Check LLC Name Availability and Register Your Business with the Hawaii Business Registration Division
Whether you’re searching for the right Hawaii business name or registering your LLC with the HI Business Registration Division, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on a Hawaii business entity search, LLC naming rules, fictitious names and registering your business.
Hawaii Business Name Searches
You should start naming your business by completing a “Hawaii business entity search” with the Business Registration Division. They have a helpful tool on their website that lets you search the register of HI LLCs and corporations to see if someone already has your desired business name.
If the business name is already used, that means it’s not available and you won’t be able to register it. Try searching for a different business name instead.
Hawaii Business Registration Division business name search tool
Hawaii Business Registration Division Rules for Naming Your LLC
Once you’ve decided on a name for your LLC and checked business name availability, you’ll need to meet Hawaii Business Registration Division (BRD) naming rules. These do vary from state to state — we’ve got general naming rules below, as well as naming rules specific to LLC businesses formed in HI.
Your LLC Business Name Must Be Unique
The business name you have chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the state of Hawaii. This is why you should check business name availability on the HI BRD website.
Your LLC Business Name Must Not Be Confusable With Another Business Name
It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique; it also cannot be similar to the name of another corporation or LLC in Hawaii. For example, you cannot use the following factors to say your name is different from the name of another business:
- Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.
- Definite articles like “A,” “And,” “An,” “&,” “The,” etc.
- The singular, plural or possessive forms of a word
- Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
Your LLC Business Name Must Contain Certain Words
All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their name. These words should normally come at the end of the name.
Your LLC Business Name May Have Other General Restrictions
Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:
- Are very similar to the name of a federal or HI agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Hawaii Department of Taxation, Hawaii Police, Treasury, etc.)
- Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
- Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the Olympic organization
- Imply a purpose that it would be illegal for your business to carry out
Hawaii LLC Trade Names
You might choose to do business under a different name from your legal LLC name. In Hawaii, doing business under a different name is known as a “Trade Name.” You might choose to use a different name from your HI formal LLC name for a variety of reasons.
For example, your LLC might be called Hawaii Beach Vacations Holding Company LLC and you have a chain called Honolulu Hotels. You should file a Trade Name to let the Hawaii Business Registration Division know. In Hawaii, you do that through a Form T-1 Application for Registration of Trade Name, or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf through our Trade Name Service.
Incfile's DBA name serviceRegister Your Business Name with the Hawaii Business Registration Division
Once you’ve searched for your Hawaii business name, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a fictitious name, you can register your HI LLC name. There are a couple of ways to do this.
- If you don’t want to form your Hawaii LLC right now, you can reserve the business name with the Hawaii Business Registration Division. You will need to complete a form and file it with the HI BRD. You do not need to reserve a name if you are forming your business right away.
- If you’re ready to start your Hawaii LLC, you can formally file your Articles of Organization with the Hawaii BRD, or let Incfile take care of it for you.
FAQs on Naming Your Hawaii LLC
You might find the following answers useful.
Just go to the business name search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can search the register of the Hawaii Business Registration Division, which will tell you if there are any HI corporations or LLCs with that name.
Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules. We’ve detailed these rules above.
Yes. Known as “assumed names,” “fictitious names,” “doing business as names” or “trade names,” you can choose to conduct business under a different name. Details are above.
Yes. The Hawaii Business Registration Division allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you are ready to start your business now, you do not need to reserve a name.
Useful Resources for Naming Your Hawaii LLC
You might find these other resources helpful.
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must be careful that your Hawaii LLC name does not infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name does not infringe is to carry out a trademark search through Incfile. If it doesn’t infringe, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.
Incfile Trademark Search and Registration ServiceFind the Perfect Name for Your Hawaii LLC
The perfect business name can be elusive. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but basically, you'll want to choose a name that will:
- Appeal to your customers
- Be memorable enough to stand out
- Best represent your product or services
- Not be used by another business
