fee added
  • Registered agent service is free the first year
  • Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day, free

Less good

  • The agent costs $149 a year after year one, $50 above Hawaii Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing launch review
3
Lower renewal than Mainstay

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

Pay $199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year for the agent

Our mark 8.4 out of 10

Rounding out the list is HI Registered Agent.org: it registers the company in Hawaii for $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

Their posted prices and features match, so Hawaii Registered Agent.co and HI Registered Agent.org grade as a near tie.

In the price

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • One year of registered agent service to begin with

Pros

  • Covers the first year of registered agent service
  • The agent costs $99 a year after the first
  • $199 to register, plus the state fee

Less good

  • Hawaii only; the home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the HI Registered Agent.org launch review

The 3 grades at a glance

Place Company Launch grade Service price Second year Best fit Go
1 Hawaii Registered Agent.co 9.1 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal on this page Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 8.7 $199 $149/yr Founders opening a second state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 HI Registered Agent.org 8.4 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal on this page Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Launchwise Review assigns every grade out of 10 itself using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings go into it.

Hawaii foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total

Company Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Three years, total Agent covered, year one
Hawaii Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
HI Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Prices were copied from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Add Hawaii's $51 registration fee to any row; it is not in the totals.

The thinking behind the order

At Launchwise Review, cost to launch and stay and launch paperwork handled each count for 26% of a grade, and renewal behavior, state match and price transparency split the remaining 48%. In Hawaii, cost to launch and stay made the call.

Hawaii Registered Agent.co comes to $397 over three years, $100 under Mainstay Filing. Both include year one, so the renewal price broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Opening in Hawaii as a foreign LLC: fee, form and office

Your registration goes to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division, on the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1). Budget $51 for the state. Have original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation in hand too, dated within 60 days of filing; Hawaii asks for it.

Calendar item for later: the annual report at $12.50, due end of the quarter in which the LLC was registered.

Before you file, get these together

  • Original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued within 60 days of your filing date.
  • Your company's exact legal name and the date it was formed at home.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; every company graded on this page can serve.
  • The $51 state fee, ready to pay with the filing.
  • A calendar reminder for the annual report and its $12.50 fee.

What skipping Hawaii registration can cost you

Without registration, an outside LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Hawaii courts (HRS 414-432(a); 428-1008(a)). Contracts it signs remain valid (HRS 414-432(e); 428-1008(b)). Back fees for the unregistered months are due as well.

Quick answers about Hawaii foreign registration services

When does an LLC from elsewhere have to register in Hawaii?

Once it does business there. Until then it cannot bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.

What should I budget to bring an existing LLC into Hawaii?

The state fee is $51; add a service fee of $199.

Which form brings a foreign LLC into Hawaii?

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

Do I need a document from my home state first?

Yes, order original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation and file within 60 days of its date.

Does the foreign LLC still need a registered agent?

Yes. Keep a registered agent with a street address in the state for as long as the company is registered there.

Which service is the best way to register a foreign LLC in Hawaii?

Hawaii Registered Agent.co, because $199 beyond the state fee gets the company into Hawaii, with the agent renewing at $99.

Keep reading

Sources and dates

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