Hawaii LLC or Delaware LLC?
If you run your business in Hawaii, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in Hawaii, forming in Delaware costs about $2,110 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Delaware.
Form in Hawaii
Hawaii
Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1)$50
Annual Report$15 / yr
Year one$50
Each year after$15
5-year total$110
Form in Delaware, register in Hawaii
Delaware
Certificate of Formation$110
Annual LLC tax payment (no separate report)$0
LLC annual tax$400 / yr
Hawaii (foreign registration)
Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1)$50
Annual Report$15 / yr
Year one$560
Each year after$415
5-year total$2,220
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Delaware while operating in Hawaii means two sets of reports and two sets of deadlines, adding about $400 a year.
- You need a registered agent with a street address in Delaware. If you don't have one there, that's a paid service every year.
- Out-of-state formation makes the most sense when you raise outside investment, operate in many states, or have a specific legal reason — not as a default.
State fees only, from each state's official fee pages. Not legal or tax advice.