Hawaii Articles of Organization

How to File Your Hawaii Articles of Organization

The Secretary of State processes Articles of Organization and handles company registrations in Hawaii. The Secretary of State’s office provides fillable forms to help you get your Articles of Organization in Hawaii filed more easily. You can file your completed forms with the Secretary of State online, by email, mail, or fax.

As we mentioned, State of Hawaii Articles of Organization identify key information about your company. Some of the essential information for LLC business registration in Hawaii includes: 

• Your LLC’s official name
• Mailing address for your LLC
• Names of organizers and initial members
• Name and address of your registered agent
• Duration of the LLC

We’ll walk you through the steps for getting your LLC documents prepared and submitted.

Step 1: Submit Your LLC’s Official Name 

Choosing a name for your company is often the most challenging part of getting your business set up. In addition to filing your State of Hawaii Articles of Organization, you’ll also need to register your LLC’s name. You can name your LLC anything you want, but you need to include the words “LLC” “limited” or abbreviations thereof in your business name. This is to identify your company as an LLC. Along with your LLC’s name, you’ll also include the mailing address for your company.

Once you’ve settled on a name, make sure to search the Hawaii business name database to ensure your name is unique. After you confirm that it is, you can register your business name. You’ll need to submit your company’s official name reservation as part of your LLC formation documents.  

Step 2: Add a Copy of the Name Reservation Certificate

When submitting your Articles of Organization in Hawaii, you should include a copy of your Name Reservation Certificate. You’ll get a copy of this certificate when you register your business name through the Hawaii Secretary of State’s Business Express portal. Businesses can reserve a name online for up to 120 days for a small fee. 

Step 3: Provide the Name and Address of Your Registered Agent

A Hawaii LLC needs to have a registered agent on file. A Registered Agent accepts service of process and important business documents on behalf of your LLC. Our Registered Agent Service can help find the right agent for your Hawaii LLC. When filing your business registration in Hawaii, be sure to list your registered agent’s name and address clearly on your Articles of Organization.

Step 4: Certify Your LLC Has At Least One Member

The instructions for filing Articles of Organization for an LLC in Hawaii require you to certify you have at least one member. In other words, you can’t create an LLC without any humans involved. Make sure that your Articles of Organization clearly state your LLC’s members. When you sign the document to file it, you’re certifying that those are the members of your business. You will also need to provide the name and address of each organizer.

Step 5: Choose a Filing Date

For Hawaii entrepreneurs, one great feature of filing your Articles of Organization in Hawaii is that you can choose your filing date. You can indicate in your Articles of Organization a date you want your LLC registration to be effective. Make sure to specify whether you want the effective date of your registration to be upon filing or some other date. You can also indicate if you want the LLC to endure for only a specific period of time.

Step 6: Designate Management Structure

You’ll need to indicate whether the LLC is manager-managed or member-managed. You’ll also need to provide the names and addresses of these individuals. Moreover, you’ll need to state the degree of liability the members have (if any) for the debts and obligations of the company. 

Step 7: Attach Any Needed Statements 

You may want or need to include additional information when filing your Articles of Organization. This information might simply be additional pages to provide names and addresses of organizers or members. You may also need to provide the Secretary of State with information about how business liabilities will be handled, or request to keep certain information confidential. Check with the Hawaii Secretary of State if you think you may need to provide additional documents before filing your Articles of Organization. 

Where to File Your Hawaii Articles of Organization

Business registration in Hawaii is easy. The Secretary of State accepts Articles of Organization filings by several different methods. The easiest way is to file online through Hawaii’s Business Express portal and pay the filing fees by credit card. You can also email, mail, or fax your filings to the Secretary of State. However you choose to file your Articles of Organization in Hawaii, be sure to properly pay your filing fees, as your filing won’t be accepted without payment.

What are the next steps? 

Once your filing has been sent off to the Secretary of State, it’s tempting to want to put your feet up! However, after filing Articles of Organization for your LLC in Hawaii, there are more things to do before you can finalize your business entity. 

Create an Operating Agreement

To best manage your LLC, you and your co-managers may want to enter into an Operating Agreement. An Operating Agreement spells out the rules of how the LLC operates. It also describes the relationships among the LLC members and between the entity itself and the people who manage it. 

Some states require you to have an Operating Agreement, but in Hawaii, you are free to have one or operate under Hawaii’s business laws. Issues not covered by an Operating Agreement need to be resolved according to the Hawaii Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. Typically, business owners prefer to have an Operating Agreement in place!

If you don’t know where to start when writing your LLC’s Operating Agreement, you can use our Operating Agreement Template for guidance. After business registration in Hawaii is complete, Hawaii entrepreneurs usually spend a good deal of time crafting their Operating Agreement to suit their unique needs.

Apply for an EIN

Applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is an essential step in getting your LLC up and running. You can obtain an EIN from the IRS and use it on your federal tax returns and to open bank accounts, like a social security number for your business. 

However, if you’re the only member of your LLC and you don’t have an EIN, you have to use your Social Security Number for tax returns and on your business accounts. Having an EIN can help protect your privacy. Our Employer ID Number Service can save you time and obtain an EIN for you. 

We can help

Our goal is to make running your business easier. After all, who doesn’t want to work smarter, not harder? Our comprehensive suite of award-winning business services can help you throughout the life of your business. We can even help you easily keep track of your invoices, expenses, and income with our ZenBusiness Money Service. And we can help you keep your business legally compliant with our Worry-Free Compliance Service.